Implementation of ”The Brain Challenges” (SOI-RO-546)
Author: Grigore Anda Andreea, profesor
School: Colegiul ,,Vasile Lovinescu” Fălticeni
Introduction
Sleep is often sacrificed for other activities and more concerning is that more children and adolescents are losing sleep to play video games, use mobile phones, or browse the internet. Because of this we investigated how different fields like music, art (painting and sculpture), psychology, and also medicine approach sleep. Because these areas closely interact with literature, it can be analyzed through an interdisciplinary approach in 9th grade.
Also art often reflects the importance and depth of sleep in human life, from famous paintings to expressive sculptures that explore dream states and reverie.
Also in music, sleep is frequently explored through lullabies. These compositions, with a long history in musical culture, aim to induce relaxation and comfort, helping children and even adults fall asleep. So lullabies feature slow rhythms and gentle melodies, sometimes with simple, repetitive lyrics that calm and soothe the listener. They offer a gentle way to explore and celebrate falling asleep and being asleep. But lullabies are significant in musical culture and human development, providing a pleasant and calming auditory experience that can positively influence mood and mental health.
In psychology and medicine, research is also extensive. Studies explore the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function, and innovative therapies address insomnia and also other sleep disorders. These fields are crucial for understanding and promoting healthy sleep among young individuals.
By taking an interdisciplinary approach to this theme in 9thgrade, students can gain a holistic perspective on the importance of sleep in their lives and in contemporary society. Interaction among students and exploring different approaches from diverse fields can contribute to a deeper understanding. Because this promotes a healthy lifestyle that includes respecting the body and mind’s need for rest and recovery.
Learning
The students worked into four groups based on the four proposed areas: medicine, art, music, and psychology. And so the group allocation was done randomly. They had access to various printed, audio, and graphical resources and received worksheets to complete individually and in groups. The activity promoted a high level of collaboration among students, allowing them to acquaint themselves with group dynamics. It resulted in significant insights into the concept of sleep and its implications across various contexts.
The chosen resources were sourced from the internet (for music, medicine, and psychology domains) and from the Europeana platform (for art and music).
The final phase of the activity involved each group creating a poster to present relevant information within their respective domains. Feedback obtained through final discussions and subjective evaluations consolidated students’ understanding and facilitated the exchange of ideas and impressions. But it offers them the opportunity to explore the concept of sleep from various perspectives. They can also develop essential research, analysis, and presentation skills.
Group activities
The medical group identified factors influencing sleep quality and also diseases triggered by sleep deprivation and presented sleep requirements for various age groups. The students identified key factors influencing sleep quality and explored diseases linked to sleep deprivation. They presented recommendations regarding optimal sleep requirements for different age groups.
The art group analyzed 10 paintings and also statues depicting a mother putting a child to sleep and one painting illustrating a nightmare. These artworks were sourced from the Europeana platform and selected to allow discussions on the impact of sleep on a child and the mother-child relationship in the context of healthy emotional development. The students conducted a detailed analysis of artworks depicting sleep-related themes. This artistic exploration underscored the emotional impact of sleep on healthy emotional development and the mother-child relationship.
The psychology group analyzed how the human mind works. This provided explanations about dreams and nightmares. This group delved into the concepts of conscious, unconscious, and subconscious, examining how these mental states influence dreams and nightmares. This also inquiry provided a profound psychological perspective on sleep-related phenomena and the underlying cognitive processes.
The music group listened to 5 lullabies in Romanian, English, and Russian to discuss the emotions they evoke. For Romanian songs, students analyzed the meaning of the lyrics. For foreign language songs, they also noted the emotions they felt. The group explored the emotional responses evoked by lullabies in different languages, analyzing the impact of music on emotional states also. By dissecting lyrics and interpreting the emotions conveyed through music, students gained also deeper insights into the intersection of music and sleep.
Resources
The resources used provided students with access to diverse, and also authentic materials based on the respective domains. The worksheets created using the Canva application were so attractive and so accessible, supporting active student engagement in the activity.
The final activity involved creating and presenting posters that synthesized also relevant information for each field of study
- Lullaby de Cawén, Alvar – Finnish National Gallery, Finland – CC0
- Cântec de leagăn – 1968 – Societatea Română de Radiodifuziune, Romania – CC BY-SA.
- painting (oil): [“Motherhood”] – Nottingham City Museums and Galleries, Europe – CC BY-NC-SA.
- Moederschap de Minne, George – Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, Belgium – CC BY-NC-SA.
- Mother and her sleeping child in an interior de Valkenburg, Hendrik, (1826-1896), (artist) – 1877 – Leiden University Libraries, Netherlands – CC BY.
- A young mother looks over her baby as it lies sleeping in its crib. Stipple engraving, 1789, by W. Nutter after S. Shelley. de Samuel Shelley – Wellcome Collection, United Kingdom – CC BY.
- Playlist lullaby
- Worksheet
- Texts
Did you find this story of implementation interesting? Why don’t you read about the related learning scenario?
Link to the learning scenario implemented: Brain Challenges (LS-PT-22) – Teaching With Europeana (eun.org)
Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.
CC0 1.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Tartu Art Museum.