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Teacher’s book
Created by the European Council ofYoung Farmers
With the support ofthe European Commission
Editorial Manager : Elisabeth ValletEditorial team: Anne Delauney, Michel Huber, Joëlle Millière, Jean-Claude Parot.Illustrator: Jean-Marc Dubois.
Copyright © CEJA – February 2002D/2002/9406/2The source must be acknowledged on all photocopies.
This document is published by CEJA. The European Commission accepts no responsibility for the use made of the information contained therein.
CEJA would like to thank all the partners who were involved in the creation of the Tellus pack:
European Commission:Directory General for Agriculture and FisheryDirectory General for Education & Culture
European organisations:CIBE International Association of the sugar beet growersEFMA European Fertiliser Manufacturers AssociationECPA European Crop Protection AssociationESA European Space AgencyEuropabio European Association for BioindustriesEUFIC European Food Information CouncilFEDESA European Federation for animal healthFEFAC European Federation for livestock feed
Ministries:Austria Federal Ministry for agriculture, forestry and environmentBelgium AgriinfoWallon Ministry for agricultureFinland Ministry of Agriculture and forestry
Ministry of EducationGermany Federal Ministry for the consumer, the food and the agriculture Greece Ministry of Agriculture
Demetra (organisation for education and training in agriculture)Ireland Department of Education and ScienceLuxembourg Ministry of Education
Ministry of Agriculture and rural developmentThe Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, nature management and fisheries
Others : Syngenta (crop seeds and protection)
Teacher’s book
CONTENTS
I. The Tellus pack
1) Why Tellus ?
2) The materials used to help the pupils discover European agriculture
3) Tips on how to use the pack
– the cartoon strip
– the information booklets
– the educational worksheets
II. Art activities
1) Works of art«The Sower » – Vincent Van Gogh
«The Gleaners » – Jean-François Millet
«Ploughing in the Nivernais Region » – Rosa Bonheur
«Autumn » – Giuseppe Arcimboldo
«The Haywain » – John Constable
«The Dark Day» – Pieter Bruegel
«Still life with figs » – Luis Eugénio Mélendez
«Ancient ploughing scene » – Greek antiquity
«Landscape of Garden » – Gustav Klimt
«The Surprise » – Ferdinand von Wright
2) European poemsBelgium : « The chicken rap»
«A hen on a wall » – Maurice Carême
Denmark : « The woman with the eggs» – H.C. Andersen
Germany : « The butterfly is in love with the rose» – Heinrich Heine
Spain : « Poem » – Manuel Machado
Ireland : « The cows’ song » – Tomas McKeoghan
Italy : « San Martino » – Giosue Carducci
«October evening » – Giovanni Pascoli
Luxembourg : « Ketti the mouse » – Auguste Liesch
The Netherlands : « The people of the country I » – Theun De Vries
Austria : « The Field » – Toni Riser
Portugal : « Who would have known?» – Luis de Camões
Finland : « Saku, my little pig»
The United Kingdom : « The Apples » – Laurie Lee
pages
5
7
7
7
8
9
1617182021222426282931
323232333435363737383940414243
III. The countries of the European Union andtheir agriculture
Belgium
Denmark
Germany
Greece
Spain
France
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Austria
Portugal
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
IV. European Council of young farmers (CEJA)
V. Useful contact details
VII. The European School Partnerships
pages
444546474849505152535455565758
59
62
67
5.
A century ago in almost all of the countries of Europe, the great majority of primary school childrenlived in rural areas and were familiar with the activities and lifestyle of the countryside. Teachers usedthe children’s daily experiences to teach them about the living world, about different areas and soci-eties. Often, the teachers themselves came from a rural background.
I.1) WHY TELLUS?
I. THE TELLUS PACK
The context into which teaching has been placed today is quite different. We increasingly liveand work in large towns and cities. In rural areas, farmers are now almost never the majoritygroup. A great many families no longer have any real rural roots to speak of. And at the sametime, the inhabitants of our towns and cities, despite being the end consumers of the productsof agriculture, have only a very vague idea of what the living and working conditions of that sec-tor really are.
The following essential changes have occurred:
� In the past, most people produced their own food, i.e. farming was based on subsistence agri-culture. This is no longer the case.
� The distances between the areas where food is produced and where it is sold and eaten arebecoming ever greater.
� Agricultural produce is subjected to a great many more industrial or other processes beforebeing placed on the market.
These factors have lead to ignorance by producers and consumers of one another’s role.Unrestricted trust is no longer placed in farmers. New considerations have appeared, such as thepreservation of the environment. Following the recent crises suffered by the agricultural sector,such as BSE and foot-and-mouth disease, society is increasingly demanding traceability of foodproduce.This is the general backdrop against which the TELLUS project was created. This project is tar-geted at primary school children and its aim is to bring mutual respect back into the relation-ship between two groups of society that do not know enough about one another, in spite oftheir inevitable mutual dependency.
6.
Allowing primary school children to discover European agricultureis the overarching educational aim of this project and one which isof great interest for a number of reasons.
� It involves a wide range of skills. The TELLUS educational pack uses the topic area of “dis-covering agriculture” to create a great many opportunities to learn new skills in a wide range ofsubjects, such as maths, language, history, geography, life sciences, biology, an introduction totechnology, good citizenship, art and more. All of the exercises contained within the TELLUSworksheets are designed to fit in with existing curricula.
By encouraging young pupils to meet farmers in their own country or from other Europeancountries and by promoting exchanges between schools, this project will strengthen the linkbetween any individual primary school and the area in which it is located, a factor which will beof benefit to society as a whole.� It sustains the attention of the pupils. It raises their interest in nature and all living things,providing concrete information on the earth and its produce. Thanks to Tellus, the children maydiscover new professions, such as agricultural consultant, agricultural engineer, vet and so on.Nowadays, primary school age children come into contact with the countryside in a sporadicmanner only. Very few have had the opportunity to live with a farming family and their percep-tion of agriculture is often based on television programmes, some reading and memories fromjourneys between their home and a holiday location. This is why visits to farms are of great inter-est and great benefit to primary school children.
The material contained within this pack aims to teach children about both the food and non-food products provided by agriculture, including textile plants, rapeseed for fuel, leather andmore. The children will learn that special, often fascinating equipment is needed for agriculture,that different farmers have different specialist skills, that often foodstuffs and other products areprocessed before sale and so on. They will discover that farmers do not only provide us withfood, rather are essential players in ensuring the dynamism of the countryside as a whole, in par-ticular in terms of the services they require for their farming activities and of the other servicesthey offer, such as tourist accommodation and educational visits. Pupils will gain greater aware-ness of the role farmers play in preserving our countryside and will understand that agriculturecreates certain landscapes and contributes to shaping regional identities. Finally, this projectaims to answer any questions the media might raise concerning the environment, consumerhealth and the “quality” of agriculture in general. � Discovering European agriculture will lead the children to reconsider their role as “citi-zens of Europe”.Despite our great need for basic food security to ensure our development, we often forget justhow important agriculture is. The agriculture, fishing and forestry sectors are responsible for pro-viding us with our basic foods. The difficult situations in some developing countries remind usof the grave repercussions of any failure by the primary sector to provide. The TELLUS pack brings two important issues in modern Europe together: agriculture in relationto the living world and to society, and European construction. Within the framework of Europeanconstruction, it is necessary to consider other major policies such as the economic, monetary orsocial policies. The construction of an ever closer union of the countries of Europe reflects thesolidarity of the European people who, in spite of past divisions and even conflicts, have a greatmany reasons to promote what brings them together. Our common culture and level of devel-opment must not lead us to become inward-looking, rather should encourage us to becomeaware of the situations faced by the other peoples of the world and to learn to co-operate whilstrespecting the identities of others. The Tellus project provides an excellent opportunity to teachgood citizenship to primary school pupils at all levels from local to global.
7..
The TELLUS pack contains a set of educational documents which aim to present the agricultural sectorwithin the European Union to children aged between 9 and 11 years of age, i.e. who are in their finalyears of primary school education.
I.2) THE MATERIALS USED TO HELP THE PUPILS DISCOVER EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE
It includes :
� a comic strip entitled «The Tellus Mission» ;
� six information booklets on agricultural production, the forestry sector and fishing and aqua-culture, for the pupils to read ;
� educational worksheets ;
� a teacher’s booklet comprising a presentation of the Tellus project as a whole and offeringtips on how to use the pack as well as information on the different countries of the EuropeanUnion and a collection of works of art and poems from each ;
� a website offering an alternative approach to discovering European agriculture and enablingteachers to update their TELLUS documentation (website address : www.ceja.educagri.fr).
3.1. «The Tellus Mission » cartoon strip
This cartoon strip explains in detail the mission with which the four young European astronauts in theproject have been entrusted and which essentially involves setting up a farm on a recently discoveredplant that has thus far never been cultivated. The strip should initially be read to inform the pupils ofthe objective of the Tellus mission. Following this, the pupils can be reminded that agriculture on earthitself arose from certain specific regions and that it only became a general global activity followingwaves of migration by different population groups.The cartoon strip contains a mixture of both fiction and reality and is fun to read. Its aim is to demon-strate that the production of plants or livestock is no simple matter and should not be taken for grant-ed.At first sight, the materials contained within the three-storey hold, such as crates of seeds from well-known plants, agricultural tools and some farm animals, seem highly simplistic in contrast to the hi-tech instruments in the rocket control room, but LED, the friendly robot dog whose antics worry boththe heads of the space station (p 1, 2nd image) as well as the astronauts when he creates a commo-tion within the rocket, regularly explains how difficult it is to manage living things in order to producefood.Over and above the story told, the initial reference to a previous mission (text box within the firstimage) and the final panoramic view of the domes are intended to remind the pupils that farmers mustbe capable of maintaining the delicate balance between soil, climate (light, heat, water) and plants,without which food production would be impossible.The « time» dimension which is inextricably linked to all agricultural production is also included. Thedomes were built and the surrounding area prepared by a previous mission, the four astronauts in thestrip are the first real settlement on Tellus and a later episode could depict the harvesting of the plantsand uses made of the livestock.
The characters used in the Tellus mission comic strip appear in all 6 booklets (LED in particular) and in theeducational worksheets where they suggest activities that could be carried out using the information inthe booklets.
I.3) TIPS ONHOW TO USE THE PACK
8.
3.2. The agricultural production information booklets
Six different booklets introduce the children to the activities and concerns of crop and livestockfarmers, forestry workers, fishermen and fish farmers in Europe.
