Implementation of “Four seasons in the mood” (SoI-HR-449)

Abstract/Introduction

The scenario was implemented within the context of the curriculum theme “Weather and Environment” for eighth-grade students. The students learned simple linguistic constructions to describe weather, weather conditions, seasons, and defined them based on significant differences. With prior exposure to some resources on Europeana, the students were well-prepared to delve deeper into exploring the topic of weather and its effects. During the implementation, students engaged in various activities such as analyzing photographs and artworks related to different seasons from Europeana, discussing the cultural significance of seasons, and expressing their observations and reactions. They also practiced using descriptive language to articulate their thoughts about weather phenomena and seasonal changes. The integration of Europeana resources provided a rich and diverse range of materials for students to explore, enhancing their understanding of the topic and stimulating their curiosity. The educational setting for this implementation was a classroom environment, with an emphasis on interactive and collaborative learning. The group consisted of eighth-grade students, 13 to 14 years old. The aim was to connect emotions, mentioned in the scenario, but in a way that awakened positive ones in students and thus stimulated their creativity in visual arts through descriptions of colors and sounds that characterized the seasons. In the end, a visual arts workshop followed on the waves of Europeana. The aim was to connect language skills, interdisciplinary themes of geography and biology, visual and musical arts, enabling students’ innovativeness in the digital world of Europeana, and transferring all learned onto the canvas while developing empathy towards classical music. In this case, it was Vivaldi’s composition – The Four Seasons.

europeAna

We played a guessing game. Students were tasked with finding a female name on the homepage of Europeana. Students opened the homepage of Europeana on their computers and identified the name Ana in the title. This name was often used in Croatia, while in Germany it was most commonly in the form of the name Anna. Students researched when this name celebrated its name day. The goal was to name the seasons. Students further explored when they celebrated their name day, i.e., in which season. This way, the names of the seasons in German were repeated. We wrote the names of the seasons on the board. This activity took 10 minutes.

Weather Detective

In the next step, students watched  a short video and described the weather conditions and the appearance of the person in the video. Students identified the weather conditions in the video and the names of the seasons on the illustration from Europeana. Additionally, based on the appearance of the man throughout the four images, they identified the seasons. This activity took 5 minutes.  and describe the weather conditions and the appearance of the person in the video. Students identify the weather conditions in the video and the names of the seasons on the illustration from Europeana. Additionally, based on the appearance of the man throughout the four images, they identify the seasons. This activity takes 5 minutes.

Seasonal Exploration: Discovering Representations on Europeana

Due to the smaller number of students in the branch school, students worked in pairs – four pairs in total. Each pair explored one season on Europeana based on the drawn card and investigates the ways it is represented (picture, illustration, photograph, object, clothing, souvenir, everyday items). According to the categories, they wrote simple sentences in German using the declination of adjectives with indefinite articles. In their pairs, students individually wrote a descriptive paragraph in German, detailing the scene depicted in the image. They included specific details about the weather, environment, and activities taking place. This activity took 60 minutes.   

Puzzle Challenge in German

After that, students used the “Puzzle maker” tool to create a puzzle from one source on Europeana for another pair, who then guessed which season it represented. They had to describe it briefly using simple sentences in German, for example: “Im Sommer war es heiß. Wir hatten Sommerferien und schwammen im Meer. Im Sommer trugen wir ein leichtes T-Shirt und kurze Shorts.” This activity took 45 minutes.

Music and Art: Inspiration from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

The activity was successfully implemented. Painting supplies including canvases, paints, and brushes were prepared in advance. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” was played in the background to set the mood.Guided by the music, students enthusiastically created artworks depicting their favorite motifs from the season they were born in. They utilized various techniques to bring their visions to life. After completing their artworks, students wrote brief descriptions in German about their emotional experience while listening to the music and creating their paintings. They eloquently described their feelings, reflecting on how the music influenced their artistic expression. Students were encouraged to relax and immerse themselves in the emotions evoked by the music as they listened attentively. This activity took 45 minutes.    

Seasonal Reflection

After completing their paragraphs, students exchanged papers with their partner. Each student read their partner’s paragraph and provided constructive feedback on clarity, detail, and language use. Some of the artworks were sent to an international exhibition in Germany. This not only provided recognition for the students’ work but also allowed them to share their creativity with a broader audience. This activity took 25 minutes.   

Empowering Language Learning Through Multidisciplinary Exploration

Europeana surprised and delighted me again because I actually wanted to see if the students would even find something interesting, creative, and accessible for use on this topic, and together with the students, I concluded that we could not have prejudices against cultural heritage, art history as something that is outdated and out of fashion. Because we brought the images to life by opening them on computer screens, talking about them, and connecting emotionally and linguistically. For me, this activity also showed that imagination had no limits, as well as the digital heritage in Europeana, which increased every day and enabled teachers to keep up with everyday challenges in the classroom.

Students developed a deeper understanding of the characteristics and cultural significance of different seasons. They learned to describe weather conditions, activities, and landscapes associated with each season in German. Through the exploration of Europeana resources, students gained insights into how seasons were represented in various forms of art. Students practiced vocabulary related to seasons, weather, and art, as well as grammar structures such as adjective declension and sentence construction. Through the creation of artworks inspired by Vivaldi’s music and seasonal themes, students had the opportunity to express their creativity and artistic vision. They learned to interpret and represent emotions, moods, and seasonal motifs through visual art, fostering their artistic development. Working in pairs, students collaborated on various tasks such as solving puzzles, writing descriptive paragraphs, and providing feedback to peers. They practiced effective communication skills through discussions, presentations, and peer feedback.   

Link to the learning scenario implemented: Four seasons in the mood (EN-CUR-145) – Teaching With Europeana (eun.org)

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PDM 1.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Rijksmuseum.