OUT OF THE DARK, ASTRONOMY AS UNIFYING THREAD FOR CULTURES Erasmus Project

Project Title

OUT OF THE DARK, ASTRONOMY AS UNIFYING THREAD FOR CULTURES

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The examination of the results of the OECD PISA research about students’ achievements in scientific literacy highlights that most European students need to improve their skills and competences in this field. This is essential and transversal to acquire a fundamental knowledge to be used and enriched in the perspective of lifelong learning. That is why our three schools, located in Gualdo Tadino (Italy), Eskilstuna (Sweden) and Fuenlabrada (Spain) decided to develop the Project “Out of the Dark”, whose primary objective is the joint treatment of science and humanities taking Astronomy as a common thread.

The participants of the Project ranged from students aged 14-17 years old and teachers from these countries set in three different cardinal points in Europe. The interchange of practices and the “scientific” and “human” development of the students have represented the two complementary parts of the Project.

The main objective of “Out of the Dark” was to motivate students to a more passionate study of the scientific subjects in order to bring them to observe “the starry sky above me” by means of existing and innovative instruments. Astronomy is an area of investigation and research in continuous evolution. The historical study of Astronomy creates a link between Eastern and Western thoughts and fosters the comprehension, thus creating the inclusion of different cultures in a period in which national states are undergoing a severe crisis. Another relevant aspect is the improvement of the collaborative spirit, typical of the Scientific Academies. Students have been the protagonists and the active promoters of the value of European citizenship.

Within the framework of this Project, each country was responsible for the activities agreed upon and organized during the teachers´ meeting in Spain. The activities were divided into three groups: scientific, humanistic and cultural activities. These activities were developed in a national phase to study, research and create materials, and an international phase, in our three learning, teaching and training activities where the results were shared, and students, working in transnational teams, analyzed and solved different problems.

In the first group, scientific, we have included the construction of instruments such as telescopes, sundials and quadrants, as well as measurements of lunar mountains and solar protuberances, the construction of rockets and robots, scientific essays, astronomical glossaries, visits and workshops in collaborating centres and Museums, with all of them displayed at the Science Fair in Fuenlabrada at the end of the Project.
Humanistic activities focused on the study of the history of Astronomy, myths and legends of each country related to this field of knowledge, reading and literary creation workshop (The Little Prince), creation of a new constellation and its own myth, as well as the study of masterpieces and the design of their own wonderful artistic creations. For the third group, we selected some cultural activities that allowed us to better understand the culture and ways of life of each city and country, like guided visits in Old Stockholm, Florence, Assisi, Madrid and Toledo.
The final step, in Spain, included the presentation of the Project outcomes in the Science Fair, and the performance of the play “Out of the Dark”, as the main dissemination activities.

The Project has shown the perfect connection between theoretical and practical study and the realization of an original product that results from the students’ experiences. This active, collaborative and interdisciplinary methodology provided an educational continuity between secondary school and university, conscious and critical use of new technologies, and most of all it stirs the students’ curiosity in order to continue with their studies, discouraging school dropout.

The Project has linked sciences, IT and humanities providing an insight into the complexity of the topic. Thanks to all these activities, students and teachers have better understood the importance of this interdisciplinary in research. In this sense, the Project can be considered an important transforming element of the school.
In order to promote long-term impact of the results of the Project in students, similar activities will be organized during the school year: “science meetings” (for example 15th February, on the occasion of Galileo’s birth) with workshops open to primary and middle schools organized by students (peer education), as well as the Science Fair. Day and night visits will be held to observe special astronomical events (meteor showers, planetary oppositions, eclipses, etc.).
The obtained results, published on the blog linked in the school sites, and on the specific website of the Project, will be always available and could be used as educational materials not only for the teachers involved but transferable to other schools.
The relationship between the teams of teachers was very enriching and undoubtedly opens the possibility of future collaborations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 82765 Eur

Project Coordinator

Instituto Enseñanza Secundaria Carpe Diem Fuenlabrada & Country: ES

Project Partners

• ISTITUTO STATALE D’ISTRUZIONE SECONDARIA SUPERIORE
• Djurgårdsskolan
• Zespol Szkol w Pobiedziskach