� Booklet 1 Agriculture in Europe
� Booklet 2 Arable Farming
� Booklet 3 Horticulture, viticulture and specialised crops
� Booklet 4 Livestock farming in Europe
� Booklet 5 The forests of Europe
� Booklet 6 Fishing and aquaculture in Europe
Each booklet follows the same structure, i.e. each individual subject matter is dealt with over twosides. The project as a whole is highly coherent. The structure of each booklet is provided in thecontents page which lists each subject matter. At the top of each double page indications areprovided to the pupils to ensure they can find the right chapter for the right topic. At the endof each booklet useful documentation is provided in the form of maps illustrating the areas inwhich the majority of farms are to be found in Europe and a list of «Difficult words» which pro-vides explanations for some terms used within the text but which may not have been fully out-lined there.The text has been written to be read directly by the children. Short paragraphs as well as numer-ous photographs, diagrams, illustrations and notes, often provided by LED who is a wealthysource of curious facts and anecdotes, have been used to make the text easy to understand.Interviewees, such as Sirpa, a farmer in Finland, George, a Scottish livestock breeder, Janny, aFrench farmer, and Celestino, a Spanish producer, recount their own experiences of Europeanagriculture.The booklets provide scientific and technical information on all types of farming, but withoutfalling into the trap of using specialist jargon. They have been written to provide pupils withgood general knowledge and are not intended as an encyclopaedia-style reference work, eventhough considerable attention was paid to stressing the diversity of European agriculture. Therelationship between agriculture and the environment, the different tasks carried out by agri-culture over and above food production, the responsibilities borne by farmers and the role theyplay within our society as consumers become increasingly demanding are also explained.The material provided in the booklets can be used as a basis for a number of activities. Here area few suggestions :� Discovering different aspects of agricultural production and the techniques used to obtain aspecific produce through individual or group reading of the booklets and completing the taskson the corresponding worksheets.� A targeted thematic approach using the double pages contained within the different bookletsand picked out with reference to general topics, such as farming and water, farming and thecountryside, biological pest control, non-food agricultural production, European farmers and theCommon Agricultural Policy, etc.. For such topic-based work the class could be split into smallgroups and asked to gather information using one or two of the double sides provided and thenwork together to find the right answer to the question asked.� Comparing the more local aspects of crop and livestock farming, with which the pupils maybe relatively familiar, with the more general information provided in the booklet to find any sim-ilarities and differences.� An introduction to reading and to interpreting pictures and diagrams.
9.
� Searching through all of the booklets for information that will enable a problem that has been raisedin the media to be placed into context and discussing this issue despite limited knowledge thereof.Other skills required for this type of exercise are using summaries, using glossaries, reading maps, skimming and scanning text, etc..� Preparing and organising mini debates amongst the pupils, for example where one group supportsthe farmers’ point of view, the other that of consumers of agricultural produce or people who use thecountryside in other ways. This could also lead to role playing activities.
3.3. The Educational Worksheets
The educational worksheets do not claim to provide an exhaustive list of the activities that could becarried out on the theme «discovering European agriculture ». Rather, they simply offer some ideaswhich can easily be adapted to the geographical and agricultural context familiar to the pupils and tothe educational goals of the teacher.Teachers must feel free to photocopy the worksheets and hand them out in class. As each sheet is aseparate unit, they need not all be used. The teacher can choose those that correspond best to anyparticular project, irrespective of whether this falls within the sphere of «discovering agriculture ».Essentially, it is assumed that the teacher will decide how and when to use the sheets. For each sheet,the teacher should present the exercise to be carried out, suggest how the task could be organisedwithin a time range defined either in terms of individual work or group work and, lastly, assess thevalidity and relevance of the answers obtained. But the activities can also be used as homework or asthe basis for field trips.The Tellus booklets, a simple dictionary and atlas and, in some cases, books borrowed from the classor school library will be sufficient to complement any information provided by the teacher and willensure the pupils are able to complete the exercises satisfactorily.The TELLUS educational worksheets are highly diverse and are not in any way intended to serve as anew text book, rather to provide in-depth information on the specific topic of European agriculturewith the aim of assisting pupils in perfecting their skills in almost all of the different subjects alreadytaught at primary school. Biology and life sciences are an essential part of the topic of agriculture andindeed this project offers numerous opportunities to enrich the children’s knowledge in these areas andcarry out interesting experiments. However, many other disciplines are also included within the proj-ect, such as maths, history, geography, written and oral expression (with the acquisition of specialistvocabulary, in particular) as well as teaching children about taste, about good citizenship on the basisof exercises relating to the creation of the European Union and the rights and duties of consumers, andeven exercises in creativity through sculpture, for example.Note : this teacher’s pack also contains a series of poems and works of art inspired by rural life andwhich offer a host of stimuli for other educational projects.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Euro
pe
and
the
Euro
pea
n U
nion
Wha
t is
the
Eur
opea
n U
nion
?
Euro
pe’
s cl
imat
es
The
wea
ther
rep
ort
The
orig
ins
of c
ultiv
ated
pla
nts
Wha
t is
a f
arm
?
Jobs
in a
gric
ultu
re
Agr
icul
ture
and
the
land
scap
e
Wor
king
as
a fa
rmer
Diff
eren
t w
ays
of p
rese
rvin
g fo
ods
Food
pac
kagi
ng –
pac
ked
full
of in
form
atio
n!
Cal
ling
all b
uddi
ng a
rtis
ts!
The
gree
nhou
se
The
wat
er c
ycle
Whi
ch v
arie
ty o
f p
otat
o m
akes
the
bes
t m
ash
?
Seed
ger
min
atio
n
Whe
re d
o se
eds
com
e fr
om?
Plan
ts’ n
eeds
Soils
Soils
and
pla
nts
The
food
gro
ups
Eatin
g is
not
just
tas
ting
!
Pres
ervi
ng f
oods
Lear
n to
rec
ogni
se s
eeds
Let’s
do
som
e br
ains
torm
ing
!
Agr
icul
ture
in d
iagr
ams
How
are
cer
eals
cul
tivat
ed?
Mai
ze:
the
pla
nt a
nd it
s cu
ltiva
tion
Find
ing
the
Euro
pea
n U
nion
with
in E
urop
e
Esta
blish
ing
the
mile
ston
es o
f the
con
stru
ctio
n of
the
Eur
opea
n U
nion
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he in
fluen
ce o
f cl
imat
e on
our
way
of
life
Lear
ning
how
to
inte
rpre
t an
d an
alys
e a
wea
ther
rep
ort
Und
erst
andi
ng h
ow e
xcha
nges
bet
wee
n p
eop
le
have
cha
nged
wha
t p
lant
s ar
e gr
own
Sett
ing
out
the
stru
ctur
e of
a f
arm
and
how
it w
orks
Ap
pre
ciat
ing
the
dive
rsity
of
agric
ultu
re
thro
ugh
diffe
rent
sp
ecia
lisat
ions
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he in
fluen
ce o
f ag
ricul
ture
on
our
coun
trys
ide
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he w
ork
of t
he f
arm
er
Appr
ecia
ting
the
diffe
rent
pre
serv
atio
n te
chni
ques
use
d fo
r diff
eren
t pro
duct
s
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he in
form
atio
n p
rovi
ded
on f
ood
labe
lling
Lear
ning
to
obse
rve
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he p
rinci
ple
of
the
gree
nhou
se
Und
erst
andi
ng,
by s
tudy
ing
the
wat
er c
ycle
, th
at w
ater
is a
rar
e an
d p
reci
ous
subs
tanc
e
Gai
ning
aw
aren
ess
of t
he d
iffer
ent
varie
ties
of p
otat
o an
d th
eir
char
acte
ristic
s
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he p
rinci
ple
of
germ
inat
ion
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he m
eani
ngs
of t
he t
erm
s se
ed, f
ertil
isatio
n, p
ollin
atio
n
Und
erst
andi
ng p
hoto
synt
hesi
s
Dis
cove
ring
the
diffe
rent
typ
es o
f so
il an
d th
eir
suita
bilit
y fo
r di
ffere
nt p
lant
s
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he r
ole
pla
yed
by m
iner
als
in g
row
ing
pla
nts
Gai
ning
aw
aren
ess
of w
hat
we
eat
Find
ing
out
that
all
5 of
our
sen
ses
are
in a
ctio
n w
hen
we
eat
Dis
cove
ring
the
conc
ept
of «
bact
eria
» an
d un
ders
tand
ing
the
need
to
pro
tect
our
foo
ds
Lear
ning
to
reco
gnis
e di
ffere
nt s
eeds
and
mat
ch t
hem
up
to
the
corr
esp
ondi
ng p
lant
Doi
ng s
ums
base
d on
situ
atio
ns d
raw
n fr
om t
he w
ork
of t
he f
arm
er
Dra
win
g gr
aphs
usi
ng s
ets
of f
igur
es
Reco
gnis
ing
the
diffe
rent
pha
ses
in t
he g
row
th o
f th
e w
heat
pla
nt
Get
ting
to k
now
mai
ze
GEO
GRA
PHY
HIS
TORY
GEO
GRA
PHY
SCIE
NC
E A
ND
TEC
HN
OLO
GY
HIS
TORY
/GEO
GRA
PHY
GEO
GRA
PHY/
LAN
GU
AG
E
LAN
GU
AG
E
GEO
GRA
PHY
LAN
GU
AG
E
BIO
LOG
Y
CO
NSU
MER
ED
UC
ATIO
N
THE
VISU
AL
ART
S
BIO
LOG
Y
SCIE
NC
E
BIO
LOG
Y/D
EVEL
OPI
NG
TA
STES
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
SCIE
NC
E
SCIE
NC
E
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y/D
EVEL
OPI
NG
TA
STES
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
MAT
HEM
ATIC
S
MAT
HEM
ATIC
S
BIO
LOG
Y
GEO
GRA
PHY/
BIO
LOG
Y
Find
ing
pla
ces
on a
map
Find
ing
out
Com
par
ing
data
Ana
lysi
ng d
ata
Find
ing
out
Doi
ng r
esea
rch
Find
ing
out
Obs
ervi
ng a
nd id
entif
ying
Imag
inin
g
Doi
ng r
esea
rch
Obs
ervi
ng a
nd a
naly
sing
Cre
atin
g
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Find
ing
out
and
clas
sifyi
ng
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Find
ing
out
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Ana
lysi
ng d
ata
Cla
ssify
ing
and
com
parin
g
Stud
ying
you
r ow
n be
havi
our
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Obs
ervi
ng a
nd c
ondu
ctin
g an
exp
erim
ent
Sum
s
Dra
win
g di
agra
ms
Cla
ssify
ing
data
Find
ing
out
Aim
of
the
wo
rksh
eet
Tit
leW
ork
-sh
eet
no
.R
elat
ed s
ub
ject
Typ
e(s)
of
acti
vity
Sum
mary
table
of
the
educ
ati
onal
wor
kshe
ets
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61
Suga
r p
lant
s
Wha
t is
a p
otat
o tu
ber?
