Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
Geographical/historical activity
Subject: Geography/Historical
Type: Summer camp
Age: 10 – 14 years old
Approximately 21 students
The plan:
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Show the powerpoint (10 min)
Giving names and make groups (10 min)
Explain task (5-10 min)
Working in groups (30 min)
Break for game (10-15 min)
Continue working in groups (20 min)
(Maybe brain breaking games)
Presentation (30 min)
Asking for their opinion
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Veronica – Kamilla – Agne
Veronica
Kamilla
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Agne
What are we going to do?
Make a geographical activity, where the pupils have to make a famous/non-famous monument from
two given countries made of carton. After that, they are going to make presentation about their
monument and put it on a big map of Europe. Like a 3D element.
How:
1 – The students will be assigned a role, with a name, age and country of origin (ex. Thomas, 10
years old from England). We will divide the children into 5 or 6 groups, with children from different nationalities and age. Each will get a paper with two countries: One “well-known” and one
“lesser known”. They’ll then have to build a famous building/landmark or monument from each of
those two countries, which they’ll place on a map of Europe.
2 – Brain-breaking-games: paparazzi, flippity-floppity, “touching game”. About 2-3 minutes each.
In the lesson there will be some brain-breaking-games to get fresh air to their brain.
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
In the end, we’ll place all countries on a big map of Europe, with one 3D element from each country, a total of 12 countries (+four which we will build as a demonstration for the kids; Denmark,
Latvia, Lithuania and Norway).
Goals
Social goals
Geography goals
History goals
Learn to work together with
Learn something about other
Learn WHY different coun-
people of different ages from
countries and the most famous
tries built these constructions.
different backgrounds.
monuments/buildings/landmarks Enhance their knowledge and
in the country.
understanding of historical
Education is going to develop
contexts and practice to use
students' interest and curiosity
this understanding in their eve-
about the natural and cultural
ryday and society.
geography.
Why
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The reason we chose to let the groups build a model, is because we want to activate/reach all
the different kinds of learners. According to Dunn & Dunn’s learning styles, some are visual, others are kinesthetic or auditive learners. By letting the children work together in a
group, we can try to activate all of them. The kinesthetic learners can contribute and learn
by building the 3D model, while some can do the research and try to explain to their group
members. This is also supported by Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal learning: the
children can learn by and from each other. What they might not be able to learn on their
own, they may learn with support from their peers.
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We wanted the groups to build a monument/famous building because it will be something
that is easily recognizable from a given country, and one of our goals is that the children has
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
to learn why that building was built.
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Our social goal is to let the children learn to cooperate with others from different backgrounds. Because of this the activity in our geography lesson will be done in international
groups: that is, a group where every child has a different background. By working with each
other, they’ll also learn to cooperate with each other, and thus with people from different
backgrounds. This would also hopefully lead to them developing a healthy and inclusive
view on other people.
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One of the children was in an accident where he lost a hand at a young age. The child don’t
want to be treated differently, and we hope that by working together with other children,
they might be able to understand that a person’s identity is not defined by their physical appearance or limitations.
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Why music in the lesson?
Several studies indicate that music maybe have positive impacts on our work. The music can
boost productivity and make us work faster and more efficiently.
Music can help to get a comfortable atmosphere in the work and help to provide more and
faster. Sometimes music works pain-relieving, so we keep going for longer.
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In our lesson be have brain-breaking-games. We those this because it is a short mental
break. Brain Breaks are helpful in the middle of class to help get students refocused and energized. Why we chose to use these challenge is to keep the student engaged throughout the
entire lesson.
When you get more movement in your education you increase the power of concentration,
so the students will remember what they have learned better.
Some theory says that:
“Regular exercise through childhood strengthens the academic performance” Hillman et al.,
2008.
“Learning combined with physical activity strengthens the ability to remember what they
have learned”
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
“A lot of hormones and other substances associated with physical activity are released, all of
which are believed to facilitate learning and consolidation”
“Excretion of adrenaline and nor-adrenaline strengthens learning (these hormones increases
associated with physical activity)”
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Why we choose this style of teaching?
Piaget says that people can learn better
by constructing knowledge by themselves. And it’s easier and more effective to understand abstract things by
constructing models by themselves.
Vygotsky considers that people will
learn by getting help from person who
knows more.
Edgar Dales talked about "Cone of
Learning”. It’s informing viewers of
how much people remember based on
how they encounter information. Our lesson is based by the most effective way of learning.
The lesson includes hands-on-workshops, models, design, perform a presentation etc.
