Changing Europe - researching the history and geography of modern Europe

The partner schools in the project ‘Changing Europe’ worked together to celebrate the diversity of European cultures and communities and to focus on how all European countries continue to evolve and develop through immigration. We focused on how the make-up of Europe has been affected by such issues as war and conflict. We also focused on the history of European immigration, including the movement of refugees between different countries during times of conflict. We provided our pupils and our local communities with a clear understanding of the causes and benefits of immigration in a post-Brexit European Union.The project focused on three areas: The first year of the project focused on European History and how Europe was affected by war during the 20th Century. There was a particular emphasis how how the schools' regions were affected by World War One and World War Two. Pupils were introduced to the concept of mass migration as Jewish refugees fled persecution in their own countries. The second year focused on modern day immigration. Pupils focused on immigration to their own regions: the reasons for it and the resulting benefits. There was also a focus on the Syrian Civil War and the resulting Syrian refugee crisis. During this second year staff were trained in the United Nations Rights of the Child Articles. The third year focused on Environmental Education. Each school focused on local environmental issues that were of importance to their pupils and local communities.The innovative use of ICT as a literacy tool was a central feature of the project, as pupils from all schools were encouraged to develop multimedia presentations focusing on the areas detailed. For example, pupils were involved in drama presentations portraying different UN Rights of the Child Articles. Pupils also produced Powerpoint presentations detailing how their regions were affected by World War Two.