Solution description

Solution description: Our final activities’ main objective is the fusion of selecting a healthy diet respecting the environment and language learning with the view to sensitize students on environmental issues. In an effort to promote language and cultural awareness through the topics of healthy nutrition and environmental phenomena, we created eight multilingual activities targeted to elementary school students.

Based on the format of digital and interactive activities that were available on the platforms provided by LeaningApps, Mentimeter, Quizalize, WordArt, Wordcloud and Wordwall we produced separate activities on the topic of healthy nutrition in order to help students come in touch with different languages through the Healthy Food Pyramid. All the activities help the students to come in contact with the particular vocabulary items. Finally, the last activity promotes team work and the students create a poster to pin it on the school website or the class wall.

Solution context

Given the fact that we are currently dealing with a pandemic, the challenges we faced throughout our co-operation were mainly practical. Since we were not acquainted with each other beforehand, we dealt with our inability for face-to-face communication through video conferencing meetings and we harmoniously worked together no matter the circumstances. Moreover, the time pressure combined with technical difficulties that were related to internet connection and the use of the online tools made the process even more challenging, but not overwhelming. Despite all these minor challenges, with our common belief in our work and our chemistry, we managed to exchange material and ideas and produce fun, educational and interactive activities.

Solution target group

While coming up with ideas about the topics, we decided that we would target a spectrum of elementary school students. Nevertheless, the eight activities we designed were produced in a fun and interactive way so that anyone interested in a multilingual experience would be able to participate.

Solution impact

The six solutions we propose aim to raise awareness not only when it comes to environmental issues but also to the awakening of linguistic and cultural consciousness. Now, more than ever, due to the worldwide environmental and health crisis, these activities are useful because, through them, we intended to inspire students in order to help them choose a healthy diet. Furthermore, the solution impact also applies to a sense of familiarity with technology as, in all of the activities, the interactive learning takes place through online technological tools and platforms. This can also contribute to a more developed computer and technology literacy on the students’ part.

Solution tweet text

Healthy Diet and Respect towards the Environment: Engage in multilingualism and positive attitude towards life and have fun with interactive activities.

Solution innovativeness

Since our mentality as a team is that education should not be one dimensional or boring, we created our activities with that in mind. What we thought was that it would be quite innovative to introduce the multilingual approach of language awareness in the classroom and especially in the Greek classroom where such initiatives are rare. The fusion of language awakening with environmental impact and a healthy diet is the heart of our activities and the fact that it is brought forward through creative and interactive methods makes the solutions even more appealing and interesting. In this way, our idea challenges the traditional way of learning and invites students and teachers to create new learning material. Presented in many different languages, the material and activities bring innovation in education with the view to encourage everyone to come in contact with the languages of our world, something that was quite overlooked in the past years. Finally the social impact of these activities is of a great significance. Many of us prefer fast food to homemade food because of the hectic daily routine. Children are mostly affected and addicted to these choices. Through these activities they will be taught to follow a healthier diet and in the same time respect the environment by not wasting food because its production is a process that requires a lot of effort and natural sources.

Solution transferability

Our activities are simple and fun. Therefore, that makes them appropriate for a variety of educational and non-educational contexts. They can function as the base of future activities with similar aim or content, or they can even be used just for the pleasure of learning at home. Schools, educational programs, private lesson teachers and educators in the public or private sector, can enrich their lesson plans with our activities in order to introduce social concerns or multilingualism in their classes. In general, all of them can be successfully adjusted to the needs and interests of any socially-related lesson. Of course they can be taught in different classes than just the second language class.

Solution sustainability

We created our activities having in mind that they can contribute as a base to future lesson planning since the topics raised are timely and interesting for all people. Environmental issues and our role, concerning them, are always problematizing us when we think about the future. Our activities are proof that education can bring positive changes in the sustainable way of living, and this is exactly the mentality behind them. In particular, the online activities were especially created to remain “durable” on the world wide web so as to be easily accessible in the times to come for anyone who wishes to promote those ideas and form students’ consciousness in a fun and interactive way.

Solution team work

Although actual real-life work was not possible, our team members managed to remain cooperative and productive in other ways. As a virtual team, we used several kinds of distance meetings and discussions so as to exchange ideas, material and doubts. Platforms such as Zoom, Slack and Viber assisted our effort to work together successfully and despite our busy schedules and time pressure. Our cooperation was smooth, productive and inspiring due to our chemistry and willingness to present a solution that lives up to our expectations.