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Pedagogical Project

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Pedagogical and didactic project
work with my grandpa
Based on the book "Adventure with the magical car" by Pablo Zuker

Endorsed by the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
Ministry of Education
General Coordination of Non-Formal

Education Project "I work with my grandpa"
A pedagogical encounter between children and grandparents

Description

"I work with my grandpa" is a project of pedagogical encounter between children and grandparents that uses as a central didactic material the book "Adventure with the magical car", by Pablo Zuker. Published in 2010, "Adventure with the magical car" is a text that brings together the story of a grandfather and grandson with the instructions and materials necessary for them to build a car made of recycled wood.

The pedagogical-didactic activity consists of organizing a meeting of approximately two hours between pre-school students of an educational institution and their grandparents or their closest elders. This space of intergenerational meeting articulates the narration of the story in the classroom space with the car building in group.

The innovative character of the proposal resides in the use of a didactic material generated specifically to encourage the meeting between grandparents and grandchildren, since they are the protagonists of the story in question. The experience of a child with his grandfather reading the book and assembling the car with other companions in turn encourages the appreciation of the elderly as a shared experience.

From an educational perspective, the activity format was designed to favor the development of countless civic and formative values linked to respect for the elderly, the motivation of reading as a family legacy, respect for the environment and mutual recognition in the manual activity (the assembly of the car), among others.

Regarding the latter, it should be noted that the development of manual skills is carried out in a context of teamwork, which fosters the creation of a horizontal dialogue space, that is, to share, discuss and agree on a common goal, to organize the task, to prioritize the stages, to assemble and, of course, to evaluate and express what it has meant.

A privileged moment of ludic learning happens at the moment in which a debate is promoted among the members of each group about what should be done first and what later, how the parts of the car are assembled, who assumes what responsibility, etc. All this transforms this participatory experience whose protagonists are children, it is unforgettable.

The experiences developed have shown, in turn, the strong impact generated by both children and grandparents on the common activities proposed by the school institution. In this sense, the emotional impact is compounded by a renewed interest in shared reading, the care of materials, the recognition of group values and reciprocal appreciation of children and adults´ world.

Basis

The harmonious intergenerational relationships between the elderly and children and young people, are at this time increasingly difficult to achieve. The society, worried about the increase of material goods and the permanent novelty, has been forgetting the talk with the elderly, the value of their anecdotes and experiences. The child and the elderly have lost spaces of mutual recognition and exchange.

The project "I work with my grandpa" arises from the need to promote the link between different generations, from the encounter of activities that propose reflection and forgotten manual activity with the advance of the digital age in communication and the advancement of the plastic in replacement of other materials in children's games.

According to UNESCO's education program, intergenerational programs are "vehicles for the determined and continued exchange of resources and learning between the older and younger generations for individual and social benefits". Establishing new bonds of union in the face of social, economic and cultural changes is one of its main objectives.

One way to achieve this, explains the gerontologist Rocio Magallón Mariné, is to "participate together in common activities" that promote shared decision-making, formulate common projects and exchange manual and technical skills. In this way, the elderly and children, while both require recognition and accommodation, reciprocally satisfy their development needs.

"I work with my grandpa", in this sense, was thought of as a space that takes into account the needs of the elderly (feeling safe, occupying a place in society, being valued, being accepted) and those of preschool children (Being nourished, being taught, having a cultural identity, having positive roles, being connected to previous generations). Also, "I work with my grandpa" is an ecological project. The pieces that make up the model were made with boards from the Ford factory, after brushing and conditioning for cutting. The woods were treated with oils and varnishes that are not harmful to the environment and are presented in a lithographed recyclable tin box.

The durability of the materials has as its purpose its permanent use since the project is totally recyclable in a chronological sense. As long as the books, pieces and instructions are properly preserved, it will be an experience that all children of the institution and also the successive groups of students will experience.

3.1. General objectives

  • Contribute to the dissemination and promotion of reading in children, revaluing the figure of the book as a source of personal enrichment.
  • Strengthen family ties between older adults (grandparents) and children.
  • Promote personal and communication relationships between generations through the interaction and development of a joint project.
  • Promote the recovery of traditional play activities, manual skills and techniques.
  • Disseminate awareness of ecology and basic knowledge of recycling.

3.2. Pedagogical objectives

  • Promote integration between peers
  • Promote joint experimentation
  • Develop fine motor skills
  • Incorporate logical-mathematical capabilities and the interpretation of plans

3.3. Attitudinal and behavioral goals

  • Promote respect and care for people, their own work and that of others
  • Value the effort of peers and seniors
  • Develop autonomy in group settings
  • Estimate solidarity and cooperative attitudes in the classroom
  • Appreciate family identity and history

4. Detailed description of the activity

a. Joint preparation with the educational institution: The educational institution that decides to carry out the activity "I work with my grandpa" will decide, together with the teacher who will coordinate the space, the date and time for the event. From there, the appropriate criteria are established for the convocation of the families, preparation of the place and accompaniment by the teaching staff. While the activity with the book and the assembly of the car between children and adults is expected in approximately two hours, it is essential to pay attention to previous work to the day. In particular, make the appropriate contact with families, corroborate the presence of grandparents or close elders and issue the appropriate notifications to parents.

