Romania past and future. I love Romania! (LS-RO-95)
My name is Gheorghe Maria Manuela from Romania and I have developed an interdisciplinary lesson: literature, history and general knowledge of students.
Methods
This lesson was implemented with students of 12 years old. During the activity, we used various teaching and learning methods: group work, clusters, double journal, brainstorming, roles circle and using Europeana platform.
Aims
The main goal of the lesson is to help students understanding how homeland is the matrix that defines a nation. Simultaneously, this lesson helps to raise students awareness concerning different environments, lifestyles, human conditions, and reasons for keeping traditions. More specifically, during the lesson we try to:
- list the characteristics of the native country;
- explain, without calling the word homeland/country;
- express their attitude towards the image of the country created in a concrete literary text;
- bring arguments in favour of an impressive quotation from an opera;
- create a picture of the country, having a particular role;
- write a letter to a friend from another country convincing him that the country is holy for any citizen.
Organising class
Students were attentively listening, they suggested features of the country (the place where we were born, where we spent our childhood/ the place where our roots are/ our ancestors/mother tongue)
We worked on groups about different topics:
- Music (musical notes)
- Painting (watercolour)
- Architecture (scissors)
- Litterature (the book)
Each constituted group received a text based on which they made the double journal. Students shared and clarified their ideas. Using an interactive whiteboard, the teacher introduced the Europeana platform and the section for the activity. What would you like to discover? The keyword was: Romania
Students observing different paintings started noticing the Romanian personalities.
Activities
Each group received a task:
- Painters painted a picture of their country and then searched on Europeana a drwaing of Romania
- Musicians wrote a song about their country and then searched on Europeana for a song about Romania
- Architects created an image that would represent a symbol of Romania (palace or landscapes –mountain). Then, they searched on Europeana for similar creations.
- Literati made an epic or lyrical text to present their country, then searched on Europeana for similar texts.
Results
The painters drew Romania. They painted fruits, fortresses, books, rivers and also commented on an old house.
The musicians made a song and kept the melody of the “Our Language” hymn, which they interpreted.
The architects created from coloured paper the flag of the country (red, yellow, blue).
The writers made up a lyrical epic lyric, in which they expressed their emotions about the country.
Homework
Finally, students were asked to write a letter to a friend from another country and try to convince that the country is ideal for any citizen.
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CC BY 4.0 –The featured image used to illustrate this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. It has been provided by the Muzeul de Artă Timișoara. It has been resized and labelled to illustrate this article. To find the original image click here.