Our comparative aspect:
Denmark:
GEOGRAPHY:
Science Teaching begins in the 1th grade and continues throughout elementary school. (But) Until
6th grade you have one subject that contains biology, physics/chemistry and geography. It is called
technology and science. In 8th or 9th grade the subjects are separated. In technology and science the
students work with issues from biology, physics / chemistry and geography. Geography gives the
students a competence to observe and analyse the outside world by use of technical knowledge,
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
tools and methods. They work with individual phenomena and processes in the nature, which help
them to create an understanding of the world around them. Cf. the Danish teaching resources, the
students have to learn:
• A knowledge about the planet's geology and landscape development • An understanding about the
sustainable development
• The nature’s cycles of time and space
• Natural and social processes that affect people's lives
HISTORY:
The lesson shall introduce the pupils to Danish culture and history. History’s purpose is to strengthen the student’s historical consciousness and identity and to give the students’ knowledge about
how their lives and communities are affected and made by the history of their country. It is the
teacher's responsibility to make sure that the substance, which is to be considered for teaching, can
be connected to the past and the students' world nowadays, and teach them to connect local phenomena with national and global issues and vice versa. In the youngest classes, the students how to
build a chronological understanding and in the secondary school they have to place the most important periods (in history) in an absolute chronology.
SUMMER CAMP:
A summer camp in Denmark is a camp outside the school. It is a camp in a few weeks. It is an opportunity to immerse in something that is funny, exciting, challenging and where there are opportunities to make new friendships.
At a summer school there will be an overarching theme, for example a sport or a natural theme like
the kids are working with or taking part in during the week. It's all mixed with fun and relaxation.
Playing and learning it can be called!
Basically the idea is that all children can participate, and therefore there is no requirement. The
point is precisely that it should be fun and socially.
Children can be allowed to immerse in what they think is funny for a week during their summer
holidays in the company of other children like themselves and together with some engaging adults.
In Denmark we have an international summer school in Ikast. The program in school is in 7 hours
in a day and there is a lot of sport, social, physical activities. It is a school where the main language
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
is English.
The purpose with the school is to improve children's knowledge of the English vocabulary and
strengthen the awareness of other cultures.
Lithuania:
GEOGRAPHY IN LITHUANIA:
The geography lesson program starts at 6th till 10th grade. In 10th grade they can choose if they
want to continue to study geography or not. Instead of geography they can take other subjects like
biology, chemistry or physics. Pupils choose those subjects for their future studies in university or
college. But from 1st till 4th grade kids have something like a whole world knowing subject. In this
way they learn various things about animals, nature, earth, stars, planets and whole world around
them. In this way it is easier for them to have geography lesson in 6th grade. From 6th to 10th grade
they suppose to get some basic knowledge about: Migration, immigration, geography and communities, countries of the world, oceans & continents, population and other.
HISTORY IN LITHUANIA:
The history lesson program starts at 5th grade till 10th. And from 10th grade pupils need to choose
which history level they need to. They can take A or B level. A level is harder and B level is easier.
After they make a decision they need to continue they history learning or not. Of course they need
to learn basic knowledge of history at first and then go deeper and deeper to that subject.
LITHUANIA SUMMER CAMP:
A summer camp in Lithuania is a camp outside the school. It can be near the lake, sea, river or just
in some kind of country side in a beautiful place in Lithuania. The duration of summer camp can be
from one to three or more weeks. It depends of kind of camp it is. What kind of summer camps in
Lithuania are? We have a lot of religious summer camps for children. Also there are lot of sports,
artistic, military, dance and other summer camps here. For children and young adults there is an a
great opportunity to find new friends, get some kind of experience. We also focus on children leisure time, having a goal to create good conditions for development, promotion of curiosity and excitement, provoke for search of knowledge and various useful applications in kids life. All kinds
from Lithuania can participate in different summer camps. Usual goals for camps here depends
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from summer camp that youth children is. But main goals for this camps are: let children and youth
to find themselves, learn how to work in groups, get motivation and feel free to express their opinion freely.
INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CAMP IN LITHUANIA:
An international summer camp in Lithuania is petty the same as traditional one. The different thing
that in international summer camp English language is included. The duration of summer camp can
be from one till two weeks it is shorter than none international camp. Religion in this camp is not
included due to religious differences. Main aims for children are pretty the same: to find new international friends, have a lot of fun, to improve their English language and just to be a part of something that feels good.
