Change your brezel against a croissant Erasmus Project

Project Title

Change your brezel against a croissant

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

Despite the differences between the German and French school systems, our two schools are very similar in the way they function. The collège des 7 épis brings together pupils of very heterogeneous levels who will graduate with very different degrees depending on their abilities. The Elsenztalschule in Bammental is a school which integrates pupils from the Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium into one class and therefore functions in a similar way to the collège through this integration system. So we envisioned a project around the kitchen to bring together pupils with different school profiles who can contribute their skills to a common project: the development of a German-French cookbook.
During the meeting in Germany, the pupils were given an insight into German Christmas baking, various traditional businesses, learned about the baking trade from the local organic baker and even baked their own pretzels. During the activities, the focus was also always on being able to hold a joint recipe book in their hands at the end of the project. So photos and videos were taken diligently. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the group, the main focus of the exchange was on successful cooperation. Due to the intensive cooperation of the mixed groups (French and Germans) at the baker’s, the cook’s or even in the school kitchen making jam and baking biscuits, the increase in learning could be clearly seen with regard to the necessary vocabulary. We always took care to assign the students to the groups together with their exchange partners so that the language was always in focus. We were amazed at how well students could help themselves with hands, feet and even other languages in some moments. Due to the Advent season, a visit to an old German Christmas market was not to be missed. We took the train to Bad Wimpfen. There the pupils had the opportunity to ask questions independently from stand to stand, to apply shopping dialogues they had learned and to let themselves be infected by the Christmas atmosphere. As we had some students in the group without a financial cushion, we were grateful to be able to give everyone some pocket money and thus make their stay at the Christmas market a real experience. All in all, the week together was very interactive and the work on the recipe book could begin.
The week in France was already marked by the uncertainty of the corona virus. Nevertheless, we were able to take the train to France as planned and immerse ourselves in the world there. The pupils got to know the new school system and could notice a clear difference in the hierarchy between German and French schools. The school kitchen was now just as busy working in small groups as before in Germany. So-called amuse-bouches were baked together: a French cultural and culinary tradition. They also spent a day in a professional kitchen, where hygiene rules were just as important as the culinary art. Particularly impressive was the visit to a macaron baker, who let the students get a taste of her mysterious art of baking with a special magic. Furthermore, we could take a trip to the Versailles Castle, which was completely empty due to the corona situation. A sight that probably could not have been preserved before. Here too, all activities focused on togetherness, language and learning tricks of the trade. Parallel to all activities we did not lose sight of our project product, the recipe book. Again and again, recipes were translated, photos edited, the recipe book worked on and the e-Twinning site filled.
Unfortunately, due to the corona virus, we were no longer able to realise our planned third location meeting in Strasbourg.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 29524 Eur

Project Coordinator

Elsenztalschule Bammental & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Collège des sept Epis