b. Organization of the activity: The activity will be organized preferably in a room or classroom where the tables can be put together to organize work groups or else a long table where everyone can work together. The realization of the activity involves the use of 10 kits (book, pieces of wood that make up the car, assembly instructions, assembly materials) for every 20/25 students, that is, a kit for 3 pairs of grandparents and grandchildren.
The acquisition of the 10 kits by the institution means that they will be left in each institution to be later reused by teachers with other groups of students and in subsequent years.

c. Start of the activity: The coordinator of the activity will begin with the presentation of all participants, commenting on the objectives of the meeting and creating the atmosphere to start reading the story "Adventure with the magical car". Beyond having the story's own appeal, the narrative works as an excellent trigger and motivator so that the children, along with their grandparents or older adults who accompany them, put their hands to work to start working on the assembly of the car.

Since they also have the plane and guide of assembly, they will unfold all the components of the car on the table and will begin to assemble it since they are provided with the screws, the screwdriver, among other materials. This instance of participation is very important in school life because an interesting debate is organized among the members of each group about what should be done first and what later, how the pieces are assembled, who does what, and so on, what transforms this experience in true teamwork.

d. Exhibition of the materials: The coordinator of the activity collaborates and stimulates the participation and the organization of the task so that everyone finishes putting it together and they can enjoy seeing their work culminated to enjoy it and share it among all. This is the stage of exposure in which each group shows all the participants the achievement of their work together.

Once the initial exposure has been completed, a round will be held so that the activity can be assessed as a group. During this stage, everyone will be able to express their impressions, what they thought, what they felt, what they learned and everything that motivated them to carry out the experience.

e. Evaluation: The evaluation of the activity will be carried out in two stages. The first one is that of the participants that we have just described. The following is from the teacher in charge of the activity who will transmit their experience to the school authorities. In this case, they will be asked to turn over a paper so they can freely express their opinions about the positive and negative aspects of the project, if it was useful for them and what they propose to improve it. In this way, the proposal can be enriched successively with the contribution of the same participants.

5. Addressees:
a. Children and grandparents: It is expected that pre-school and elementary/primary-school children will participate in each institution which will be around 25/30 students and in which at least 20/25 adults will participate. Therefore, it could be estimated that each activity will involve, between children and adults, approximately 50 people.

b. Teachers: On the other hand, it is essential to highlight teachers´role, who will be allowed to assume the responsibility and commitment to lead an educational change that will promote integration and cultural encounter between different generations.

c. The Schools: For their part, the educational institutions will be incorporated into the project as articulators of a new space for school-family integration. In this sense, positive recognition will be anticipated by the educational community regarding the proposed bond and the promotion of values that will exceed the classroom space.

6. Budget: cost of each workshop per institution
The project includes the provision of kits from the book "Adventure with the magical car" in educational institutions. The budget is calculated on the basis of a classroom of 20/25 children, and that they will need at least 10 kits to develop the activity.

7. Description of the book "Adventure with the magical car".
"Adventure with the magical car" consists of a kit that comes in a lithographed tin suitcase containing a book, the assembly plan and the parts of the wooden car with its accessories to be able to assemble it. It is a product of excellent quality and presentation, which contains:

1 Cardboard box with handle completely decorated with project motifs

1 Lithographed tin suitcase of 40 cm. long with handle and 2 strips with claps as closure

1 Hardcover book "Adventure with the magical car"

1 Assembly plan

1 Net bag containing Patagonian cypress wood pieces with the disassembled parts of the car.

1 Small lithographed tin, containing 15 screws, 1 screwdriver and 5 wooden axes.

Currently this unique product is sold in the largest bookshops in the country and teaching materials shops for teachers. Recently it has been exported to Spain and Mexico for pre-school education schools.

7.1. The story of its author: Pablo Augusto Zuker
"Adventure with the magic car" is a creation of Pablo Augusto Zuker, 68 years old. During his life, Pablo Zuker developed productive ventures of different types, specializing during 30 years in the area of design and manufacture of advertising products in the local market and the United States.

He had a craft factory in Bolivia and for more than 20 years he developed specific products for the educational community making medals, pins, allegories, etc. He had more than 700 private schools as clients, which helped him to get to know these institutions in greater depth.

In turn, he has training and experience as an insurance consultant for more than 20 years.

7.2. The history of the book

The creation of the book "Adventure with the magical car" is based on a true story in author´s life. Mr. Zuker's grandson, Federico, lives in Chile with his parents. In October 2009, he made his first trip out of the Trans-Andean country without his parents: he came to stay for 10 days with his Argentinian grandparents.

Grandfather and grandson did everything: they went up kites, they went by boat, they went to the cinema ... However, Federico was very enthusiastic about an old book in English of the year 1950 that he had brought with him and that taught to build toys with pieces of wood. Immediately after, both set out to build a car with the pieces of wood they got and achieved a simple car in their forms but that brought satisfaction to both.

