Bees in Europe: an Example of Challenges Over Men and Environment. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Bees in Europe: an Example of Challenges Over Men and Environment.

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Students aged between 12 and 18 in six schools (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain) carried out a project turned towards an environmental issue of Europe and entitled B.E.E.C.O.M.E. (Bees in Europe, an Example of Challenges Over Men and Bees).

The main objective was for pupils to develop core competencies (I.C.T., foreign languages, maths, science, writing) and personal skills essential for lifelong learning and their insertion into the professional world: entrepreneurship, initiative, teamwork, autonomy, creativity, problem-solving, etc.…
Through the bees’ topic, another objective was for students to become aware of a European environmental issue.

The diversity of the schools involved in this project was a strength :
->Three vocational and agricultural High School brought specific knowledge about bees breeding, the valorisation about the products from the beehives and the link with agricultural yield (E.F.A. La Malvesia, Srednja skola Bedekovcina, H.B.L.A. für Wein- und Obstbau). They also discovered news practices during mobilities.
->Three general education schools (Collège Notre Dame, ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO N. 3 – P.A.T.T.I., Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium) lead the scientific part: biology, history, awareness campaign and ways to favour bees biodiversity.

Each phase of the project was planned to develop common (communication in foreign languages, digital, social and civic competences, learning to learn, sense of initiative and entrepreneurship) and specific skills and competences.
Students had to work to create a common production presented during a specific event.
*Common lecture about the biology of bees during a mobility in Sicily (sciences)
*Film projection about the history between men and bees during a mobility in Spain (patrimony, culture)
*Common lecture about the dangers suffered by bees and implementation of an awareness campaign (sciences, ecology, the complexity of solutions with the economic necessities) during a mobility in France
*Exhibition about the interaction between bees and plants: pollination photographs, phenologic calendars, the life cycle of agricultural plants (sciences, agronomy, agriculture) during a mobility in Austria
*Virtual B.E.E.C.O.M.E. fair about the uses of hive products (agriculture, cosmetics, medicine, arts) during a virtual mobility In Croatia.
*Construction of wild bees hotel (Ecology, technology)

// Outcomes excepted were evaluated with an assessment booklet (digital or paper). The progress in the acquisition of skills and competences is unquestionable thanks to their involvement, adaptation to the different tasks, and the diversity of the activities.
// At the same time, the awareness of the necessity to protect bees increased.
// Other outcomes changed about the productions, particularly to adapt to sanitary crisis and prefered ways of communication of the students.
*The Beecome website (beecome.altervista.org) has gradually been replaced with a Twinpsace, more efficient to lead virtual and interactive activities.
*The Beecome Facebook page has been completed with an Instagram account, more used by students (parents prefer Facebook).
// The success of the local events organised is complete. Melting students, parents, professionals, teachers is a stimulating way to work and an efficient way of dissemination of the project.

The measurement of the impact of the project revealed several benefits through these vital points :
* Through a specific topic, students used cross-disciplinary competences, and the progress of these competencies has been more efficient (comparing with disciplinary work).
* The awareness of the necessity to protect bees is also positive; some students and their families keeping going with bee-friendly gardens, trapping Vespa velutina.
* The number of professional partners increased in each school.
* The events organised in each school involved a large public: students, parents, professionals, municipalities.
* Some students subscribe to C.L.I.L. teaching.
* Two other Erasmus+ partnerships have been concluded: one between two vocational schools, another one about the plants, logical consequences of this bees project.

To finish, even if two mobilities have been cancelled because of the sanitary crisis, it could be the possibility to work differently. Thanks to the expertise of our Croatian eTwinning ambassador, we could organise virtual mobility. Teachers, as students, could develop digital competencies and learning new teaching ways.

Project Website

http://beecome.altervista.org/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 163003,09 Eur

Project Coordinator

OGEC Notre-Dame & Country: FR

Project Partners

• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO N. 3 – PATTI
• Srednja skola Bedekovcina
• Federación EFAS CV La Malvesia
• Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium
• HBLA für Wein- und Obstbau Klosterneuburg