Cro
p a
nd li
vest
ock
farm
ing
in y
our
coun
try
Wor
ld p
rodu
ctio
n of
cer
eals
Visi
t to
a b
aker
y an
d sa
mp
ling
brea
d
A s
choo
l veg
etab
le g
arde
n
Frui
ts a
nd v
eget
able
s fo
r al
l sea
sons
Tast
ing
app
les
Tran
spor
ting
frui
ts a
nd v
eget
able
s ac
ross
the
who
le o
f Eu
rop
e
Know
you
r co
ws
Know
you
r ch
icke
ns
Spec
ial k
inds
of
bree
ding
Wha
t p
rodu
ct la
bels
rev
eal
Farm
ing
and
our
coun
trys
ide
A d
ay in
the
life
of
a N
orth
ern
Euro
pea
n fa
rmer
A d
ay in
the
life
of
a So
uthe
rn E
urop
ean
farm
er
A f
arm
er in
Ger
man
y
A f
arm
er in
Den
mar
k
Milk
: fr
om t
he c
ow t
o th
e bo
ttle
Turn
ing
milk
into
oth
er p
rodu
cts
Milk
tas
ting
Two
way
s to
dig
est
food
Euro
pe’
s ch
eese
s
From
the
fie
ld t
o yo
ur p
late
Mea
t at
the
but
cher
’s
Reco
gnis
ing
tree
s
Stud
ying
the
for
est
The
cycl
e of
nat
ure
in a
for
est
Que
stio
nnai
re o
n th
e fo
rest
, tr
ees
and
woo
d
How
woo
d is
use
d
Fish
, cr
usta
cean
s an
d sh
ellfi
sh
The
diffe
rent
fis
hing
tec
hniq
ues
Aq
uacu
lture
Find
ing
out
wha
t ou
r es
sent
ial s
ourc
es o
f su
gar
are
Und
erst
andi
ng w
hat
a tu
ber
is
Gai
ning
aw
aren
ess
of t
he a
gric
ultu
re o
f yo
ur o
wn
coun
try
Iden
tifyi
ng t
he p
rodu
ctio
n zo
nes
of t
he m
ain
cere
als
Find
ing
out
wha
t th
e ba
ker’s
wor
k co
nsist
s of
and
lear
ning
to
tast
e fo
ods
Und
erst
andi
ng h
ow s
mal
l pla
ntat
ions
are
org
anis
ed a
nd g
row
Gai
ning
aw
aren
ess
of th
e se
ason
al c
hara
cter
of f
ruit
and
vege
tabl
e pr
oduc
tion
as w
ell
as th
e te
chno
logi
es th
at e
nabl
e fa
rmer
s to
gua
rant
ee y
ear-
roun
d pr
oduc
tion
Get
ting
to k
now
diff
eren
t va
rietie
s of
fru
it an
d th
eir
char
acte
ristic
s
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he im
por
tanc
e of
tra
nsp
ort
in t
erm
s of
the
ava
ilabi
lity
of f
ruits
and
veg
etab
les
in t
he s
hop
s
Find
ing
out
mor
e ab
out
catt
le p
rodu
ctio
n an
d di
ffere
nt b
reed
ing
met
hods
Find
ing
out
mor
e ab
out
chic
ken
pro
duct
ion
Get
ting
to k
now
oth
er t
ypes
of
spec
ialis
t liv
esto
ck b
reed
ing
Lear
ning
how
to
inte
rpre
t in
form
atio
n on
bre
edin
g m
etho
ds
from
pro
duct
labe
ls
Und
erst
andi
ng la
ndsc
apes
and
how
the
y ar
e la
id o
ut
Lear
ning
abo
ut o
ther
life
styl
es
Lear
ning
abo
ut o
ther
life
styl
es
Lear
ning
abo
ut o
ther
life
styl
es
Lear
ning
abo
ut o
ther
life
styl
es
Dis
cove
ring
the
diffe
rent
sta
ges
in t
he p
rodu
ctio
n of
milk
Find
ing
out
wha
t di
ffere
nt p
rodu
cts
are
deriv
ed f
rom
milk
Lear
ning
mor
e ab
out
milk
Reco
gnis
ing
dige
stiv
e sy
stem
s an
d un
ders
tand
ing
how
the
y w
ork
Ap
pre
ciat
ing
the
grea
t di
vers
ity o
f ch
eese
s p
rodu
ced
in E
urop
e
Und
erst
andi
ng h
ow b
eef
pro
duct
ion
is o
rgan
ised
Lear
ning
new
voc
abul
ary
rela
ted
to t
he p
arts
of
the
cow
and
how
the
mea
t is
coo
ked
Reco
gnis
ing
diffe
rent
typ
es o
f tr
ee
Dra
win
g up
an
iden
tity
card
for
the
for
est
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he n
atur
al c
ycle
of
pla
nts
Get
ting
to k
now
the
for
est,
its
mai
n fe
atur
es a
nd h
ow it
is u
sed
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he d
iffer
ent
char
acte
ristic
s of
diff
eren
t ty
pes
of
woo
d
Find
ing
out
whe
re f
ishi
ng p
rodu
cts
com
e fr
om
Und
erst
andi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng b
y he
art
the
diffe
rent
fis
hing
tec
hniq
ues
Und
erst
andi
ng t
he c
hara
cter
istic
s of
aq
uacu
lture
BIO
LOG
Y/G
EOG
RAPH
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
GEO
GRA
PHY
GEO
GRA
PHY
DEV
ELO
PIN
G T
AST
ES
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
DEV
ELO
PIN
G T
AST
ES
GEO
GRA
PHY
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y/LA
NG
UA
GE
CO
NSU
MER
ED
UC
ATIO
N
GEO
GRA
PHY
LAN
GU
AG
E
LAN
GU
AG
E
LAN
GU
AG
E
LAN
GU
AG
E
GEO
GRA
PHY
BIO
LOG
Y
DEV
ELO
PIN
G T
AST
ES
BIO
LOG
Y
GEO
GRA
PHY/
DEV
ELO
PIN
G T
AST
ES
LAN
GU
AG
E
LAN
GU
AG
E
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
BIO
LOG
Y
SCIE
NC
E
LAN
GU
AG
E
GEO
GRA
PHY
LAN
GU
AG
E
LAN
GU
AG
E/BI
OLO
GY
Test
ing
your
kno
wle
dge
Sugg
estin
g an
d ch
ecki
ng
Show
ing
and
com
par
ing
Dra
win
g a
map
Tast
ing
and
cook
ing
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Con
duct
ing
a st
udy
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Reco
gnis
ing
pla
ces
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
out
Obs
ervi
ng
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
out
Stud
ying
and
cla
ssify
ing
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Con
duct
ing
an e
xper
imen
t
Und
erst
andi
ng
Und
erst
andi
ng
Org
anisi
ng a
nd r
epre
sent
ing
Doi
ng r
esea
rch
Obs
ervi
ng
Obs
ervi
ng
Ana
lysi
ng d
ata
Und
erst
andi
ng
Find
ing
out
Find
ing
pla
ces
on a
map
Und
erst
andi
ng
Und
erst
andi
ng
12.
The last column of the table listing the educational worksheets uses verbs to indicate the morespecific type of activity involved in each sheet. Of course the content of all of the sheets con-cerns agriculture and rural activities in general, but they all also go beyond this content to con-tribute to the education of the pupils as a whole. Teachers can make use of individual sheets forspecific activities without necessarily arranging the whole lesson solely around the topic of agri-culture.The following additional activities could also be worked into the lessons, enabling teachers touse the worksheets to the full.
� Worksheet 1 : Europe and the European UnionSplit the class up into smaller groups and ask each one to draw the flag of one of the coun-tries of Europe. Stick the flags to a large map of Europe and pin it up on the wall.
� Worksheet 2 : What is the European Union?Add more information to the aforementioned map by highlighting the original 6 memberswho founded the EU in 1957. Do this by colouring these countries in one colour, then indi-cate each successive wave of accession using diagonal lines all going in the same direction,but increasingly wider apart.
� Worksheet 3 : Europe’s climatesDistinguish between the following climatic zones on the map : the Mediterranean, a mildocean climate, a mild inland climate, a cold ocean climate.
� Worksheet 10 : Different ways of preserving foodsSuggest a visit to a supermarket to find out all the different forms in which any particular foodproduct is sold and list the different packaging used depending on how the product has beenpreserved.Look at cut and washed salad vegetables, frozen foods, ready meals (tinned or otherwise),cooked meats, powdered milk and baby milk and more.
� Worksheet 11 : Food packaging – packed full of information !This worksheet aims to encourage children to develop two skills : 1. finding and understanding sell by/best before dates, lists of ingredients, storage advice andperhaps also recycling logos and other indications on packaging such as the geographical ori-gin of a product, organic labelling, etc..2. interpreting images, i.e. determining a product’s target group on the basis of its packag-ing. For this exercise, choose packaging that varies according to target group.
� Worksheet 15 : Which variety of potato makes the best mash?Choose the varieties to be studied carefully, some new and some old potatoes and potatoesof different colours. Split the class into groups and ask each group to try out a different vari-ety.
� Worksheet 16 : Seed germinationOther methods of plant reproduction that could be studied are propagation by cuttings,bulbs, shoots (raspberry bush), layering (strawberry plant, chlorophyta). Take the class on avisit to a horticulturist’s greenhouse or to a local garden centre to discover these methods. The children’s drawings should be labelled as follows : Seed : integument, germ, cotyledonsPlant : roots, stem, leaves, etc.Reminder of how a seed forms : the integument is torn open by the germ which grows firstof all into the root, then the stem, then the first two leaves. The cotyledons will then gradu-ally wilt as the germ uses up all of their resources.
� Worksheet 17 : Where do seeds come from?Discover the different cereals by studying their seeds and plants.Ask a farmer to give the class some seeds, or buy some from a garden centre.Choose different varieties which have distinctive stages from flower to fruit, such as meadow
13.
flowers, shrubs, garden bean plants, etc.. The most important thing to consider is that they shouldbe easy to study.Study :� the bud, � the flower (sepal, petals, pistil containing the ovules, stamen and pollen), � the fruit (the pistil once transformed and containing the fertilised ovules that have become seeds).The blossoming stage of the wheat plant would provide good study material.The class could go on to study :� how conifers are produced ; � different types of fruit, such as fleshy fruits, nuts, stone fruits, pip fruits and more.
� Worksheet 18 : Plants’ needsSuggestions for experiments should the children not manage to come up with any ideas of theirown :Water : Children know that plants need water. But what do they do with this water ? They absorb it. 1. Place water into jars then add a layer of oil. Place the rootlets of small plants either into the water
or into the oil. This hydroponic method of growing makes it easier to observe the plants’ roots.2. Place lids on the jars to prevent any evaporation. Create a control jar containing the same
amounts of water and oil, but no plant. Measure the water level.Minerals : 1. Compare 2 plants grown hydroponically, one in demineralised water and the other in mineral
water. The class will be able to see that water on its own is not enough for a plant to grow. Thisis because it needs the minerals contained in both water and the soil.
2. Use fertiliser to grow plants hydroponically. Grow some plants without any fertiliser, others usingthe recommended amount and yet another group in too much fertiliser. The class will observethat a deficiency of minerals will kill the plants, as will excess minerals (the same situation ariseswith water).
Light : 1. Place some of the leaves of a plant into darkness. They will turn yellow as their green chlorophyll
is destroyed.2. Place a plant into a cardboard box with a small slit in it. The plant will grow towards the light –
its source of energy.
