ENJOYING LEARNING THE PIONEERS’ ORGANIZATION IN THE MEMORIES OF THREE GENERATIONS

Objectives: Learn about: - the structure; - principles; - rituals; - rules of the youth’s organization in totalitarian Bulgaria. Learn the techniques of: - implementing the oral history method; - conducting an interview in class

Develop critical thinking skills Make analysis using eyewitnesses’ evidences Compare: - written and oral sources; - information from eyewitnesses of different generations

Improve students’ skills to prepare and conduct an interesting and profound presentation Learn : - to use various sources; - to compare, evaluate and interpret facts from different perspectives The students learn to evaluate their own work

TERMS: Communism Pioneers Pioneers Organization The “Chavdarche” Organization Uniforms * and other terms related to the topic

Participants Participants: 11 th or 12 th graders * the project could be applied in the Contemporary History classes or in the Bulgarian History classes Time Time: 4  45 min Materials Materials: Working sheets, copies of documents, port-folio

THE PROJECT THE PROJECT: 1 ST STAGE- 1 ST STAGE- Instructions by the teacher /3 weeks in advance/: 1. explains to the students the purposes of the project 2. describes the oral history method and its significance 3. gives instructions to the students how to prepare a questionnaire and how to conduct interviews

2 nd STAGE- 2 nd STAGE- Preparation by the students at school They have 2 weeks to complete the task: * They have 2 weeks to complete the task: 1. Students study in class about The Pioneers Organization in Bulgaria and research information on the topic in the library 2. They prepare a questionnaire about the life within the Pioneers Organization

3. The teacher assigns each student 3 weeks in advance to interview 9 people, divided in groups of 3, who belong to 3 different generations: pioneers of the 50s, 60s /or 70s/ and 80s of the 20 th c. 4. The students must use the same questionnaire in all the interviews

3 rd STAGE- 3 rd STAGE- Individual work by the students / 2 weeks to complete the task/: 1.Each student has to compare - the answers of the people from the same generations - the answers of the people from different generations - the written and oral sources 2. Each student has to write conclusions and analysis of the researched topic 3. Each student has to prepare a port-folio, where to store his/her findings

4 TH STAGE- 4 TH STAGE- Team work: 1.In 2 weeks the teacher divides the class in couples 2.Each couple has to prepare a 10 minute presentation of - the findings and conclusions - the most interesting stories - important differences in the answers, given by the interviewee - the most impressive moments during the interviews

3. Each couple has to bring material sources, related to the topic: - books, newspapers, - photos, cards - symbols of The Pioneers Organization 4. The students have to appear in an appropriate for the topic outlet

5 th STAGE- 5 th STAGE- Performing the presentations:

Some of the materials, brought by a team in class

Front page of a port-folio

6 TH STAGE- 6 TH STAGE- Classroom Interview The teacher invites former /retired/ teachers who have taught in the 70s and 80s The students prepare the questions in advance The conversation is led in two directions: 1. about the role of the teachers in the pioneers organization 2. about the guests’ experience as pioneers

PRESENTING THE GUESTS…

ENJOYING THE INTERVIEW…

LEARNING THROUGH PRACTICE

The pictures are talking…

Flowers for the guests…

EVALUATION By the teacher - the teacher assesses: 1. the port-folio- if it includes materials from all stages of the project 2. the quality of both, the materials and the conducted interviews 3. the presentations in front of the class 4. the behaviour and the ethical code

By the students: 1. Self-assessment - every student receives a self- assessment questionnaire 2. Assessing the work of the others - the teacher has distributed the criteria according to which the students are supposed to prepare their presentations - in class every student receives an assessment card through which he/she has to grade his/her classmates’ work

Results: Interesting interviews were conducted Students enjoyed talking to the adults about their school years Students showed respect to the former teachers and were interested in their stories Students were satisfied with the idea of self-assessment and treated their classmates fairly

Slovenia This project was inspired by the seminar in Slovenia /Oct. 2005/

A PRESENTATION BY Dimitrinka Arnaudova- History teacher Private English Language Secondary School “Chelopech”, Bulgaria

Your Main Point Your Sub Points

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