At the moment of saying goodbye at the airport, grandson and grandfather embraced. At that time, Mr. Zuker asked Fede: "What did you like the most about your stay in Buenos Aires?" And he answered: "I liked most to work with my grandfather and put together the car".

That is how this story was born.

With the help of his son Javier and his wife, Emma, Zuker began to write the story. Then, through the Internet, she met the illustrator Alejandra Karageorgiu (alekara.blogspot.com.ar), who, together with her sister Fernanda, as a copy editor, put passion into shaping this project.

Afterwards, he started looking for carpentry and lathe workshops. After several months of work, he managed to get a good finish, quality wood and good cost. All this was thanks to the contribution of German carpenters from Bariloche (www.manick.com.ar) who, using Patagonian cypress wood, achieve the desired results.

The final step was to find a tin workshop that could make a suitcase in the desired dimensions. Through the industry guide, he met the owner of the Novipel factory, the best box workshop in the country, which with his good designer hand achieves an excellent presentation.

7.3. Editorial and institutional impact

A week before starting the book fair 2010, the purchasing manager of the distributor Luongo S.A. Take knowledge of the project and invite Pablo Zuker to exhibit it on his stand. The presentation in public was accompanied by a beautiful display causing a great attraction at the fair, which aroused the interest of both families and the media. At that time, the Clarín newspaper made the first article on "Adventure with the magical car".

After this success, “Fundación El Libro”, Buenos Aires, Argentina, chooses Mr. Zuker to give workshops to children and grandparents at the Children and Youth Fair 2010, redoubling the success achieved until then. As he obtained this result, the Secretary of Culture of Río IV invites him, with all expenses paid, to give workshops and exhibit this project on a stand. (200 children participated in total).

During the last 3 months of the year he managed to get this project to reach 50 of the best bookshops in the whole country and teaching material shops of the country and achieving the first export abroad through the most important chain of bookshops in Mexico, Gandhi books.

7.4. Grandparents in Solidarity Foundation

Along with the dissemination of the book, solidarity projects begin to emerge in order to unite the different generations. The "Grandparents in Solidarity" Foundation was born, coordinated by Pablo Zuker, who runs the first "Grandparents in Solidarity procession". During the course of it, they proceeded to bring food and share the day with the children of the Bethel home of City Bell.

In parallel and through the website of the book (www.trabajoconmiabuelo.com.ar) and its Facebook page (http://es-la.facebook.com/people/Trabajo-Con-Mi-Abuelo/100001097895424), grandparents of all the country - after enjoying the reading of the book and the assembly of the car with their grandchildren -, begin to send photos for the digital album. In this way, an intergenerational virtual community is created that has never been anticipated.

At the end of January 2011, a new solidary undertaking was carried out: the donation of kits to carry out the workshop to a group of students from the "Don Bosco Work", Ramos Mejía who went to a rural school in the province of Entre Rios. The closing of the activity was loaded with emotion and learning. 7.5. GCBA Backing

Recently, the Non-Formal Education Area belonging to the Ministry of Education of the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires expressed its positive evaluation of the project and the desire to specify the activity in the educational institutions attended by children of lower socioeconomic status, concentrated mostly in the south zone of the city.

In addition, since the project "I work with my grandpa" supposes an integral educational experience that contributes to fulfill all the objectives proposed by UNESCO, the City of Buenos Aires urged Mr. Zuker to present his publication to represent the city as "Capital City of the Book".

8. Presentations at Book Fairs and Workshops

9. Impact on the media

  • Article published in the "Good Life Supplement", Clarín newspaper, 2010.
  • Article published in the newspaper La cita, for senior clients of Banco Supervielle, 2010.
  • Article published in the institutional magazine Autoclub, of the Automovil Club Argentino, 2010.
  • Article published by Ruedas Clásicas, 2010.
  • Presentation in the television program "El Garage", dedicated to motorsport, 2010. Video online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AYXnssI5J4.

10. Contact information

Publisher: El Abuelo Pablo
Person in charge: Pablo Augusto Zuker
Address: Machado 3342, Castelar, c / p 1712, Bs. As. Argentina.
Tel:4785-0692 -4624-1086 // Fax. 4661-6933.
E-mail: pablo.zuker@hotmail.com.
Website: www.trabajoconmiabuelo.com.ar
Facebook: http://es-la.facebook.com/people/Trabajo-Con-Mi-Abuelo/100001097895424

11. Annexes

  • Letter of guarantee of the Ministry of Education of GCBA - General Coordination of Non-Formal Education.
  • CD ROM with images, drawings and photos of the project that includes:

Letter of guarantee of the Ministry of Education of GCBA - General Coordination of Non-Formal Education. CD ROM with images, drawings and photos of the project that includes: Hatton-Yeo, A., Ohsako T., Intergenerational Programs: Public Policy and Implications of Research. An International Perspective, The Beth Johnson Foundation, Unesco Institute for Education. Mariné Magallón, R., Importance of the Intergenerational Relationship.

INFORMATION TO SCHOOLS