LIRE EN FÊTE
THIS
IS OUR TIME
When librarian Brigitte Tramolay announced at the beginning of the year a cartoon week with Emanuel Lepage for the classes of 4ème3 in the framework of French project Lire en Fête and asked the teachers to think about themes that could be developed, I immediately thought the 6 key points of the UNESCO Peace Manifesto 2000 would give our students interesting material to work on:
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Respect Life |
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In this way, Lire en Fête joined hands with This is Our Time project initiated for the UNESCO Associated Schools Project (ASPnet) by e_Linq in the Netherlands and of which the Lycée has become home base for the French-speaking countries. Their site is being translated into French by our students of 1ères.
This is our Time" is an annual, global telecommunications project for secondary schools. It seeks effective and innovative ways to enable young people from many different cultures and countries to communicate "face to face" on current issues such as human rights, peace, sustainable development and global citizenship.
As Year 2000 is the "International Year for a Culture of Peace", the CDI and teachers worked in interdisciplinarity on both projects for the kids to get the maximum out of them. The Peace Manifesto was used as the backbone in both projects to activities at different phases: building awareness, communicating and finally incorporating the points into a personal production. The 4èmes, 3èmes and 2ndes worked on them from June to November.
Building Awareness (June - August)
First the manifesto was printed in the 5 different languages that are taught at school (French, Portuguese, English, Spanish and German). The teachers of each subject distributed it to the students in class so the same students (4èmes) discussed the manifesto in at least 4 different languages. This provided them not only with content and topics to discuss but was also a useful activity in translation and in building awareness to the common and different points in each language. A sense of unity, of working towards the same goal was created as the different language teachers gathered around the same point. Each group chose to illustrate one or more particular points of the Manifesto. Each plot was worked upon in French classes, environmental issues were discussed in Science, some cartoon techniques and cartoons in English, perspective in Math, drawing in Art classes .
Students of 4ème also created questions about geography, history, society, arts and culture and sports in Brazil for the game Unite the Nations in November.
Communication (two first weeks of September)
Each group of students was responsible for one point of the manifesto, which was written in capital letters in the different languages on a big white sheet of paper...like a true manifesto. These papers were stuck all over the school and in the CDI calling the attention of all who went by. The students from the whole school were invited to come to the library to sign the manifesto online. The students from the classes involved took turns in the library to explain and orient the others.
Production 4eme 3 (16th to 20th October)
French cartoonist Emmanuel Lepage showed the 4ème3 the different stages of cartoon making and the students , under his supervision and that of Mme Nigrin, Arts teacher, created the drawings for the plots they had developed. At the end of the workshop there was a round table with Brazilian cartoonists in which students and parents participated.
Production 3èmes (October)
Classes of 3ème in Portuguese classes produced booklets on Peaceful Living/Living better based on discussions held in class.
Production 2ndes and 4èmes (16th November)
On 16 th November, "The International Day for Tolerance", students from the classes of 4ème 1, 4ème 2 and 4ème 3, grouped in teams of 5, participated in the game "Unite the Nations", a rally with multiple-choice questions on geography, history, social issues, arts and sports created by students from each country. Within the time-span of 24 hours students raced against each other and time answering questions on other countries. Every two hours, they were monitored by teams of students of 2nde and teachers who encouraged and helped them.
In the meantime, the other students of 2ndes, in turns, discussed topics and answered questions connected to human-rights education, environmental preservation and management, heritage preservation and non-violent conflict resolution. Beforehand they had exchanged e-mails with participating schools and introduced themselves. This was conducted in class and on an online forum among students from all over the world.
Connecting
Through Peace
summary of discussions and photographs
Peace and
Violence at School
summary of discussions and photographs
Peace
and the Environment
summary of discussions and photographs
Youth
and Peace
summary of discussions and photographs
Projects like these, allow us to discover new horizons, foster communication between educators within the school and internationally. They structure activities which leave aside the traditional way of teaching and prove to more conservative minds that students get more motivated and involved when they are allowed to interact, produce and share information. The students learn how to work in groups, co-operate, respect the others' rhythm and ideas. In defining their position towards global issues, they become more aware of the world around them, which promotes initiative. facilitates their insertion and responsible action. The use of new technologies makes the project more exciting and interactive and also breaks the resistance of some who might go against its pedagogical use. Projects of this kind provide our school the opportunity to go beyond its walls, to open up to new experiences and points of view, to show students, teachers, administrators alike we are part of a larger context which cannot be neglected.
Barbara
Dieu
Teacher
of English and Coordinator Foreign Language Department
Coordinator This is Our Time Project at the Lycée Pasteur, Curso Experimental
Bilingue , homebase for French speaking countries.
Copyright © 2000 Barbara Dieu. All Rights Reserved. No material appearing on any of these pages may be reproduced without prior written permission.
