• Subjects: Art, Citizenship, English, Informatics / ICT, Language and Literature, Music
• Age group: 10-12
• Level: Intermediate
• Duration: 1 school year
• ICT Tools: e-mail, Twinspace, Skype, Virtual learning environment (communities, virtual classes, …), Web publishing

Details:

Above the clouds, there is a village with very strange people living in it: the Kaleidoscope village! The people living there are all in different colours, different appearance, but share the same laws, flag, songs, food, books, special days, but most of all, respect and love for each other. Through this project the students interact in order to create a whole new community, describe it and organize it, and learn how to use English as a second language in a creative content. The students apart from contact via e-mail,chat,Skype and Twinspace,communicate personal information as penpals too,throughout the year.

Pedagogical Objectives:

– Practice discussion, research, and group work techniques through in-class and distance learning practice, while motivating learners creativity and new technology in combination with traditional resources

– Give a greater exposure to another language to increase learners’ motivation and interest in a foreign language
– Analysis of the learning processes through the development of cognitive strategies with a view of making learners more autonomous
– Development of intercultural skills to discover some of the customs of other countries, and use this feedback to create an imaginative cultural back ground
– Practice of tolerance towards different cultures, languages, personalities, and appearances

This project is in compliance with official language directives, shows clear identification of skills and may be fully integrated in curriculum, as all the vocabulary and structures needed for the project is presented in various units in the coursebook throughout the year, so no extra work is needed. Regular “meetings” among the teachers to plan the tasks, decide upon the methods to be employed and choose ICT tools are essential,and are done in chatrooms,by e-mail or Skype.

Process:

This project consists of four tasks. Under each task a number of activities is listed, all  integrated into regular classes.

Step 1: Preparatory tasks

In preparation we  use any relevant documents from textbooks or the Web.

With the pupils: collective reading of the micro-activities for each task (detailed below). We give explanations of objectives with list of skills and knowledge required (I need to be able to …) during brainstorming sessions.

Work in groups of four and appoint a language and ICT “expert” in each group.

Step 2. The outline of tasks:

Task 1: Introduction of the Kaleidoscope village

Working in their groups the pupils are given the following task situation.
You are a pilot who,during a practice flight,discovers the village above the clouds. You decide to keep a diary with your descriptions of the village and its people, and this is your first entry (after the students have made their draft, we keep the “diary” online in the school’s site and in Twinspace).Give the entry a title of your choice and be creative!

Task 2: Introduction of the village inhabitants,the Kaleidoscopians

Activity 1: in groups

Each group writes a short description of their Kaleidoscopian.The descriptions are posted in Twinspace,and the other country’s groups have as a task to create an image (digital or drawing the template  provided) of the Kaleidoskopian and give him/her a name (there are many online platforms that allow creation of a comic character).

Activity 2: in groups

We create each Kaleidoscopian’s ID card,using Powerpoint or any other tool of choice. They also decide on which their favourite sports,hobbies,etc. are.The cards are uploaded in Twinspace and each school’s site or blog.
Task 3: Presentation of the Kaleidoskope village

Activity 1:

The students of one country draw half of the flag of the Kaleidoskopians,they upload it in Twinspace and their peers complete it.

Activity 2:
The students decide what the rules of the Kaleidoskope village are.They write them on the pilot’s diary and create a poster with them,which will later be hanged above the miniature of the Kaleidoskope village.

Activity 3:

a)The students from each school decide which areas of the village they want to work with. They prepare a small written presentation of the buildings in this area, the surroundings, the colours,etc.The texts are uploaded in Twinspace and on the pilot’s diary.

b)Students from the each country prepare a model of the village made of paper, based on the descriptions. Photos are uploaded in Twinspace and each school’s site or blog.

c)The students create an interactive map of Kaleidoskope village with the texts available,and post it in Twinspace and in the schools’ site or blog.
Activity 4:
The students present their miniature towns to the other country’s school via Skype and have the possibility to see their fellow e-Twinners’ village too.

Activity 5:
The students discuss via Twinspace chat how the Kaleidoskope village’s school works. Afterwards, they write an entry to the pilot’s diary describing how the lessons are there, the teachers,the building,etc. The entry is also uploaded in Twinspace and in the site’s school.

Activity 6:

The students decide on the language the Kaleidoskopians speak.It can be a mix of languages spoken in each of the participants’ countries. The students make a video in which they pronounce the favourite words of the Kaleidoskopians (love, friendship, kindness, freedom, etc.) ,they upload it in Twinspace and they try to pronounce in a second video, the words their peers have sent them.

Activity 7:

The students from one country write the national anthem of the Kaleidoskopians and during a Skype meeting they discuss what it’s music should be (possibility to involve the Music teacher). The students of the other country record it and upload it in Twinspace and in each school’s site.

Task 4: The Kaleidoskope book

The students,using Storybook or any other online tool or scrapbooking,put together all the diary entries,photos,IDs, drawings,and create “The Kaleidoskope village book” (there is here the possibility of cooperation with Art and ICT teacher.) The book is uploaded in Twinspace and the sites of the schools.

Evaluation:

• Pupils can decide altogether for the outcome of each task and complete the task together with their e-Twinners, by completing each other’s work.
• Pupils and Teachers can comment on each others’ work, and give feedback to each other.
• At the end of the project:
  pupils and teachers publish together the pilot’s diary and the Kaleidoskope book, they can even print it and put it in the school library.
• Teachers document and reflect on the project using the project journal.

Follow-up:

All the material is published in Twinspace and in each school’s site or blog, so that teachers and other pupils can have a look at the children’s work.
The Kaleidoskope book is available online as an e-book and printed in the school library for everyone to borrow and read, or print at home.

Links and resources:
http://www.smilebox.com : Smilebox for presentations and slideshows
http://storybird.com/ : For publishing our e-books and printing our books
Windows movie-maker: For creating videos
Audacity and Camtasia studio: For voice and video recording and editing
https://www.thinglink.com : For  creating interactive maps and posters

http://babbledabbledo.com/design-for-kids-paper-houses : Templates free to print,for the creation of Kaleidoskope Village

http://babbledabbledo.com/diy-toy-cardboard-city/ :Tutorial for a recycled Kaleidoskope village made of old cardboard boxes

http://madebyjoel.com/2010/04/paper-city.html : Paper city and Kaleidoskopians templates

http://madebyjoel.com/2010/05/paper-city-vehicles.html : Vehicles for Kaleidoskope village

http://www.parents-choice.org/download/BUILDINGS/Restaurant.pdf : Restaurant printable template

http://www.parents-choice.org/download/BUILDINGS/TallBuilding.pdf : Block of flats printable template

http://www.parents-choice.org/download/BUILDINGS/Store.pdf : Store printable template

http://www.parents-choice.org/download/BUILDINGS/Library.pdf : Library printable template

http://www.parents-choice.org/download/BUILDINGS/School.pdf : School printable template

http://www.parents-choice.org/download/ParentsChoiceMap.pdf : To create a printable map of the Kaleidoskope village