From Papyrus to Stonepaper and Beyond – the Questions behind Erasmus Project

Project Title

From Papyrus to Stonepaper and Beyond – the Questions behind

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Environment and climate change

Project Summary

In this project we wanted to explore the world of paper – from Papyrus to Parchment to Stonepaper in history, arts and culture, economy and in terms of ecology to modern devices. But the work with this topic – which was fun and worked well for every participant – was not our only aim. We wanted to deepen the children’s understanding of the global implications by learning to ask critical questions and look behind the curtains of the topic.
As we were a rather big group of 9 schools – from Primary to Secondary schools, and an associated school in Belarus, we needed a good structure where every school could find its place and work to its own conditions. We agreed on collecting our outcomes in the “Five Pillars of Wisdom” – history/arts, culture/ecology, recycling/economy and stonepaper/electronic future – with at least one contribution from each school in every pillar area. We also focussed on the pedagogical methods of Storyline and Understanding by Design – a planning tool to structure teaching and learning. Some of the schools already knew about this and had practiced it for some years, but others were new to the methods and curious to learn.
With various projects, each school could add to the collection in the 5 pillars. Each school practiced Storyline as a tool for teaching a foreign language and gave an example of Understanding by Design. The practical Art work was always a focus in our workshops in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Germany and Estonia. We were also able to gain some public attention through various National Newspapers.
The main outcomes were:
– As a start all schools were engaged in the initiative „Boat for Hope“ by folding paper boats and exhibit them publicly to the school community to become aware of the migrants and their fates
– Inviting experts to school for art work with paper. For example: Workshop in Italy – exhibition of work in a gallery, Mask making and Commedia dell Arte in Germany, working on the national painters with paper costumes in Holland, learning about the art to make parchment in Turkey, theatre plays and audio plays about paper in nearly all partnerschools.
– Showing the outcomes of the questions behind in public demonstrations (workshop in Germany: ICAN and the origami cranes) / Europe Day in Berlin) with support of all partners.
– All schools wrote articles about their completed work and published it in a professionally edited Erasmus+ Newspaper, printed in Italy.
– All schools explored the economy behind paper – using stonepaper, setting up paper shops to sell recycled paper items in their schools, selling handmade items to customers at Christmas and school markets,
– Visiting museums, papermills, paper recycling centres and other places to experience the making of paper and the history behind it.
– learning about the Braille writing in some workshops with all partners
– Teaching Storyline to learn a foreign language with the paper topic (time machine, going back in time and learn about paper, reading the same books in all schools)
Our main products – the publication of the Erasmus+ Newspaper, the films about the plays and all other outcomes are shown on our website: pop.mediafactum.net. They have been distributed to teachers and parents, officials, newspapers and National Agencies and had an enormous impact on the community. The project has gained huge interest for the Erasmus Project in general and for the future in our schools.
Especially the participating children gained more self – confidence, knowledge and the ability to ask deeper questions. They experienced various ways to learn as a team and organise their learning independently, as well as exploring their use of electronic devices by asking questions about the future of books and paper. Parents and teachers were also involved in these questions and looked at their own use of books and mobile phones. We hope that the skills developed to ask questions, gather information and make decisions independently will continue to grow during their school years and beyond.
Meeting the pupils and teachers of the partnerschools had an enormous impact on all the students, parents and teachers in our schools. It strengthened the European idea and the knowledge about Europe. Most of them felt that Europe is a stable part of their lives (see evaluation).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 204755 Eur

Project Coordinator

Grundschule im Beerwinkel & Country: DE

Project Partners

• stichting De Noordwijkse School
• SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA MADRILEÑA LIMITADA LA CANTOÑA
• RESAT TURHAN ORTAOKULU
• J.V.Veski nim. Maarja Põhikool
• Istituto Comprensivo Cantù 1
• The Edinburgh Academy
• 13th HIGHSCHOOL OF KALLITHEA “SOCRATES”