Stručni rad
Joint-museum and school approach: presentation of the project “Roman games“- five years of successful cooperation between the regional museum in Varaždinske Toplice and the 4th primary school in Varaždin
Biserka Vlahović
Sažetak
At the beginning of the school year 2006/2007, as suggested by the director of the Regional Museum Varaždinske Toplice Spomenka Vlahović and the dean of the 4th Primary School in Varaždin Milivoj Purgarić, the idea was adopted of the school cooperating on a museum project called “The Roman Games”. After dean Purgarić retired, the new dean Jasmina Dvorski also threw her support behind this already well structured cooperation between the school and the museum.
Teachers were also included in the project, which is to take place on three levels: a) in the school, b) at the Varaždinske Toplice archaeological site, and c) project presentation for parents and pupils (in the school).
After completing the study of Rome in grade 5 history, the pupils expand on their knowledge in a practical way, by visiting the Aqua Iasae archaeological site in Varaždinske Toplice.
During the school year 2006/2007, teachers of the following subjects were included in the project: History, Art, Geography, Mathematics, Croatian and Physical and Health Education. Non-compulsory subjects Religious teachings and IT were also included, as were the news reporting club, the book club and the art group. Before going out to the site, teachers and pupils in each subject had to draft and organise their plan of approach, goals and tasks. Prepared in advance were also teaching notes, maps, tables, games, workshops, etc.
Other subject teachers came on board during the last 5 years as well, so that the following subjects were also included by 2011: Natural Science, Technical Education and English, and the interest by both teachers and pupils can best be described by the fact that the pupils were asking to do more than it was foreseen. The initial idea thus grew into specialised projects, all of which delve in cultural and historical heritage of Rome on the location of Varaždinske Toplice. We managed to expand on this through class trips to other antic civilization locations in Croatia, such as: Pula, Brijuni, Ščitarjevo (Andautonia), Split, etc. The main slogan of “The Roman Games” is: “Let us preserve the cultural and historical heritage for the future generations”, and, interestingly, each new year brought to the project an additional Latin and Croatian slogan. All projects are prepared using out-of-school activities/groups with expert aid by Spomenka Vlahović, especially in segments of art and technical education. For example, the Art group thought up projects “Tunics and Togas - Roman Population Clothes”, “Antic Toys”, and “Antic Clay Lamp”, and the Technical Education class, in cooperation with the museum, began the project “Roman Jewellery”, which is successfully being produced by the 6th grade - “The Roman Goldsmiths”. Jewellery sketches were made according to museum templates (as chosen by the museum director), and the drawing was done by the art pupils. We learned how to make antic clay (oil) lamps by pressing clay into the cast, i.e. the way Roman potters used to do it. Lamp casts used were borrowed from the Varaždinske Toplice museum collection, and the final products were used for training the pupils in polishing and baking them in Roman ceramic kiln replicas at the site itself (constructed in 2009).
During the five years of the project, the contributors also revitalised Roman games: omilla, orca, rope-pulling (Legionnaire style), skip rope, “horsy”, ludus castellorum, tropa, etc. The goals of these games were to play them while respecting their rules, to develop dexterity, preciseness, quickness of movement, etc. Various faithful replicas of museum items were used for the games.
We should also add another special feature of the project: the lunch break. While resting at the site, all participants are invited to try Roman delicacies from the “Museum’s Roman Bakery” - various types of Roman bread, sweet-bread and Roman lemonade made using geo-thermal water.
The correlation of various subjects is very important for the project, as it spearheads the development of interest in pupils for various aspects of research, creativity and abilities. It creates the need for teamwork, thereby building mutual respect; the need for aesthetic and ecological organization of the surroundings; the spirit of ecology, and the need to preserve and promote Croatian cultural and historical heritage for future generations.
After the trips to the site are over, the pupils are tasked with making posters of their experience (containing ceramics, jewellery, etc.), teaching notes are graded, pupil knowledge tested, and finally, an exhibit and presentation is made for the parents, pupils and teachers alike during the so-called “Project day” at the 4th Primary School in Varaždin.
Ključne riječi
Cultural and historical heritage; archaeological site Aqua Iasae (Varaždinske Toplice); archaeologist; thermal water; fango (peloid); joint museum and school approach; revitalization of antic games and customs; construction-based heritage of ecological diversity
Hrčak ID:
99958
URI
Datum izdavanja:
27.11.2012.
Posjeta: 2.974 *