What is this project about?

 

Summary

 

The title of the project is Roots in Music, Growth for a Future Together.

 

The language of the project is English. Its main topic is music, and main theme is to get to know and to learn the traditional songs, folk songs and nursery rhymes of the partner countries. Working with the songs will be in the English language and with the help of ICT. The most important means of collaboration between the countries are videoconferencing, chat and e-mail. All of them are suitable for practising the foreign language.

 

Various ages of children (6-12 years) are involved in the project, that is why we decided on common denominators in working with the songs: e.g. comprehension of the lyrics, learning the key words, illustration of the songs through drawings, researching the origin and history of the songs etc., or any chosen activities: e.g. acting and miming, videoclips, sound effects, making presentations etc.

 

We would like to research the cultural similarities and specific features in each other's songs and to make them accessible to the next generation.

 

 

Motivation

 

Sometimes teachers seem not to remember what Howard Gardner found: 'Many children have a musical learning style, meaning that they absorb concepts and express themselves well through activities integrating sound, rhythm and movement'.

 

We want to promote this special kind of intelligence and, furthermore, to integrate the European dimension within the music curriculum. The theme Roots in music means that we are aware of the richness of the musical European identity, but also that this precious heritage is 'at risk of  extinction'  if not  shared between the generations and the different countries. We would also contrast the dissemination within young people of a single, homogeneous musical culture without diversity or dissension. 

 

The traditional songs have memorable melodies and lyrics that motivate children to develop cognitive skills in language, reading, classification, mathematics, science, and reasoning skills. At the same time, the beauty and structure of the songs help the children to explore their feelings and to develop interactional skills.  

 

Students will be directly involved in the project bringing to school  their parents and grandfathers  to learn from them songs, stories…Our project will address many issues including physical activity, extensive use of ICT, cultural exchange, health education, language and literacy development.

 

The school wants to be an environment capable of facilitating learning, to stimulate curiosity and interest and above all be capable of putting pupils in a position to 'learn how to learn'.  Music education has a specific function in the core development of the child; it results in activities that comply with the tripartite division of Piaget's sensory-motor play, and symbolic rules, three elements that are constantly present in the acting and thinking of children, as well as the acting and thinking music.

From an early age, benefits derived from the enjoyment of listening, singing, playing and developing thoughts through sound experiences are ways to develop and enhance creativity. If 'The music is child's play', as Françoise Delalande says, then the understanding of music by children is both instinctive and emotional but needs to be developed.

 

Thus, the role of the teacher becomes crucial in preparing challenging situations, in which children are helped to learn and find appropriate strategies for the acquisition of transferable skills.