� Worksheet 19 : SoilsUse highly varied samples, including sandy soils, clay soils and soils rich in organic matters. Observedifferent layers of this earth with the class, pointing out the large grains of sand at the bottom, thefine clay particles above, then the liquid water on which plant debris is floating. Point out to the classthat soil is not abiotic.
� Worksheet 21 : The food groupsDescribe the 6 major food groups : 1. meat, fish, eggs2. milk, cheese, dairy produce3. butter, oil, nuts, fats4. bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.5. fruit and vegetables, etc.6. water, fruit juices, etc.Draw up these categories on the basis of the lists made by the children.Point out any of the meals they have described that contain ingredients from all of the food groups.
14.
� Worksheet 22 : Eating is not just tasting !Work with a diagram of the tongue. Ask the class to list different tastes they are aware of : bitter, sweet, salty, acidic, etc.Additional exercise : telling the difference between sweet and savoury foods. Ask the pupils tobring a variety of sweet and savoury foods into class, such as fruit, yoghurts with and withoutadded sugar, cake, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, carrots, bread, radishes, salted biscuits,etc.. Hold a tasting session.
� Worksheet 23 : Preserving foodsContinue the theme of the worksheet by asking the question, «Where does mould comefrom?». Explain that the spores are airborne in the same way as pollen, for example. Studythe growth of a mushroom.The last part of the worksheet suggests that the children could draw up a questionnaire fortheir grandparents.The following exercises could also be carried out on the basis of this questionnaire.� The pupils could try out some of the preservation techniques their grandparents told them
about.� The pupils could write to classes in other European schools to compare their results.The children will be encouraged to find out exactly what refrigerators do.� The class could carry out experiments with cold preservation.� The children could study how mould forms on foods.� Provide the class with information about how best to use the refrigerator.
� Worksheet 26The table showing the change in the number of farmers does not include those persons whowork only part-time in agriculture nor those who work mainly in a sector other than farming.
� Worksheet 30 : What is a potato tuber ?On the basis of the children’s hypotheses and experiments, help them find out what the tuberand the ‘eyes’ of the potato are.This worksheet requires some knowledge of the different parts of the potato plant, i.e. thestem, bud, leaf, flower, fruit, root and germ.Information on the biology of a potato tuberThe tuber is a swollen stem in which the potato plant stores up reserves. The eyes are budsthat are protected by a very small leaf. Stems grow up through the soil from these eyes andthese stems go on to form buds, leaves (which are tiny underground, but the normal sizeabove the surface), roots and further underground stems of their own. At the end of theseunderground stems, new tubers will grow.Provide the children with ideas for experiments they could conduct to test their hypotheses.The following are examples.� The children believe that the tuber is a root. Encourage them to observe the eyes, which are
buds. Buds only grow on stems, not roots. Suggest to them that they make some tuberssprout in pots, then remove one or two at different stages to see how the potato plantgrows. To study the beginning of the sprouting process only, simply place a tuber on top ofsome earth and cover it with some black plastic, then observe it regularly.
� The children believe the tuber to be a seed. Show the children the inside of various otherseeds, then compare these to the potato.
This exercise could be extended to cover the ways in which plants with no seeds reproduce,i.e. via bulbs, cuttings, etc..
� Worksheet 31 : Crop and livestock farming in your countryThe teacher should help the children to choose the right scale in order to correctly representthe tonnes of crops or head of livestock produced on their bar graphs. These figures can dif-fer greatly from one country to another.
� Worksheet 32 : World cereal productionCombine the 3 maps into one using a combination of plain colour and different coloureddiagonal lines slanting in different directions to represent the different crops.
� Worksheet 37 : Transporting fruits and vegetables across the whole of EuropeFind out if there are any well-known food wholesale markets in your country and highlightthem on the map.
15.
� Worksheet 38 : Know your cowsAdditional exercise : draw up the same type of form for other animals, such as sheep or goats.
� Worksheet 42 : Farming and our countrysideKey to photographs :Field landscape : livestock breeding areaMountain pasture : livestock breeding areaArable farming : not a livestock breeding area, but provides food for the animals.
� Worksheet 43 : A day in the life of a Northern European farmerThis worksheet could be used as the basis for a discussion on� differences in lifestyle according to country, region, climate ;� isolation.
� Worksheet 49 : Milk tastingTips on how to use the table.You could add soya milk to the list of milks to be tasted.Remind the children what milk contains, i.e. :� the cream, or fatty part, which rises to the surface when the milk is left to settle ;� the casein, the protein in the milk which separates into flakes and drops to the bottom of the milk
when it turns acidic. It is the casein that makes the milk white.� the whey.
� Worksheet 50 : Two ways to digest foodThis worksheet could be used to complement a project on how we digest food.The teacher should use booklet 4 to provide further explanations on how ruminants digest their food.
� Worksheet 51 : Europe’s cheeseSuggest to the class that they take a look at the different cheeses mentioned in a shop and thendescribe them to the rest of the class.
� Worksheet 55 : Studying the forestFor the visit into the forest, provide the children with documentation to help them recognise the dif-ferent plants they will see. Take samples to study back in class. Explain the principle of forestry man-agement to the children, i.e. how uniform, mixed, tall and coppice forests etc. are created.
� Worksheet 56 : The cycle of nature in a forestBy studying the forest, the children will gain a greater understanding of how plant life decomposesand will be able to suggest what role is played by the decomposed leaves.Creatures who decompose the soilFungi and bacteria – this pair break the leaves down into small pieces, digesting a part of them.Moisture is indispensable for this process.Insects – the ant eats dead animals, whilst the dung-beetle eats other animals’ excrement. The earthworm and some other insects and acarids eat small fragments of leaves. Furthermore, they mix thesurface earth into the soil further down. Centipedes eat insects.Crustaceans – the woodlouse eats vegetation.And there are many more.The last layer of the soil is known as ‘humus’. This is black soil with no further traces of leaves.The aim of the drawing to be completed in class is to demonstrate the cycle of nature to the chil-dren. A comparison can be drawn with a cultivated field, where this cycle is interrupted by the har-vest and the soil must be enriched by the farmer.
� Worksheet 58 : How wood is usedThe aim of this exercise is for the children to discover the different characteristics of different typesof wood, which are the reason for which they are not all used for the same purpose. Take the classto meet tradesmen and women who work with wood and who can provide additional informationon this topic. Study the colours, weight, hardness and suppleness of the different woods with thepupils and draw up a table to compare them.Use sections of wood to do a little dendrochronology. Study the rings, the heart, the sapwood andthe vessels of the tree.
16.
The teaching topics corresponding to the selected works will all be explained using the same approach:1. Observing2. Understanding3. Constructing
Each of the phases in the work proposed may vary according to the work of art being studied: the tech-nique (painting, drawing, modelling), the subject, the time of creation, etc.
II.1) STUDY OF EUROPEAN PAINTINGS
1. OBSERVING (referring to educating the way we look at a piece):This is a matter here of ‘getting into’ the work by describing it with a traditional reading (withoutany particular order of preference of the various topics set out below):
� What we see in the different fields (foreground, mid-ground, background, etc.)� Finding out the significant elements (the subject, the surroundings, the place, etc.)� Expressing oneself by way of reminders on the work being shown: that makes me think of…,
that reminds me of…, or it’s like…� Refine this first approach by filling it out with a more detailed reading taking into account the
colours, the forms used (for example) or details that might have escaped the initial reading.
2. UNDERSTANDING (this is a more “active” phase of research where relating thework to other elements makes it possible to read it in a wider context)
� Establish relationships with texts : literary, poetic, historical, documentary, etc.� Establish relationships with other plastic productions from different periods and cultures
3. CONSTRUCTINGWith the many different elements collected during the two previous phases, it will be possible toseparate lines of work for an individual or collective production by the children through tech-niques suitable for their level: collage, modelling, assembling, painting techniques, drawings ofvarious kinds, snapshots, etc.
II. Art activities
17 .
Vincent Van Gogh (1853 -1890)
The Sower (1888)
oil on canvas 64 x 80.5 cm Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
OBSERVE
The large yellow central circle representing the sunimmediately draws our attention to this painting byVan Gogh dated 1888.
The only person in the painting is located in the upperhalf of the scene with his back to the sun and is walk-ing towards the right. He is wearing a hat. He is a sower– in his left arm he is holding a seed-bag full of seedsand from his outstretched right arm he is throwingseeds onto his ploughed field.The field he is sowing takes up two thirds of this land-scape painting. The man and the ploughed soil arepainted using the same colour combination of yellow,ochre, blue and grey. The texture of the soil is high-lighted using tiny ‘comma’ strokes that are eitherpainted side by side or superimposed to create theimpression of real clods of soil. The sower seems almostto float across the field. He is wearing blue trousers anda blue shirt over which he has placed his canvas seedbag. He is also wearing a yellow hat. Were it not for the horizontal band of yellow upwardstrokes, most probably representing a field of wheat,above which the round sun emerges, the field he issowing could stretch right out to the horizon.
Van Gogh has used a succession of small strokes paint-ed in monochrome yellow/orange/ochre to create thesun’s rays.He has balanced out this profusion of yellow light byplacing a house with blue walls to the left and on theright the tip of a clump of trees also with a hint of blue.
UNDERSTAND
Van Gogh modelled this painting on a painting by theartist Jean-François Millet called « A Sower » and dated1850.He greatly admired this French painter who, in his eyes,was a spiritual guide, « the painter of humanity » and «the essentially modern painter who has opened uphorizons » (Letter to Theo 429/455).Furthermore, the theme of the sower was highly sym-bolic for Van Gogh. This character could represent thebiblical sower in reference to the parable which was atthat time a popular subject of preaching in Holland. «The sower heralds the new life of the coming springand symbolises the eternity of nature as observed in thecountryside. »Vincent Van Gogh became familiar with Millet’s paint-ing in 1880 through descriptions and engravings. Onthe basis of these, he completed no less than thirtydrawings and nine paintings including the one present-ed here.His previous ‘Sowers’ remained faithful to the moresombre palette used in Millet’s own painting, but thisone, which he painted in Arles, shows Van Gogh’s con-cern to use greater colour. In it, he practices the law ofsimultaneous contrast.
CREATE
� Colour Study : find the chromatic palette used by Van Gogh (yellow and blue tones).� Create a chromatic circle : look for the colours used in Van Gogh’s painting and establish the relationships betweenthese colours, such as the contrasts between the complementary colours and the contrast between the warm andcold colours.� Studying strokes and materials : try to discover the pictorial styles used by Van Gogh. Use a variety of small andlarger brushes to create the ‘comma’ stroke. Superpose and accumulate these strokes depending on the object to bepainted (clods of earth, the sun’s rays, for example).� The composition of the painting : extend the horizon of Van Gogh’s painting, giving greater importance to the skyby continuing to paint it past the edges of the painting.� Mimer : In the same way as for Millet’s ‘The Gleaners’, imitate the Sower’s gestures, the way he walks and moves.
Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 in Groot Zunder inBrabant in the Netherlands, and died in Auvers sur Oise in1890. He spent a great part of his life in France in Paris,Saint Rémy de Provence, and finally in Auvers sur Oise.
18.
