Context / Project background: Being a common natural heritage, the forest plays a pivotal role in the history of man. It has had a strong influence in economical terms, especially as an energy- and raw material supplier and has thus industrialisation made possible. It is above all for reasons of a timber shortage at the beginning of the 18th century, that forestry became a concept of sustainable use of the woods. This development, among others, has led to an altered way of looking at the forest as a common good that needs protection. Additionally, its social function is of particular importance for local recreation and tourism, both for art and culture of the nation concerned and for the emergence of regional identities. Globalisation, especially the digitalisation, provides new possibilites of coverage and the distribution of knowledge on forests. This can contribute to a responsible dealing with our natural heritage. Project aims: The pupils should, in the context of the above project, enlarge their knowledge on biological, historical, economical and cultural bases concerning the forest and strengthen their awareness for the common natural heritage. According to the idea of a common European approach, the pupils are meant to develop a sense of every nation’s emotional approach to their forest and hereby achieve a deeper understanding for national sensitivities and views. It is via the implementation of innovative learning – and teaching methods in the intercultural context that the subject teaching (e.g. Biology, German and Computer Science) should become enriched in the schools concerned. Also, a growing number of pupils should get motivated for the participation in international projects. At the same time, the project allows the pupils to make the discovery of new fields of professional activity, possibly even to make personal acquaintances and thereby making the European job market accessible to themselves. The schools involved would like to use this global topic for the expansion of their international projects and their intercultural teaching competence. Doing so, the schools first and foremost wish to boost their quality development in foreign language – teaching, MINT classes (Maths, Computer Science, Natural Sciences) and media competence. Our intention is, so to speak, to make the organisation- and methods of teaching advance by opening up towards international encounters. This advancement is vital for the Europeanisation of our schools, for our multicultural body of pupils as well as for the integration work with migrants. Number and profile of the participants: The pupils taking part in the project should be ready to spend a complete project week abroad and to contribute their acquired findings and skills in the subject teaching and to make it available for the development of teaching and learning processes. They should dispose of sufficient foreign language skills and be open to the European idea. A number of 25 to 30 pupils should be involved in the project, 14 students’ mobilities per exchange are envisaged. Description of the activities: During the students’ exchanges, the students will make biological experiments and set up herbariums as well as a forest- encyclopedia. The pupils will present each other their specific forests with their regional, forest-related customs and practices, fairy tales and poems. They will create a cookery book with regional specialities and will visit a range of institutions (woodworking firms, research facilities and projects concerning the resource efficiency). At the end of the project, all the results will issue into a common, joined-up information app on the different forests of the three home regions concerned. Methods during the realisation of the project: In the course of the project, innovative learning- and teaching methods will be used (project work- methods, adventure pedagogics, explorative and self-organised learning, world café, interview, making experiments) as well as the special competences of the schools involved. Description of the expected results as well as the potential sustainable benefit in the long run: Their newly acquired abilities and knowledge shall improve the pupils’ fitness for the international job market, concerning their intercultural, social and language skills, stimulate more pupils to take part in international projects and thereby contribute to the conveying of the European idea.
Context / Project background: The forest as our common natural heritage has an outstanding importance for human history. Especially as an energy and raw material supplier, it has significantly influenced and shaped economic development and thus made industrialization possible. In particular due to a foreseeable shortage of wood at the beginning of the 18th century, forestry developed as a concept for the sustainable use of forests. This has contributed, among other things, to a changed view of the forest as a common good to be protected. In addition, its social function is of great importance for recreation and tourism, but also for the arts and culture of the respective nation and for the development of regional identities. Globalisation, but in particular digitalisation, offers new opportunities for capturing and disseminating knowledge about forests and can contribute to a more responsible use of our natural heritage. Project goals: As part of the project, the students expanded their knowledge of the biological, historical, economic and cultural principles of the forest and increased their awareness of the common natural heritage. In doing so, the students were able to experience the emotional approach of each nation to the topic of forests in accordance with a European approach and thus developed an understanding of national sensitivities and perspectives. Through the implementation of innovative teaching and learning methods in an intercultural context, the subject lessons (e.g. biology, German and computer science) in the schools involved were enriched and further students were motivated for international projects. At the same time, the project offered the opportunity to get to know new professional fields and to tap into the European job market. The participating schools used this global topic to expand their international project work and their intercultural teaching skills. The focus was on the wish, in cooperation with the project partner schools, to promote the quality development of the foreign language and MINT focus areas as well as the IT and media competence of our schools. At the same time, with the opening up and internationalization, a further development of the organization of teaching and methods was achieved. These are essential for the Europeanization of our schools, for our multicultural student body, as well as for the integration work with migrants. Number and profile of the participants: The participating students were willing to spend an entire project week abroad and used the knowledge and skills they gained in specialist lessons and made them available for lesson development. They both had sufficient foreign language skills and were open to the European idea. Around 25 to 30 pupils were involved in the project in each school, and 14 pupil mobilities were planned for each exchange. While the first two project weeks could largely be carried out as planned, it became necessary to modify our plans due to the corona pandemic. Description of the activities: During the student exchanges, biological experiments and the creation of herbaria and a forest encyclopedia were carried out. The students presented their respective forests as well as regional and forest-related customs and traditions, fairy tales and poems. They developed a cookbook with regional specialties and visited a number of institutions (wood processing companies, research institutions and projects on resource efficiency). As a synthesis, there was a pre-version of a forest app for the three home regions, in which the project results available up to the corona-lockdown were still processed afterwards in a modified procedure. Methodology in implementing the project: As part of the project, innovative teaching and learning methods were used (project-like forms of work, experiential methods, exploratory and self-organized learning, world café, interviews, experimentation) as well as the special skills of the schools involved. Evaluations were carried out both during and after the (early) completion of the project. Description of the expected results as well as the potential sustainable benefit in the long run: The newly acquired skills and knowledge were intended to prepare the students even better for the international job market in terms of their intercultural, linguistic and social skills, to motivate other students to participate in international projects and thus contribute to conveying the European idea in schools.