Social interaction in the elementary classroom. Teaching with objects as a pathway to knowledge and self-knowledge

By building a learning-through-objects activity focussed on the so-called
"eloquent object" we aim to transfer an activity widely used in museums
and archives to a higher elementary environment, and to create a
teaching tool expedient to getting to know oneself and/through the
others. At the supranational level, and as an activity with possible
pedagogical transferability, the results of the learning-teaching activity
herewith proposed could: 1) provide a dynamic picture of children’s
interaction, 2) encourage multimedia storytelling as a tool for knowledge
and self-knowledge; 3) support self-encounters as preparatory to
encountering the others; 4) provide relational/cognitive elicitation
through the so-called “eloquent object”. The supranational picture would
bring out differences/similarities across countries and cultures, whilst
being useful in creating pathways for self-learning and teaching with
supra-local value. We have devised a multimedia motivational activity,
both practical and creative, for the Italian school children aged 9-10 of
the I.C. Rodari, but we hope this activity could be used in teaching
environments across Europe.
[1]
References (accessed December 24, 2022)
Princeton University YouTube teaching resource: “Teaching with Objects in the
Museum”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGv1OAz1qwI;
Santacarne Mestre, Joan and Lonch Molina, Nayra. Fare storia con gli oggetti. Metodi e
percorsi didattici per bambini e adolescenti (Roma Carocci, 2022);
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, “Teacher Tips : Teaching with Objects”
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPwCRH-khSA;
Tenament Museum, “Lesson Plan. Teaching with Objects: Lower Elementary” URL:
https://www.tenement.org/lesson_plans/teaching-with-objects/.

Project submitted within the MSCA competition, Science is Wonderful

The project is being appraised