The Gleaners (1857)
oil on canvas 83.5 x 111 cm Musée d’Orsay Paris
In 1846, France, and Europe as a whole, were under-going a period of crisis. Poor harvests were making thesituation even worse for the working classes and socialissues were becoming the essential topic dealt with bythe press and literature. It is against this backgroundthat Jean-François Millet, after completing numerousportraits and decorative paintings for an upper-classclientele, dealt for the first time with a naturalist themein his « The Winnower », which portrayed the dignity ofman at work.Contrary to his contemporaries Troyon or Breton Milletdid not idealise his subjects. « It is the truly human sidewhich appeals to me », he wrote.In 1849 he moved to the rural area of Barbizon near theforest of Fontainebleau. He devoted his mornings toworking his garden and reserved his afternoons forpainting.
But it was not until 1850 with « The Sower » that Milletattained true fame.His countryside scenes were likened to a classical ideal,whilst at the same time showing rural chores as theyreally were, as in « Potato Planters », « The Gleaners »,« Angelus » or « Man with a Hoe ».These paintings were perceived by the more conserva-tive as representing social demands, whilst othersattributed a moralising and educational role to this art.But few valued these paintings simply for the artistictechniques used.
For Van Gogh, Millet was the « father » of spiritualpainting where the subjects taken from scenes of dailylife acquired a universal, quasi-religious worth.The Dutch painter collected photographs and etchingsbased on the works of Millet and himself carried outseveral drawn and painted studies of these.« The Sower » was the work Van Gogh took as his ref-erence and of which he himself painted several ver-sions. The version he created in 1888 is included in theselection of paintings given here. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
Jean-François Millet (1814 -1875)
In the foreground of this painting, we observe threepeople against the background of a bright plain.These three women are gleaners, bent down and reach-ing towards the ground in a determined movement.They are collecting the ears of corn left behind by theharvesters.All three women are wearing a blouse, long skirt, apronand colourful headscarf to cover their hair. The first gleaner, the one wearing a blue headscarf, isbent over and is reaching for an ear of corn with herright hand. Her left arm is bent behind her back. Thegleaner in the middle, wearing a white blouse and redscarf, is also bending towards the ground to pick up anear of corn in her right hand. The gleaner to the farright has her back turned to us. She is knotting a sheafready to place it into her apron.We can only see the face of this last gleaner. The othersare so absorbed in their work that they do not have thetime to look up at us, the observers.Further towards the bright horizon, we see a groupof harvesters preparing sheaves and millstones andloading up the carts under the watchful eye of a manperched on a horse to the right of the group. He is theman in charge. Finally, far in the background, we canmake out the houses of the nearby village and thegreen of the trees which round off the painting.A sky filled with fleecy clouds and lit by the light of dusksets the tone for this highly realistic scene of rurallabour. The three peasant women shown in the fore-ground are detached from the rest of the group, bothin terms of the work they are doing, and as a result ofthe techniques employed by the artist. They are muchlarger and are situated in the darkest area of the paint-ing, thus reinforcing the distance between them andthe other harvesters without there being any interme-diary space to link the two groups. Indeed, Millet hasnot made use of a middle distance in this painting at all.Millet wanted above all to draw our attention to thesemost humble women collecting forgotten ears of cornafter harvesting, just before the setting of the sun.
Jean-François Millet was born near Cherbourg in France in 1814.He died in 1875 in Barbizon, France.
19.
The Gleaners (1857)
oil on canvas 83.5 x 111 cm Musée d’Orsay Paris
Jean-François Millet (1814 -1875)
CREATE
� In groups of three, mime out the scene shown on the painting, trying to copy the movements of the gleaners.Sketches could be drawn or photographs taken as part of this activity.
� Study the clothing of the gleaners in detail (colours, shapes, materials).� Photocopy the painting and cut out the characters :
� Change the context by placing the gleaners into a different landscape ;� Set the group out differently.
� Imagine a cartoon strip. Here Millet has provided us with one shot from the strip. Try to imagine what scenesmight have preceded and might follow it.
� Make clay or plasticine models of the gleaners. �
Ploughing in the Nivernais region
oil on canvas 1.34 x 2.60Musée d’Orsay Paris
Here the main subject of the painting is quite clearly shown in the foreground :We see a first team of oxen with white and red coats followed by a second team working the soil. They areaccompanied by men who are seen either guiding them (goading) or driving the plough.The group of men and animals are situated between the freshly ploughed earth in the foreground and the light,blue sky with gentle hints of pink. In the background to the left, from where the group is coming, we can seea low hill with green and wooded slopes. This is the only raised element.The group shown working here appears to be slowly but surely climbing towards the right of the painting. Theireffort is emphasised by the viewpoint chosen by the artist whereby the observer has the impression of lookingup at the scene slightly. The light coming from the left-hand side highlights the animals’ coats, the white shirtof the worker and the texture of the ploughed soil. �
OBSERVE
Rosa Bonheur (1822 -1899)
UNDERSTAND
At what time of the day or year is the work scene shown here taking place ?The light and the nature of the task being carried are clues to the answer to this question. Is it the morning ? Isit autumn time ?In what country or region is the painting set ?The teams shown are carrying out the hard work of ‘ploughing’ to prepare tight and hard fallow land for vineplantations in the region of Nevers.What were the reasons behind this painting ?Rosa Bonheur was a well-known lady realist animal painter during the second half of the 19th century. Thispainting was commissioned by the French state in 1849. This artist was interested above all in the coats and furof the animals she painted and also produced numerous rough sculptures of these coats in order to better repro-duce all of their characteristics. Rosa Bonheur’s realistic yet sensitive approach has often been likened to the ruralworld described by author George Sand in « The Devil’s Pond », « François the Waif » or « Little Fadette ».This ploughing scene can also be compared to that of the terracotta figures from the first half of the 6th cen-tury BC. In this second work, the group is composed of one pair of oxen only and the tool being used is thelighter swing plough as opposed to the heavy plough of Bonheur’s painting.See also the painter Paulus POTTER for his work on animals (The Bull, 1647, Mauritshuis Museum The Hague)
Rosa Bonheur was born in 1822 in Bordeaux inFrance and died in 1899 in Seine et Marne, also inFrance.
CREATESome ideas for activities :� Imagine what the life of this team of ploughers must have been like and think up several episodes of a comic stripbased on this.� Think about modern farming methods and take photographs or draw the same task being carried out with today’sequipment (drawing and painting techniques).� Imagine how this scene would look once the vines had been planted. Draw this using the same viewpoint.� List the different materials shown in this painting (earth, animals’ coats, leaves, the fabrics of the men’s clothing,etc.) and describe these. Are they soft, rough, uniform, light, heavy, cold, warm, etc..Make a collage using similar types of prefabricated materials or recreate them using paint mixed together with glueor sand, etc. Alternatively use different painting tools to create different effects.� Make a 3-D model of this ploughing scene or other farm tasks, just as Rosa Bonheur would have done in prepa-ration of her painting. �
21.
Autumn (1573)
oil on canvas 76 x 63 cmMusée National du Louvre Paris
We see a man’s profile looking left against a black back-ground. He is motionless and staring. This is a fantasy charactermade up of elements of different plants. The artist hassuperposed and combined fruits, vegetables and leavesusing their rounded, long, supple or rigid shapes tomake up the face of this strange creature.As the title indicates, this is a representation of the sea-son of Autumn painted by the artist GiuseppeArcimboldo in 1573.A closer look reveals the presence of plants that arecharacteristic of the autumn, such as apples, pears,grapes, melon, plums, figs, pomegranates, chestnuts,mushrooms, radishes and carrots as well as branches,leaves and ears of corn. In addition to all of these, hehas used the planks of wood that make up a barrel tosymbolise the autumnal wine harvests.These planks, which are separate, make up the bust ofthe ‘man’ and a soft, knotted branch encircles themholding them together.The overall painting is meticulous and the resulting fea-tures realistic.Those elements that are easily identifiable have beenpainted in warm tones, such as red, ochre, yellow andorange, but also green.The painting as a whole is seeped in a soft light, buttwo points in particular capture the light in a more pro-nounced manner : the white underside of the mush-room cap which represents the ear ; and the melon atthe tip of the man’s head. �
This work of art is one of a series of four paintings, eachrepresenting one of the seasons of the year.When all four are brought together, Winter and Springface each other, as do Summer and Autumn.Four further characters representing the four elementsalso form part of this series. For example, Autumn facesEarth, a character composed of wild animals, such asdeer, elks, a wild boar, weasels, rabbits and a fox as wellas sheep, a horse, a cow and even an elephant, a lionand a monkey !These strange associations need to be placed within thecontext of this painter’s life and the era during which heworked.Giuseppe Arcimboldo came from a family of Milanpatricians and initially worked with his father Biagioproducing sketches for stained-glass windows, wall-coverings and Cathedral ornaments and painting coatsof arms. However, he soon acquired great renown.In 1562, at the repeated request of Ferdinand I heentered the service of the Prague Court as a portraitartist, but also participated in the organisation of cele-brations within the court, thus making use of his richspirit of resourcefulness.Arcimboldo found an important source of inspirationwhen he met various Princes of the Court who hadstarted a fashion for collecting unusual objects or oddi-ties of nature which they kept in ‘curiosity cabinets’.This led to his wonderfully imaginative portraits of the‘Seasons’ (of which he painted several series), the‘Elements’ and the ‘Librarian’, ‘Lawyer’, ‘Gardner’ andmany more. �
� Collect plants and vegetables or pictures of these and make a « cabinet of curiosities ». � Cut out photographs of plants, flowers and vegetables etc. from magazines and catalogues and place them intosets according to their shape, colour or category, for example.� Use these photographs to create a portrait of an imaginary person or animal by assembling them in a collage copy-ing Arcimboldo’s style.Alternatively, use real plants and vegetables, etc. to create a portrait of a person or animal. Take photographs or drawthe final sculpture in order to remember what it looked like.For the most enthusiastic, these techniques can even be used to create a whole family and make up a portrait gallerylike those created by Arcimboldo himself. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
CREATE
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593)
Arcimboldo was born in around 1527 in Milan in Italy. He began hiswork as a portrait painter with the court of Maximillian, King ofBohemia. He remained with the court under the reign of Rudolf II,leaving it in 1587 to return to Milan. He later died there in 1593.
22.
The Haywain (1821)
oil on canvas 130.2 x 185.4National Gallery London
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
John Constable (1776 -1837)
This large-format painting by John Constable invites theonlooker to enter a luscious rural landscape on thebanks of a soft-flowing river.In the centre in the foreground, we see a haywainbeing drawn across a ford by a team of black horses.We see two people sitting on the haywain, the first aman with a light-coloured shirt and the second a childpointing his right arm straight in front of him. They aredriving the haywain.A white dog with black and brown spots is casuallywatching this scene from the left bank and we can alsosee ducks on the surface of the water and a third per-son emerging from the bushes on the other riverbankcarrying a large pole.
