We can be heros … Myths unite Erasmus Project

Project Title

We can be heros … Myths unite

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 2020

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

The image of a hero has not only been present since the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic. We have always come across a variety of heroes in print media, advertisement, computer games and movies. The recent increasing use of the term “hero“ gives the impression that crises to an enormous extent evoke the yearning for heroes.
A hero is somebody who by their action is standing out from the mass of people. This person has apparently acted in an extraordinary way within threatening circumstances and therefore restored some kind of order without thinking of their own interests. According to the psychologist C.G. Jung, the term “hero“ refers to an archetype inherent in the people of all cultures. In the world of a hero complexities are being reduced to simple contrasts of e.g. good and evil. The features of a hero are formed by the respective society and undergo a constant change. So the Federal Republic of Germany in the past was very sceptical about the use of an image of heroes since such an image had been abused by the Nazis. Recently, however, this seems to have changed. A public debate has arisen about what makes up a hero in a democratic society, for a hero embodies values which are regarded as positive in the eyes of the people who use the term. This hero, therefore, can be a role model and have some educative potential. But, on the other hand, a hero might also be receptive to inhuman, authoritarian or anti-democratic purposes. Consequently, the term „hero“ is quite suitable for a European exchange of experience: It is complex and timeless, at the same time ambivalent by uniting chances and risks.
This project wants to support the individual development of the students and help in understanding the peaceful existence within Europe. Students will be enabled
– to understand the concept of a “hero“ and question it with regard to its values and norms,
– to increase their competences in foreign languages by communicating about their own heroes and
– to get to know different views and be able to accept them.
By this the project aims at fostering the basic Key Competences for Lifelong Learning of the European Reference Framework. At the same time the project may foster specific competences of certain school subjects, e.g. of Latin and ancient Greek, and allow students to work interculturally.
About 20 students from year eight of the Sophie-Scholl-Gymnasium in Itzehoe, Germany, and the 2nd Gymnasium Eleftherio-Kordelio in Thessaloniki, Greece, will take part in this project. The students at the age of 13 to 15 will be supported by teachers of Latin (DE) and German (GRE), who are responsible for planning, organizing and carrying out the project.
The work within the project will start in the present and go back to the past. In the first phase students will reflect on modern heroes of our time. This phase will end during the first mobility in Itzehoe. In the second phase the concept of the mythical hero will be the centre of attention. This phase will end during the second mobility when the students will be tracing ancient heroes in Thessaloniki. In the third phase the idea of tracing will be further developed: Everyday objects of our time will encourage the students to find out what the everyday life of ancient people looked like far from the myths. They will realize that the myths in fact mirrored the real everyday life at the time.
During the project the students will work alternately in national and binational groups. They will present their results to each other and take various roles as journalists, historians, artists or actors.
The common platform for communication will be TwinSpace (eTwinning) and a Moodle-course. By TwinSpace the project and its results will be accessible to the public.
The results of the project will also be reflected in its products: in three virtual exhibitions, a dictionary of heroes and a dictionary of partnership and the students‘ small figures of their heroes. Moreover the reports, evaluations and teaching materials of the teachers will be precious products. Since all those products will be available by TwinSpace and the Moodle-course, they might be an inspiration for the public to follow this project themselves or gain ideas from it.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 32850 Eur

Project Coordinator

Sophie-Scholl-Gymnasium & Country: DE

Project Partners

• 2o Gymnasium Eleftheriou Kordeliou