Transforming Europe: WWI and Its Consequences 1918 – 2018 Erasmus Project

Project Title

Transforming Europe: WWI and Its Consequences 1918 – 2018

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

November 11, 1918, saw the end of an unprecedented, man-made catastrophe that has become a key issue in the understanding of Europe’s past and present: the First World War. Although torn apart by mass crimes against humanity, genocides and yet another global war, modern Europe has found the means to pave the way for international respect, cooperation and peace during the decades that have followed. What started with the work of the League of Nations after World War I has today become the basis of multilateral agreements, multicultural acceptance and multifaceted opportunities for a peaceful Europe in the 21st century.

Against this background, the interdisciplinary project “Transforming Europe: Word War I and Its Consequences 1918 – 2018” was designed for secondary students from DE, DK, HR, NL and PL with the overall aim of enabling young people between 14 and 18 to discover the interconnectedness of history and modern politics and the timeless ethical and cultural lessons that can be learned from WWI literature, science and art. Other important objectives for the five International IB World Schools involved in the project were the promotion of students’ ICT and foreign language skills, their creativity and their international mindedness as European citizens.

During the three-year project each of the five each partner schools was in turn responsible for a 5-day phase of international learning and teaching activities; a sixth LTTA was conducted collaboratively by all partners. A diverse set of analytical and creative project tasks during each preparatory phase ensured active student involvement and a continuous learning procestws, which turned the project into a corner stone of school life at Goetheschule Essen (DE), Ikast-Brande Gymnasium (DK), Prva gimnazija Varazdin (HR), Rotterdam International Secondary School (NL) and Prywatne Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. I.J. Paderewskiego, Lublin (PL).

The project structure with its clear division into six modules illustrates the multiperspective approach to learning about WWI:

Module 1) “Transforming the Map of Europe during and after WWI” (DE, Sept 2015 – Jan 2016)
Students learned about the historical causes, contexts and effects of WWI. Based on of their historical research and analyses, they conducted an alternative Paris Peace Conference during which they took on the roles of ambassadors of different nations.

Module 2) “Transforming the European Mindset during and after WWI” (DK, Feb 2016 – Sep 2016)
The study of literary texts written by soldiers and veterans helped students to prepare for a theatre week during which they wrote and acted out their own literary adaptations.

Module 3) “Transforming Europe through the Continuing Impact of Technological and Scientific Developments during WWI” (NL, Oct 2016 – Mar 2017)
After having learned about artillery, chemical weapons, transport, communication, trench life and medical treatment, students made a documentary with authentic footage of WWI.

Module 4) “Transforming Political and Moral Convictions in Europe during and after WWI” (HR, Apr 2017 – Sep 2017)
Non-fictional WWI texts (diaries, letters, newspaper articles, speeches) served as the inspirational basis of the students’ creative writing.

Module 5) “Transforming Europe through Artistic Visions of War and Peace” (DE & all partners, Oct 2017 – Mar 2018)
Students studied WWI art, created their own paintings and a European peace monument.

Module 6) “Transforming Europe through Peace-Making and Peace-Keeping” (PL, Apr 2018 – Jun 2018)
Students investigated the role of the EU today and compiled an exhibition with a particular focus on micro-history 1918-2018.

Methodologically, students collaborated within this project in a number of different ways, for example blog writing, debates, recitals, role plays and film-making. Activities ranged from analytical tasks, for example the analysis of historical sources, paintings or fiction, to creative tasks like historical conference simulations, creative writing, art work or theatre performances. This broad variety of both formal and non-formal teaching and learning activities increased intrinsic motivation by giving students the chance to deepen their subject knowledge through international dialogue and the cross-border production of meaningful results such as wikis, blogs, eTwinning posts, podcasts or an exhibition. The main project result was a film portfolio which documented students’ findings and activities and their joint transnational work on how the effects of WWI have shaped Europe.

The impact of the project has become most visible through the intensive international networking between partner schools and other institutions and the implementation of innovative learning and teaching methods. Long term benefits included exciting professional development events and workshops in the project countries and the development of new classroom resources about European peace-making and peace-keeping.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 168635 Eur

Project Coordinator

Goetheschule Essen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Novy Porg Gymnasium
• Rotterdam International Secondary School
• Ikast-Brande Gymnasium
• Prywatne Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. I.J. Paderewskiego
• Prva gimnazija Varazdin