To the left, in the middle distance of the painting,right on the bank of the river, we see a small white-walled house that is half-hidden by small trees and isjust in front of a clump of very tall trees growing onboth sides of the river bank.To the right of this scene we see a long and wideprairie dotted with large trees. This is an open land-scape that carries on into the distance.
The sky is full of clouds that are dark to the left, butlighter on the right and the whole painting is tingedwith contrasting light. The sky takes up a lot of space inthe painting and is also of great importance throughthe light and movement it lends to the rest of thescene.Constable has made use of several points of light (thelight mirrored on the surface of the water, the lightwalls of the house, the white shirt of the central char-acter) to attract the observer’s attention to differentparts of the painting and thus create an impression oflife and movement.John Constable has provided us here with a snap-shotof rural life in the Stour valley during the 19th century.�
John Constable began his professional life as a miller,following in his father’s footsteps. Indeed, his father wasthe owner of several water and windmills. In 1799, inspite of the reluctance expressed by his family, he optedfor a career in art and left to study at the Royal Academyin London. He initially tried his hand at portrait and reli-gious painting before finally finding the genre that wasbest suited to him : landscapes.This was a period during which public tastes were verymuch in favour of picturesque landscape paintings andConstable conformed to this trend in his decision tostudy the countryside of the north of England. But over time, he became increasingly focussed on therural scenes of his home valley and produced a greatmany drawings and watercolours of them. He alsobegan to produce oil sketches in which he could reallydemonstrate his originality and talent.Constable now refused to paint landscapes that weresimply picturesque. He preferred to paint scenes fromordinary rural life. He would observe a particular sceneand study the effects of the light within it in greatdetail.Later he began to concentrate great attention on thesky, which became the subject of a variety of his studiestowards 1820. « The sky is nature’s source of light andis the deciding factor for all things. »
In France his work was admired by romantic paintersGéricault and Delacroix whom he inspired by the fresh-ness and shine of his paintings rendered through his lib-eral use of varied colour schemes.
In England, Constable was overshadowed by Ruskinand the success of both Turner and the pre-Raphaelites.He nevertheless continued to enjoy considerable influ-ence in France on the Barbizon painters and the impres-sionists, who attached great importance to the study oflight as a vibrant and changing element. This was atechnique Constable applied to his works in which healso demonstrated his great awareness of nature. �
John Constable was born in 1776 in East Bergholt,Suffolk, England, and died in 1837 in London, also inthe UK.
23.
Draw up a list of the different elements from this countryside scene
� Pick out the various textures Constable has portrayed in his painting, such as water, the sky, earth, grass, leaves,etc.Try to paint these different textures using suitable tools and strokes.Keep each sample to make a whole study book.� Observe the sky as John Constable would have done and draw it paying particular attention to :� the different shapes of cloud� the changes in the light. Note down the date and time in order to study the changes in the light and the effect these have on the scene youhave observed.
Organising the various ‘layers’ of a painting
� Define the various ‘layers’ of this painting, such as the foreground and background.� Make as many photocopies of the painting as there are layers and cut out one layer from each. Glue the cut-outsone on top of the other to another piece of paper or card in the order in which they are layered to obtain a relief ver-sion of the painting.Add other ideas from your own imagination to the painting.
Explore the countryside
� Cut a square window of sides 4 cm from a sheet of stiff black paper. Move it across a copy of Constable’s landscapeto find a favourite part. Make a copy of this ‘mini-landscape’. Create other mini-landscapes, then, either individuallyor in groups, recreate Constable’s painting. �
CREATE
The Haywain (1821)
oil on canvas 130.2 x 185.4National Gallery London
John Constable (1776 -1837)
24.
The Dark Day (1565)
oil on canvas 118 x 163 cmKunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
« The Dark Day » is one of a set of six paintings thatdescribe the various activities of the year and werepainted for a merchant from Antwerp in 1565.Five of these paintings are known : « The Dark Day »where the dominant colours are brown and grey, «Haymaking » in the light green range, « Harvesters »which makes use of yellow tones, « Return of the herd» based on golden shades and « Hunters in the snow »which uses the white light of the winter.The missing painting is that which would have concen-trated on the spring season. We could imagine thatBruegel would have used the light green range ofcolours for this one.It was during the 16th century that the influence ofJoachim Patinir (1475 – 1524) became evident in land-scape painting. He used the technique of looking downon his scene in order to be able to make use of a vastscope of countryside in his works. Bruegel borrowedthis technique from this older painter and used it for hispaintings of the seasons and the relationship betweenman and nature. He showed that man has no otherchoice but to live at one with nature in order to survivein it and live in harmony with it.Bruegel always infuses his characters from the ruralworld with vitality and humour both in his realisticscenes and allegorical works. This led to his nick-names« Peter the Witty » and « Bruegel the peasant ». He wasalso called » Bruegel the Elder » to differentiatebetween himself, his sons and his grandsons. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
Pieter Bruegel (1525 -1569)
We take in this painting from above, observing a coun-tryside scene that stretches far into the distance with aheavy, sombre atmosphere in which man and natureare awakening following a cold and white winter.This painting is divided into two parts : the first con-tains the warm colours of earth and ochre ; and the sec-ond is composed of cold colours, such as greens, bluesand greys.Breaks in the darkness and bright surfaces capture therare light able to break through and draw the observ-er’s attention to the clothing of the characters, to thehouses and to the mountain peaks.The bare trees throw their black silhouette onto thiscountryside scene composed of earth, water and sky.In the foreground to the right, we see various peoplecarrying out different tasks. We see a child wearing apaper hat and carrying a lantern. This child evokes theEpiphany, whilst the couple walking with him and eat-ing waffles portray the Carnival season.Further to the left we can see a peasant man pruninga willow tree while his friends pick up the branches.Behind this group there is a further character perchedon a ladder and busy fixing the wall of his house.Below this scene, in the middle distance of the painting,we see a village made up of houses grouped together.The streets appear to be deserted save for one group ofpassers-by returning to the inn to the left.Boats can be seen battling against the stormy waters ofthe river that runs alongside the village. Some of themhave even capsized.Further into the distance, the dark mountains carry onto the horizon under a threatening sky.Nature’s elements do not always favour man who nev-ertheless accepts them and lives according to therhythm of the seasons. �
Date and place of birth uncertain : between 1525 and 1530 inBreughel village near Breda in Brabant, the Netherlands.Breughel died in 1569 in Brussels in Belgium.
25.
How the countryside changes through the year :
� Paint a rough countryside scene with relief elements, showing some vegetation and houses, for example.� Photocopy this scene enough times to correspond to the various stages of the year.Change the scene according to season through use of light, changes in the vegetation, by representing specific activ-ities that characterise the period chosen, by using different colours and by adding details (vegetation, animals, peo-ple).
Living in the countryside
� Draw or photocopy an image of a ‘deserted’ countryside scene.Bring this scene to life by adding either characters drawn from the imagination or cut out of photographs in maga-zines. �
CREATE
The Dark Day (1565)
oil on canvas 118 x 163 cmKunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
Pieter Bruegel (1525 -1569)
26.
Still life with figs
oil on canvas 37 x 49 cm Musée Du Louvre Paris
Still life – a less important genre ?The origins of still life painting are to be found in antiq-uity when it was used to represent flowers, foods andthe trinkets that decorated ceremonial and feastingrooms.This technique asserted itself as a genre in its own rightduring the 17th century in Italy, Spain and the countriesof the north.
Still life paintings provide a great deal of detail and withthat satisfy the onlooker’s general curiosity to studythese objects of daily life, but can also result in moreoutlandish, fantastical compositions, like those whichwere the fruit of Arcimboldo’s imagination.Country and era were the decisive factors in determin-ing whether still lifes dealt with luxury or austerity, wereallegoric or realistic, sober or opulent, colourful ormonochrome.
Mélendez, the still life specialistDuring his lifetime, Luis Mélendez painted a consider-able number of still lifes. He was a true specialist in thisdecorative genre. Several of them are kept today at thePrado Museum in Madrid.He focussed in particular on objects and « all kinds ofcomestibles produced in the Spanish climate ».He made use of very bright light in his paintings – thatof the Mediterranean countries in which he had lived –which created violent shadows and marked contrasts. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
Luis Eugénio Mélendez (1716 -1780)
This modestly sized painting introduces us to a slice ofdaily life from the 18th century. It is neither a genre scene nor an imaginary composi-tion, rather the elements which make up this work aretaken from the reality of a simple life, far removed fromthe opulent laden tables of Flemish painting of the endof the 17th century or the exuberant Italian still lifepaintings.In the foreground we see a round loaf of bread and aplate of figs resting either on a table or wooden board.Behind these two elements, in the background, we seea woven basket from which a round wooden box par-tially covered by a white crimped tea-towel is peeringout. We can also see the handle of a utensil – mostprobably a knife – sticking out from the right-hand sideof the basket.All of these objects have been carefully placed in a spe-cific manner, according to the classical shape of the tri-angle.They are lit by an intense source of light coming fromthe left and are set against a dark and uniform back-ground.The artist has used a whole range of warm coloursincluding blondes, ochre and sienna which are subtlyand harmoniously balanced against the contrastinggreen tones of the figs.Luis Eugenio Mélendez has used highly detailed tex-tures to invite the observer to look closer and penetratethe elements he has painted : the loaf of bread with its golden crust ;the just-ripe green figs with their yellow and sugaryflesh ;the plump woven basket filled with objects and provi-sions, such as the knife just ready to be used and thetea-towel that is just within our reach and covers thetop of the basket.
This is an intimist painting both in terms of its dimen-sions, as well as through Melendez’ use of objects thatare familiar to all of us. �
Luis Eugénio Mélendez was born in Madrid in Spain in 1716. He wasthe son of painter Francisco Mélendez. He travelled to Italy, visitingRome and Naples, then returned to Madrid in 1755 where he laterdied in 1780.
27.
Luis Eugénio Mélendez (1716 -1780)
Still life with figs
oil on canvas 37 x 49 cm Musée Du Louvre Paris
CREATE
Make a still life
� Collect various elements, such as fruits, vegetables, kitchen objects and utensils, and make up a still life.This activity could be done individually or in groups whereby each person adds another element to the whole oneat a time. Rules for the layout of the still life could be adopted, e.g. align the objects, form a triangle or rectangle.� Draw this still life from different angles (front, side, from above, from below, close up or from further away, etc.).Use different techniques to draw the still life, from a simple pencil or charcoal sketch to a more detailed representa-tion using pastels, poster paints or acrylic paints to add colour.� Use a spotlight to vary the light on the still life and highlight different elements. Photographs could also be taken for these two activities, which would allow all the various perspectives of the stilllife to be clearly highlighted.
A still life of today
Make up a still life using objects of today. Compare our modern objects and products with the older, more classicalrepresentations.
A variation on a theme
Vary the types of still life created by choosing different specific elements : � Still lifes of flowers, fruits, vegetables, products from the sea, dairy products, etc.� Still lifes showing the different seasons with products from the summer, autumn, etc.� Still lifes that follow specific dominant colour ranges, such as reds, greens, ochres, etc. �
28.
