During the first mobility in Italy in may 2023, one of the computational activities planned was “The town inside the wall” – Lucca: an amazing experience for students and teachers. So why not do it again inside the school?
On the 10th of June teachers of the 7th grade students organised an interdisciplinary treasure hunt, focusing on the topics of history and geography, with a particular emphasis on the use of computational thinking. The activity, designed by the history and geography teachers in collaboration with the technology teacher, aimed to stimulate the students’ transversal skills, combining theoretical knowledge with practical and logical skills. Here are the steps:
Preparation and Planning
- Choice of themes: Selected topics include the French and American Revolution and the main geographical features of Europe (mountains, rivers, deserts).
- Team Training: Students were divided into heterogeneous groups of 5-6 members to ensure a mix of skills and knowledge.
- Maps and Clues: Clues required the use of logical thinking to be solved and led to various stages within the school perimeter.
Implementation
- First Stop: Each group has received a first hint of history. When they deciphered the clue, they had to find a point of reference inside the school.
- Intermediate Stop: During the course, students had to solve riddles to move on to the next stage.
- Last Stop: The last clue led groups to a final map, where they had to combine all the collected information to find the “treasure” – a box containing history and geography books and certificates of participation.
The activity ended successfully, with all groups managing to complete the treasure hunt, at different times. Students have demonstrated a high capacity for collaboration, problem-solving and practical application of theoretical knowledge. In particular, the use of computational thinking has enabled them to approach problems in a systematic and logical way, improving their analytical and critical skills.