Mobility in Greece – A different view of the world

The fourth learning and teaching activities were organised by the partner school Model General Lyceum of Heraklion, in Heraklion, Crete, in Greece, from April 8^th to April 12^th 2024.

Monday, April 8^th 2024

Welcoming from the HeadMistress

School presentations

“To know us better” activities

A series of exercises in order to relax, create a positive atmosphere to get accustomed to each other in the group.

1. In a sitting circle, we close our eyes and focus on our breathing with the company of music for relaxation.

2. We open our eyes and wander our gaze around to meet as many eyes as possible. No talking, see what the other eyes have to say to us.

3. Split into couples and talk about yourselves, asking questions for about 10 minutes. Then make a circle and each one speaks about his/her couple incorporating a small lie into his/her description.

4. Finally, without speaking we look around in the circle to see as many pair of eyes as possible and see what they have to tell us now that we know them better.

Physical and bonding activities

Αctivity 1
«Ice-breaking activity»

The students were asked to form a circle and say their name one by one while striking a pose: making a hand movement, a grimace, etc.
When they finished a student was asked to recall the name of one of the people in the circle and their pose. If he did so successfully, he whom he had named called the next one and so on.

Activity 2
«Εnergizer-Let’s get to know each other»

The students were asked to walk around the space in random directions. At first slowly and then faster. When the moderator clapped his hands, the students had to form groups of three and answered the following questions:
a) name a hobby of yours
b) name the strong point of your character
c) recall the first image as a memory you have from your life and tell it to your group
Then the students sat in a circle and one by one they came to the middle of the circle and the rest tried to remember: his hobby, his strong point and his first memory.

Activity 3
«Group-formation»

The students, under the sound of relaxing music, walked around the area, sometimes slowly, sometimes faster, pretending to walk on slippery ground, in mud, to enter caves, etc. When the music stopped they had to form groups:
a) the first time groups of three touching their soles
b) the second groups of four touching their backs
c) the third groups of five touching their elbows.
The groups that were formed the third time were also the groups within which they worked in the following days in various activities.

Activity 4
Creative imagination activity: «Pictures in a frame»

The students divided into groups (from the previous activity), were asked to create three or four pictures, which will represent a story about bullying.

Initially, they had to split their roles: a director, a photographer and two or three actors.
After they decided and announced their roles, they were given additional clarification:
a) the director had to be blind (a scarf was given to cover his eyes).
b) the actors were deaf and dumb
c) so, the photographer had to listen to the director’s instructions and try to set up the actors, as he indicated, without speaking to them and then shooting the frames.
After the groups completed the activity, they had to send us the photos.

Tuesday, April 9^th 2024

Day trip to Elounda – Spinalonga – Agios Nikolaos

By bus we went from our school to the village of Plaka where we took a small boat to visit the island of Spinalonga. With the company of an experienced guide we were introduced to the history of the island, which used to be a Venetian fortress and later a lepers colony. We ended our visit with a walk around the island and then took the boat back to Elounta.

Wednesday, April 10^th 2024

eTwinning activities

The students first watched a video about internet safety rules:

https://bit.ly/4aHG9Ot

They then completed multiple-choice questions in the eTwinning forum on this topic.

The completion of the questions was done individually by each student in the computer lab.

Photography Workshop

On Wednesday the students participated in photo workshop.

First, a photographer explained to them the basic principles.

Then the students in groups were asked to apply these techniques.

Below you see the results of the students’ group work.

Activities related to photography – Photography in History

The activity occurred in the computer lab and students presented the photos of their family heirlooms. During the presentation, the students realized that there are many similarities between the cultures of different European countries.

Thursday, April 11^th 2024

Visit to Knossos by bus

Visit to Fodele by bus – Activities

Guided tour by the students in Heraklion

Treasure hunt in the city center of Heraklion

Thursday 11 April 2014

The students divided into groups (from the 3^rd activity of the first day), were asked take part in a treasure hunt in the city center of Heraklion, which took the following form:

Α. Initially, the following instructions were sent to the captain of each team:

General Instructions:

1. Work together and try to guess which part of the city is described in each riddle.

2. After you find it, go to it and take a picture.

3. The points are 5 and you have to take 5 photos of a different kind. So, take a photo: with a frame, in which you try to get into the shot in some way, from a specific perspective, focused on some point of the monument a photo of your choice.

4. You have to submit only one photo of the monument. So decide which you prefer.

Have fun!!!

Β. Then the assignment of the five puzzles began: each team was sent a different puzzle so that not all teams started from the same point.

Riddle 1

Stoneage whispers on the gale,

Salty kisses, weathered trail.

Towers pierce the endless blue,

Once fierce battles, fought anew.

Cannons sleep, their story told,

Echoes fade, where gulls unfold.

Harbor dreams in turquoise light,

Ancient guardian, day and night.

Riddle 2

Beneath a dome of painted grace,

A holy haven, time and space

Entwine. Mosaics softly gleam,

Whispering tales of faith’s own dream.

Saints gaze down on flickering flame,

Prayers ascend, a whispered name.

Bells chime soft, a gentle plea,

For solace found on bended knee.

First bishop’s touch, a legacy,

Disciple’s heart, for all to see.

Transformed by rule, a crescent’s hold,

Now faith restored, a story told.

Riddle 3

Stone witness, scarred by time’s cruel hand,

Earthquakes’ wrath, and Turkish stand.

Nazi bombs rained, a fiery plight,

Yet you rose again, bathed in sunlight.

Arches whisper tales of grandeur past,

Venetian nobles’ dreams that cast

Long shadows on the worn stone floor,

Echoes of power, and so much more.

Transformed you stand, a civic soul,

Where history and present take their stroll.

Heraklion’s heart, a beating drum,

This gathering place, forever hum

Riddle 4

Four lions guard a watery prize,

In sculpted forms, they watch the skies.

Dolphin dreams and ocean tales,

In marble swirls, the sculptor wails.

A city’s thirst for centuries quelled,

By gushing streams, a story spelled.

Once crowned by gods, a legend lost,

Now pigeons rest at little cost.

A meeting place, a common thread,

Where laughter rings as stories spread.

A landmark grand, a timeless scene,

Heraklion’s heart, under the green.

Riddle 5

In Heraklion’s heart, by splashing fount,

A lover’s farewell, captured, mount.

He on his steed, a final plea,

She, hand outstretched, eternally.

Once halls of learning, whispers faint,

Now lovers’ whispers, love’s constraint.

A timeless bond, a whispered vow,

Forever etched, where shadows bow.

Friday, April 12^th 2024

Workshop Interactive images with genial.ly

Preparation of presentations

Students from all countries created collaborative presentations using genial.ly. Each group consisted of students from different countries.
The presentations:
-were about experiences and feelings from their visit to Greece.
-included at least two photographs
-contained interactive elements.