Ploughing scene : Group in terracotta,1st half of 6th century BCMusée du Louvre
This 11 cm tall and 22 cm wide statuette depicts aploughing scene from Greek Antiquity. We see twooxen harnessed to a swing plough with the ploughmanbehind.The scene has been modelled from earth and sometraces of ochre paint can still be seen showing the char-acteristics of the different elements of the group, suchas the animals’ fur and features of their heads and theclothing of the ploughman.The animals are shown to be static. They would seemto be standing still and are well-balanced. The plough-man, on the other hand, would appear to be leaningbackwards in order to guide his plough.In a very rough manner and using the simplest ofsculpting materials (earth modelling, paint), the anony-mous author of this work has succeeded in producing arealistic and precious representation of daily life on theBoeotian plain during the 6th century before JesusChrist. �
The Boeotian plain is landlocked and is located near thecity of Thebes in Greece. It is a fertile plain watered bytwo small rivers, the Ismenos and the Dirce, and whichproduces abundant cereals used in the breeding ofhorses and cattle. This type of agriculture is closely asso-ciated with the cult of Demeter, Goddess of agriculture,and her daughter Persephone.
During the 6th century BC, the region of Boeotia wasgoverned by rich landowners who employed slaves oragricultural workers to work their land. However, theplough was not a widespread tool and many of theseworkers had to make do with a pick to turn the soil.This statuette shows a scene from everyday life fromthis era. It belongs to what we refer to as ‘archaic’times. Very few sculptures were created during this peri-od as Greek art was expressed essentially through theblack and red decoration of the vases that were presentthroughout each stage of life and death. �
Modelling
Sculpt people or animals that might be found in agriculture using clay or plasticine.Inspiration could be taken from Van Gogh’s painting ‘The Sower’ or J. F. Millet’s ‘The Gleaners’, for example.
Alternatively, model the animals or people that might be found within a quite specific context, such as cattle farm-ing, the forest, a maritime environment, etc.
Once the models have dried, they could be painted and finished off with a matt or shiny varnish. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
CREATE
Greek and Etruscan antiquities
Anonymous artist
Landscape of garden
oil on canvas 110 x 110 cm
Carnegie Institute Pittsburgh
The scene into which we are absorbed here is shown inthe form of a 1.1 m painting. The horizon is very high up, thus emphasising theimpression given to the onlooker that he or she is real-ly part of the scene, surrounded by brightly colouredwild plants and flowers in reds, yellows and blues.Klimt has painted abundant and dense vegetation hereusing a wide range of greens to depict the plants, thetrees’ leaves and the distant wooded hills, all of whichhave been rendered using small and tightly packedcoloured strokes.The individual elements of this landscape, such as themeadow, trees, flowers and wood, are contrasted usinga change in colour or stroke direction. None of the ele-ments have been drawn and no contours have beenused.
The frame of the painting is photographic in nature. It‘cuts’ the various elements as would the camera’s lens.Good examples of this are the tree to the left of thepainting as well as that towards the middle.Two different layers can be picked out from this scene.The foreground essentially contains a large meadowand the background is composed of further fields,trees, wooded hills and some snippets of sky.The light falling on this peaceful scene is uniform andthere is no sign of any people. �
In general, Gustav Klimt is better known for his stylised,idealised and dreamlike characters. However, we shouldnot forget that no less than one quarter of his workswere landscape paintings.
By overlapping the various elements of wildlife, takingthe observer from the foreground into the backgroundwithout any definite break, omitting any contrastingshade and light to create the effect of being suspendedin time, Klimt has created a scene that gives rise tomeditation and contemplation.The square format he used for his landscapes, for themost part 1.1 m_, reinforces the feeling of calm and sta-bility, that is further emphasised through the absence ofany people or human activity.
Klimt creates a certain distance between man andnature and paints his landscapes such that they couldbe used as decorative surface motifs.Although no landscape drawings by Klimt have everbeen found, it is known that he worked in nature usinga sketch book and that he made use of photographs toassist him in completing his paintings in his workshop.He may even have used binoculars or a telescope to cre-ate this quite unique and close-range pictorial stylethrough which he draws the onlooker into his scene. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
Gustav Klimt (1862 -1918)
Gustav Klimt was born in 1862 and died in1918 in Vienna, Austria.
29.
30.
Landscape of garden
oil on canvas 110 x 110 cm
Carnegie Institute Pittsburgh
Using strokes : use different strokes to create a pattern.
� In the same way as Gustav Klimt, use a paintbrush to make many different strokes by varying :� their quality (light or hard strokes, points, small lines)� their size� their directionJuxtapose, superpose and cross these strokes to obtain different effects, depending on the pattern to be created(leaves, tree trunk, flowers, etc.).
Framing
� Cut a square window with sides that are 3 or 4 cm long from a sheet of thick paper or card. Hold this window atarm’s length and look at the landscape through it :� choose a particular viewpoint and frame it� change this viewpoint ; move the window forwards and backwards to change the frame (like the zoom on a camera)� draw out the chosen viewpoint – copy Gustav Klimt’s technique by using a sketch book – with either drawing orcoloured pencils or felt-tip pens.� La technique utilisée peut être celle du crayon (de papier, de couleur) du stylo feu-tre.Alternatively, a camera could be used to create different frames. In this case, a photograph should be taken of thechosen viewpoint. �
CREATE
Gustav Klimt (1862 -1918)
The surprise (1880)
oil on canvas 85 x 187 cm Ateneum Art Museum Helsinki
This scene shows farm animals : - in the foreground we see a farmyard with threegeese and a young white calf, who is the central ele-ment of the painting- in the background in the darkness of a stable we canmake out a black calf watching the scene before it.Two of the geese are facing the young animal. The third issitting on the ground and although not confronted with thecalf, it would seem to be joining in with the others’ protest.The new-born white calf is standing on all four legs, ithas round eyes, is facing the geese and appears sur-prised by the uproar.Behind him, we can see the black calf showing anexpression of wide-eyed fear or astonishment, notseeming to understand what is going on.On the ground we see some feathers and a bucket thathas been knocked over, suggesting the young whitecalf may have stumbled when taken by surprise at theaggressive reaction of the geese.This painting has a very sober setting. We see a hard earthyard, the log stable wall and, adjoined to this, a woodenfence. Further beyond this enclosure to the left, we canmake out a landscape scene with trees and a river.The light falling on this scene is bright and uniform. Themajor colours used are beige, brown, grey and whitewith the only contrasting element being the dark inte-rior of the stable. �
Ferdinand was the youngest of the three von Wrightbrothers to take up a career in painting. He was also theyoungest of the fifteen children of his family.He shared his fascination with nature with his two olderbrothers and learned a lot from them :- Magnus von Wright wanted to become an animalillustrator and painted all the many different birds hesaw ;- Wilhelm became a designer at the Academy ofScience.Their father was far from encouraging towards his sons’artistic activities and as they lived in the backwardprovince of Savo, they had great difficulty in obtainingsuitable art materials.They therefore made the colours they needed usingplants or even coffee. They familiarised themselves withthe technique of watercolour painting long before mov-ing on to oils.
Ferdinand was a solitary and reclusive painter who wasuninterested in the lives and lifestyles of his contempo-raries. He preferred to paint scenes of hunters and theirprey to illustrate the eternal battle between the strongand the weak.The combination of detailed observation and greattechnical skill evident in Ferdinand von Wright’s paint-ings made many of his scenes highly popular with thepublic, although somewhat late on in his career. �
Tell a story :
� Imagine the dialogue that might have taken place between the animals in this scene.� Think up a start, middle and end to the story.� Draw the story out in cartoon form.
Using our senses :
� Collect the various materials to be found in this scene, such as feathers, (fake) fur or animal skins, wood, earth,straw, etc.� Touch and feel these materials to determine their different characteristics. Are they soft, smooth, rough, coarse,grainy, cold, etc. ?� Draw up a table of these materials by sticking them to a piece of paper or card.
How to represent these materials:
� What techniques could be used to represent the above materials artistically ?Depending on the ages of the children, graphic, drawing or printing techniques can be used.� Varying the materials used : find other pieces of fur, feathers, earth etc. that are of a different colour or texture. �
OBSERVE UNDERSTAND
CREATE
Ferdinand von Wright (1822 -1905)
Ferdinand von Wright was born in 1822 in the province of Savo inFinland.
31.
32.
II.2) POEMS FROM EUROPEAN AUTHORS
The hen lays an egg
In the meadow.
The cow tramps it
And it breaks !
The yolk hatches out.
It’s a little sprout !
Who would like that ?
Pat, the farm cat !!! �
Belgium
“De Kippenrap”
klas 6A, Gemeentelijke Sportbasisschool uit Heusden
“The Chicken Rap”
Class 6a Public Sport Primary School, Heusden
“Une poule sur un mur”
Maurice Carême,A cloche-pied.
“A hen on a wall”
Maurice Carême,A hop.
De kip legt een ei
in de wei,
de koe trapt er op
’t is kapot !
De dooier komt er uit
’t is een spruit !
Wie lust er dat ?
Pat, de kat ! ! ! �
Une poule sur un mur
A pondu quatorze œufs frais.
Mais pendant qu’elle pondait,
Le soleil d’août les cuisait.
Une poule sur un mur
A couvé quatorze œufs durs.
Il en sortit des poulets
Aussi durs que des galets.
C’est depuis que l’on voit,
Folle encor de désarroi,
Une poule sur un mur
Qui picote du pain dur,
C’est depuis lors que l’on voit
-Picoti et Picota-
Une poule qui cent fois
Grimpe au mur et saute en bas. �
Fourteen fresh eggs
Were laid on a wall by a hen,
But while she was laying
They were cooked by the August sun!
Fourteen hard-boiled eggs
Were sat on by a hen on a wall
The chicks that hatched out
Were as hard as pebbles!
Ever since you can see,
Or so it is said
That poor, bewildered hen on the wall
Pecking at hard bread.
Ever since you can see,
A peck, peck, pecking,
The hen climb up the wall
Then jump back down a hundred times! �
33.
