Author: 1st Grade Lower Secondary, Olympion High School, CY
PARTNERS: 3rd Grade Lower Secondary, 1st Grade Upper Secondary,
Volissos High School, GR; 1st Grade Upper Secondary, SS Vela Luka, HR.
Introduction
Ophelia2, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The students explored a very interesting topic, which is already included in the subject of History. The ultimate goal was to become familiar with this topic and with the process of finding information. They explored the surrounding area of Choirokoitia, a Neolithic settlement in the province of Larnaca in Cyprus.
In order to complete this activity, the students were divided into groups. Each group addressed different topics such as:
- The choice of the location.
- How the environment affects the choice of the location for the construction of a settlement.
- Environment & work (what work did they do and how did their environment influence them to do the specific work?)
- Environment & tools (what tools did they use and where did they find the materials to make them?)
- Environment & nutrition (what did they eat and where did they find their food?)
- Environment & clothing (how were they dressed and where did they find the materials?)
- Environment & art (the works of art, the materials they used, how they were obtained)
Learning Objectives
- To use modern technology productively in the study and projection of the historical past.
- To deal with the multiple interpretations of the past through different approaches and interpretations of historical events and phenomena.
- To link the content of the History course with other courses, such as geography and environmental education.
- To understand the basic aspects of everyday life during the Neolithic Age and to understand the choice of location.
Task
https://pixabay.com/photos/triskele-stone-drawing-rock-stone-52542/
In this particular SeedQuest students:
- will get to know the Neolithic history of Cyprus;
- will learn about the living conditions of the people during the neolithic period.
At the end of this SeedQuest the students:
- will appreciate more deeply the Cypriot ancient cultural heritage;
- will be more aware of the big historical changes that took place in human history.
Process
After the topic was announced to the students, they were divided into groups of 3-4. They were assigned the activities, which they had to accomplish and present to the class in the form of a presentation. The resources at their disposal were various links from the internet.
Group 1
Activity 1: Information search
This Group of students had to search for information regarding the neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia. The questions they had to find answers to were:
- Why the residents chose that location?
- How the environment affected their choice?
The Group had to cooperate online because of the Covid-19 emergency. The students used cloud storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox and scheduled online meetings to discuss their progress. They used a Google shared ppt template where each student contributed to the PowerPoint content creation.
Activity 2: Become a neolithic builder
As a fun activity, the teacher asked the students to use natural material and recreate at home the neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia. Students were given guidelines on how to proceed with the construction (http://istom.schools.ac.cy/index.php/el/yliko/chrisimo-yliko). Considering the difficult situation with the lockdown, the students were also given the option to use cardboard at home.
Group 2
Activity 1: Information search
The first activity for this Group was to collect information about the tools the residents used in the Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia. They were asked to find information using the resources given (YouTube videos, links to online resources for the pre-historic settlement of Choirokoitia). Once they had all the information collected, they created a PowerPoint presentation. The Group had to cooperate online because of the Covid-19 emergency. The students used cloud storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox and scheduled online meetings to discuss their progress. They used a Google shared ppt template where each student contributed to the PowerPoint content creation.
Activity 2: Back in time
Students were asked to recreate neolithic tools using natural materials.
Group 3
Activity 1: Information search
The first activity for this Group was to collect information about the environment in the area of ancient Choirokoitia, the residents' art and tools. Once they had all the data collected, they created a PowerPoint presentation. The Group had to cooperate online because of the Covid-19 emergency. The students used cloud storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox and scheduled online meetings to discuss their progress. They used a Google shared ppt template where each student contributed to the PowerPoint content creation.
Activity 2: History mystery
Based on their findings for the artistic work of the residents in Neolithic Choirokoitia, students were asked to search for possible explanations for the absence of female figures from the iconography of the Cypriot Neolithic pre-ceramic phase.
Group 4 A and Group 4B
Activity 1: Information search
The first activity for this Group was to collect information about the environment in the area of ancient Choirokoitia and how this affected the way they dressed. Once they had all the information collected, they created a PowerPoint presentation. The Group had to cooperate online because of the Covid-19 emergency. The students used cloud storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox and scheduled online meetings to discuss their progress. They used a Google shared ppt template where each student contributed to the PowerPoint content creation.
Group 5
Activity 1
The first activity for this Group was to collect information about the environment in the area of ancient Choirokoitia and the residents' eating habits. Once they had all the data collected, they created a PowrPoint presentation. The Group had to cooperate online because of the Covid-19 emergency. The students used cloud storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox and scheduled online meetings to discuss their progress. They used a Google shared ppt template where each student contributed to the PowerPoint content creation.
Activity 2: Time to cook
Inspired by the main dietary habits of Choirokoitians, students were asked to create a recipe and test it at home with their families during the lockdown.
Evaluation
- Understood the reasons for choosing that location
- They realized the way the houses of Choirokoitia were built
- Understood how the environment affected their daily lives and how this made their lives easier
- Familiarization with internet research
- Development of critical analysis skills
- Development of communication and collaboration skills in the context of teamwork
- Methodological skills in research
- Personal development and satisfaction
- Study organization
- Improve their internet navigation skills
Conclusion
Students through this work gained many skills both cognitive and emotional. Initially, they learned to research and critically process all the information they gathered from the internet and then to prepare it in presentations. They realized that with the right communication and collaboration techniques, teamwork bears fruit.
Links
NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT OF CHOIROKOITIA
https://www.visitcyprus.com/index.php/el/discovercyprus/culture-religion/sites-monuments/item/174-choirokoitia-archaeological-site-neolithic-settlement
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CHOIROKOITA IN THE NEOLITHIC ERA IN CYPRUS
https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A7%CE%BF%CE%B9%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%AF%CE%B1
Teachers Section
Unfortunately, our work was limited to literature research due to the pandemic conditions we face. The students rarely went out into the mountains and this was done on an individual level. It is very important for students to get out of the classroom and for knowledge to take shape in front of their eyes.