518288-LLP-1-2011-1-IT-COMENIUS-CMP 

Clockwork objects, enhanced learning: Automata Toys Construction in primary education for Learning to Learn promotion, creativity fostering & Key Competences acquisition, with the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

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Structure of the piloting in the primary school
Objectives: Clohe objectives (clicca quì)
Preparation: Students were informed in advance in a general way (key words: automata, mechanisms, art), while teachers were informed by teachers Clohe with a series of meetings.
Duration. 26 hours (13 meetings of two hours)
Target: 20 students from 7 to 8 years
Phases of the course (see the detailed report below with texts and images)
1st meeting - "General Information and Creating Stories": Duration: 2 hours
School teachers ask students what they expect from this workshop.
First step: The school teachers show an automata whose (simple) mechanism is hidden, and they say that during this workshop students will invent stories, and the stories will be represented by a series of robots created by students.
So we divide the students into groups of 2/3, asking each group to develop a story. The stories can be any type, and each member of the group will provide an idea to start. Students have one hour to prepare a story.
Second step: the teachers ask each student to tell (writing and drawing) the most important points of the story (key points). Students have half an hour for this stage.
Third step: each group of 4 students, with a history in common, decide what are the key points of the story that will be represented. Students have half an hour to this stage.
Final evaluation: children tell the difficulties and solutions of this phase
2nd meeting - "Presentation of automata and materials" duration: 2 hours
Setting: groups of 4 students. On each table of children materials to build the box and a simple mechanism.
On two other tables materials for decoration (colored rubber caps, cardboard, straws, colorful ribbon, crepe paper, rubber floor mats / foam color) and tools for the construction (hot glue, glue sticks, pencils, scissors, awl. )
First step: Expectations of the children: we ask the what they expect today and listen and record their answers.
Second step: presentation of automata: we present a small story in six frames (automata have the mechanism concealed) through six automata: the story of a baby bird (out and enters the nest with its first flight), looks round (second automaton), eat a worm (third automaton) sees his brothers who are flying (fourth automaton), test the flight several times (fifth automaton) and just feels safe flying briskly to reach them (sixth automaton)
Third step: How does an automata works? We ask the children how they imagine that the automata functions. With the aid of the box and the material they have on the table, they can try to design and build a mechanism. (Oral and manual).
At the end we show the mechanism of the automata "cam 3D" inviting them to draw it.
Fourth step: the construction of the box and the mechanism. In part has already been done in step 3, now they complete it and paste the pieces, in collaboration with teachers.
Final evaluation: children tell the difficulties and solutions of this phase
It is distributed the first questionnaire for the children evaluation of the work.
3rd meeting - "The second mechanism, cam up and down"
We show students a second mechanism, hidden, and we ask them to imagine the movement of the mechanism and to build it themselves with the materials they have on the table.
4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th meeting - "Construction of automata of history"
We started with the key points of the story of each group (3/4 for every story). We ask the children which of the two mechanisms already built is the most suitable to the key point in their story, and they build the figures and decorations. Even the box is decorated in front and behind and to the sides of the figures, assuming a real dramatic role.
We thought it would be three or four meetings was sufficient, but some very young children are slow, and many groups are loose and others have formed, for absence, punitive decisions of teachers, personal sympathies, while all children have clamored to continue to work together, which we gladly accepted
Final evaluation: children tell the difficulties and solutions of each step.
10th Meeting: Visit to the Museum of automata
12th meeting - "Presentation of the stories in the classroom"
Children tell their stories by making use of the automata built.
Each group draws the road map of the workshops held so far.
Is distributed the 2nd evaluation questionnaire to the children.
Is distributed the 2nd evaluation questionnaire for teachers.
13th meeting - "Presentation of the stories to other teachers and students of the school"
Children tell their stories to other students and other teachers of the school, using the automata built.