Latvia:
GEOGRAPHY:
Geography in Latvian schools starts at 7th grade. Students get knowledge about the Earth, its formation, about variety of nature, about formation of continents, relief, climate, about Asia and Europe more detailed, about geography of concrete countries. About Latvia they are learning at 9th
grade.
At 10th grade pupils can choose to continue or not to learn geography lesson.
Before 7th grade pupils have lesson Natural Sciences. They learn there about the nature, world,
ecosystem, the Earth, substances, light, sound etc.
HISTORY:
Lessons of history start at 6th grade in Latvia. 6th grade pupils study themes like human origins,
prehistory, earliest civilizations and history of Latvia.
There are two opportunity of curriculum for history at 7th – 9th grade.
•
History of Latvia, Europe and World are teaching chronologic. What happened in the
World and at the same time what happens in Latvia.
•
History of World and Europe first and after history of Latvia.
SUMMERCAMP IN LATVIA:
In Latvia children summer camp is an organized way for children to spend their free time by developing physically and mentally.
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
Children camp is about two weeks long. It is a kind of a "opened" camp – it means that the camps
are working all the summer and children can come every day for how long they want.
There are many kinds of summer camps: sport camp, art camp (music, drawing ect.), relaxing and
adventure camp, language camp, tourist camp and religion camp. In Latvia the most popular kind of
camp is relaxing and adventure camp.
The aims of children summer camps is to develop children skills and help them to relax after
school days, find new friends, teach them to live without parents, to make them more independent
and self-confident.
In Latvia there are international camps also. For example, camp "Linkturs". This camp is for children from 5 till 19 years. It is in the Latvian city Ventspils near to the sea. Language of this camp is
English. Children also have English lessons - 4 academic hours per day. In this camp there are
sport, musical, drama and art activities. In this year it will be from 13.07.2014. - 25.07.2014. This
camp costs 580 EU. Usually children attend this camp from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine,
Belarus, Russia, Italy and other countries.
COUNTRIES:
GROUP 1: France – Hungary
GROUP 2: United Kingdom – Czech Republic
GROUP 3: Germany – Romania
GROUP 4: Spain – Austria
GROUP 5: Sweden – Ireland
If some groups need more work, they can make monument from:
Italy – Greece – Poland – Portugal – Finland
NAMES:
Tom
10 years
Germany
Anne
12 years
Denmark
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– You only got one hand
Andrius
11 years
Lithuania
Christina
14 years
Sweden
Janes (boy)
14 years
Latvia
Liga (girl)
10 years
Latvia
David
13 years
Norway
Silje
12 years
Norway
Frederik
14 years
Denmark
Maryte (girl)
10 years
Lithuania
Antonio
14 years
Spain
Elisabeth
12 years
Estonia
Koid (boy)
11 years
Estonia
Katareena
10 years
Estonia
Manuel
11 years
Spain
Maria
13 years
Spain
Vladimar
11 years
Russian
Hilda
12 years
Germany
Bavel (boy)
12 years
Russian
Caroline
13 years
Poland
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Alexander
11 years
Russian
Martha
14 years
Poland
Aleksy (boy)
10 years
Poland
Vikoras (boy)
11 years
Hungary
Moanna (girl)
13 years
Italy
Ugné (girl)
12 years
Lithuania
Bianca
12 years
Romania
Hugo
11 years
France
Questions to the groups:
 Why did you choose these monuments?
 When were they built?
 By whom?
 What do these monuments mean for the country?
 Can you give some other facts about the monument?
(Height, colors, materials)
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 What importance did the monument have for the country's
history?
(Write precisely)
Geography/History
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International summer camp (with different children)
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Age 10 – 14
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We are going to give the “pupils” roles (name, age, country)
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We are going to make 5 groups
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Every group get 1 none-known-country and 1 known-country
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10 countries in Europe – we decide
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1st day we will make icebreaking games – so they will know each other
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“Two days later”: they will start working in groups
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Divided in 5 groups (4p – 4p – 4p – 4p – 5p)
GOALS:
Social goals: learn to work together with different people
Geography goals: learn something about other countries and the most famous monuments in the country
History goals: learn WHY different countries builded these monuments
Group work
1) France - Hungary
2) United Kingdom – Czech Republic
3) German - Romania
4) Italy – Croatia
5) Greece - Austria
6) Sweden – Ireland
Agne, Veronica & Kamilla
Ice-breaking games
1) Paparazzi
2) Touching game
3) “Flippity-floppety”
AT HOME
Agne makes one or two thing from Lithuania
Daniel makes one or two thing from Norway
Veronica makes one or two thing from Estonia
Kamilla makes one or two thing from Denmark