Denmark
Der var en Kone paa Landet,Hun havde en Høne blandt Andet.Nu, lægge Æg er Hønens Fag,Og denne gav eet hver evige Dag ;Det var et Par Snese, da de blev talt,See, det fandt Konen ikke saa galt !Hun dem forsigtig i Kurven fik,Tog den paa Hovedet og gik.Til Staden styrede hun sin Gang ;Men hun var ene og Veien var lang,Skjøndt hun gik til af alle kræfter.Nu tænkte hun over og regned’ efter,Hvor godt hun fik sine Æg betalt,Og det var jo heller ikke saa galt :“Ja vist !” saaledes hun gaaer og taler,“For disse faaer jeg en heel Rigsdaler.For den vil jeg kjøbe to Hons, lad see !Med den der hjemme har jeg da tre ;Hver laegger Æg, og om ikke længeKan jeg handle igjen og komme til Penge ;Jeg kjøber tre Høns, til de tre jeg har ;See det bliver sex. Deres Æg jeg ta’er ;Jeg sælger de halve, den anden RestSkal ruges til Kyllinger, det er bedst !Jeg faaer da en Hønsegaard ; tænk Dig bare !Og den tager til. Det er holdende Vare !En deel lægger Æg, en deel ruger ud-Hvor jeg bliver rig, Du søde Gud !Jeg kjøber to Gæs og et lille Faar,Og bedre og bedre Handelen gaaerMed Æg og med Høns og med Fjer og med Uld.Tilsidst faaer jeg Pengeposen fuld !Jeg kjøber en Gris, jeg kjøber en Ko,Hvo veed, maaskee kan jeg kjøbe to ?See det giver af sig ! og efter et AarHar jeg Hus og Folk og Køer og Faar.Saa kommer en Frier ind i min Stue,Han kysser min Haand, og jeg bliver Frue !For han har en Gaard, som er større end min !Jeg bliver saa fornem, saa stolt og saa fiin,Jeg taaler ikke den mindste Snakken,Jo, jeg skal vide at kneise med Nakken !Og ret som hun sagde det, gjorde hun saa.Klask ! Æggene der paa Jorden laae !Med dem den hele Lyksalighed faldt-Og det var i Grunden ikke saa galt ! �
“Konen med Æggen” - En gammel Historie sat i Rim
“The Woman with the eggs” - An old story set to rhyme
H. C.Andersen
There was a woman in the country,She had, amongst other things, a hen.Now, laying eggs is the hen’s trade,And it provided one each and every day ;There were a couple of score, when they were counted,See, the woman found this to be not so bad !She put them carefully in the basket,Raised it on her head and went.To town she strode hurriedly ;But she was alone and the road was long,Even though she walked with all her powers.She now thought about it and reckoned,How well paid she’d be for her eggs,And this wasn’t too bad either :« Right enough » she said as she walked and talked,« For this I’ll get a whole six dollar.For this I will buy two hens, let’s say !Along with that at home I’ll have three ;Each will lay eggs, and it won’t be so longBefore I can trade again and come to money ; I’ll buy three hens, along with the three I have ;See that will be six. Their eggs I’ll take ;And sell one part, the other partTo hatch to chickens, that is best !I’ll have a chicken-run : just think !And it will increase. These are wealthy goods !One part will be laying, one part hatching -How wealthy I’ll become, Oh sweet God !I’ll buy two geese and a little sheep,And better and better business will goWith eggs and with hens and with feathers and with wool.At last I’ll have the moneybag full !I’ll buy a pig, I’ll buy a cow,Who knows, perhaps I’ll buy two ?Look how it grows ! And after a yearI’ll have a house and servants and cows and sheep.And then a suitor will come to my parlour,He’ll kiss my hand, and I’ll be his wife !For he has a farm, which is larger than mine !I’ll be so formal, so proud and so fine,I’ll not tolerate the least gossip,Yes, I shall walk with my head held high! »And right as she said this, she went thus.Smash ! The eggs on the ground lay !With them the whole blissful dream fell -And that in reality wasn’t too bad ! �
34.
The butterfly is in love with the rose,
fluttering around her a thousand times.
But he himself, sweetly tender,
is fluttered around by the loving ray of sunshine.
However, with whom is the rose in love ?
That I would like to know.
Is it the singing nightingale ?
Is it the silent evening star ?
I don’t know, with whom the rose is in love :
but I love you all.
Rose, butterfly, ray of sunshine,
evening star and nightingale. �
Germany
“Der Schmetterling ist in die Rose verliebt”
“The Butterfly is in love with the Rose”
Heinrich Heine
Der Schmetterling ist in die Rose verliebt,
Umflattert sie tausendmal.
Ihn selber aber, goldig zart,
Umflattert der liebende Sonnenstrahl.
Jedoch in wen ist die Rose verliebt ?
Das wüsst ich gar zu gern.
Ist es die singende Nachtigall ?
Ist es der schweigende Abendstern?
Ich weiss nicht, in wen die Rose verliebt :
Ich aber lieb euch all’ :
Rose, Schmetterling, Sonnenstrahl,
Abendstern und Nachtigall �
35.
Spain
How beautiful the sky !
How lovely the morning !
What coolness in the countryside !
What joy in the water !
Go, go, my horse,
Along the white path,
How well you know the way,
Where my yearnings lead you.
Don’t stop by the forest
Nor in the cool tributaries,
Daughters of the clear brook
Which from the hill descends.
Follow, follow the path
Which spills out on both sides
Green fields adorned with
Red poppies
Now you’ve left the olive trees behind you.
Now the path has petered out...
And between the interwoven leaves,
The house comes into view in the distance !
How beautiful the sky !
How lovely the morning !
What coolth in the countryside !
What joy in the water ! �
Manuel Machado
¡Qué hermosos están los cielos!
¡Qué bonita la mañana!
¡Cuánta frescura en el campo!
¡Cuánta alegría en el agua!
Corre, corre, mí caballo,
por la veredita blanca,
que bien sabes el camino
donde te guían mis ansias.
No te pares junto al bosque
ni en las frescas enramadas,
hijas del arroyo claro
que de la colina baja.
Sigue, sigue por la senda
que a los dos lados derrama
campos verdes con adornos
de amapolas coloradas
Ya pasas los olivares.
Ya la vereda se acaba…
Y, entre las hojas tejidas,
de lejos se ve la casa. !
¡Qué hermosos están los cielos!
¡Qué bonita la mañana!
¡Cuánta frescura en el campo!
¡Cuánta alegría en el agua! �
36.
Ireland
“Amhran na mbo”
The song of the Cows
Tomas McKeoghan
I got up in the morning and I went milking the cow
I got up in the morning and I went milking the cow
Oh yes, I went milking the cow.
I sing an old song for the cow every morning
She gives her milk happily indeed.
Oh, yes, she is happy indeed.
But then a change came over the cow
She started to moo and she did not give any milk no more
Oh no, she did not give any milk no more
Verse
Hey rock and roll, Hey rock and roll
Hey rock and roll
I thought of a plan I sang rock and roll
Maybe the old song does not agree with her no more
Oh no the old song does not agree with her no more
Oh but I have the crack when I am milking the cow
She started to sway and she gives milk without hinderance again
Oh yes, she gives milk without hinderance again.
D’eirigh me ar maidin agus chuaigh me ag blean na bo
D’eirigh me ar maigin agus chuaigh me ag blean na bo
O yea, Chuaigh me ag blean na bo
Amhran ar an sean nos a chasaim chuile maidin don bho
Talann si an bainne is bionn si sasta go leor
O yea, Bionn si sasta go leor
Ach ansin thainig athru an aisteach ar an mbo
Thosaigh si ag bleastail, is ni thalfadh si aon bhainne nios mo
O no, ni thalfadh si aon bhainne nios mo
Curfa
He rock and roll, He rock and roll
He rock and roll
O smaoinigh me ar phlean chas me rock and roll
B’fheidir nar thaitin an sean nos lei nios mo
O no nior thaitin an sean nios lei nios mo
O anois bionn an chreaic a’m is me ar blean ne bo
O tosaionn si ag pramsail is talann si an bainne gan stro
O yea talainn si an bainne gan stro �
37.
Italy
“San Martin”
“SAN MARTINO”
Giosue Carducci
The drizzly mist on the jagged hills is rising
And below the Maestral wind shrieks as it whips the
sea to white
But in the narrow village streets
the bitter perfume of fermenting wine in the barrels
cheers the heart
The meat turns on the spit sizzling on the glowing
coals
And the hunter whistles as he stands in the doorway
watching the flight of black birds as they fly into the
russet clouds
like exiled worries migrating into the evening sky. �
La nebbia a gl’irti colli
piovigginando sale,
e sotto il maestrale
urla e biancheggia il mar
ma per le vie del borgo
dal ribollir de’tini
va l’aspro odor de i vini
l’anime a rallegrar.
Gira su’ ceppi accesi
lo spiedo scoppiettando :
sta il cacciator fischiando
su l’uscio a rimirar
tra le rossastre nubi
stormi d’uccelli neri,
com’esuli pensieri,
nel vespero migrar. �
“Sera d’ottobre”
“October evening”
Giovanni Pascoli
Along the lane the hedgerow is aflame with vermil-
ion berries :
and the cows wander home to the stable through
freshly ploughed fields
The dry leaves screech on the pathway under
the slow dragging steps of a poor rover :
and away in the fields a young girl sings in
the wind.
Thorn bush flowers. �
Lungo la strada vedi su la siepe
ridere a mazzi le vermiglie bacche :
nei campi arati tornano al presepe
tarde le vacche.
Vien per la strada un povero che il lento
passo tra foglie stridule trascina :
nei campi intuona una fanciulla al vento :
Fiore di spina ! �
38.
Luxemburg
“D’Maus Ketti” (extract)
“Little Mouse Ketti” (excerpt: part )
Auguste Liesch
Little Mouse Ketti sat by her hole
In Burmerange on the prairie;
“Life is beautiful, that is true,
Living here is quite merry.
All the prairies far and wide,
Belong to me, of that there’s no doubt;
I live simply and healthily
Eating the nuts and grains I find about.
And when I’m feeling unwell
And when I’m feeling down,
I put on my best Sunday clothes
And head off to Mondorf-les-Bains town.”
Suddenly she pricked up her ears and said:
“I hear something scratching.
What do I see over in the heather?
Is it an intruder who needs catching?
It’s not possible, there’s a thief!
A strange mouse who dares to come nosing?”
But then she cried out: “Oh my goodness!”
“It’s no thief, it’s my cousin, Mim de Clausen!”
And Ketti went running like the wind,
And they hugged each other tight:
“Where have you come from, my child?
Did you get too hot in this bright light?
Come, let’s follow this path
And sit in the shade, just look.
As you know, my house is there,
Over by the bubbling brook.” �
D’Maus Ketti sëtzt bei hirem Lach
Zu Biermereng am Feld ;
“Wéi schéin, denkt si, ass d’Liewen dach,
Wéi gutt ass’t op der Welt.
All Stécker, zwou Stonn an der Rond,
Si meng, dat ass gewëss ;
Ech liewen einfach a gesond
Vu Wees an Hieselnëss.
An ass et mir net an der Rei,
Sinn ech zevill puppsat,
Ginn ech am sonndesse Gezei
No Munref an de Bad.”
Op eemol lauschtert se a seet :
“Ech héiren eppes kribblen.
A wat gesinn ech op der Heed
Do uewen esou wibblen?
Ass dat erlaabt, déi Déiwerei !
Eng friem Maus kënnt hier mausen !”
Mee gläich dropp rifft se : “Heielei !
Meng Kusinn Mim aus Clausen !”
An d’Ketti leeft ewéi de Wand,
Si leie sech am Arem:
“A wou kënns du dann hier, mäi Kand ?
War et dir net ze warem?
Komm, huel dee klenge Pad elo,
Da gi mer ënner Daach.
Mäin Haische läit, du weess et jo,
Do ënne bei der Baach.” �
39.
The Netherlands
Goudig en somber zwijgen heerscht in de verre dampen.
Over den donkeren akker schrijdt langzaam een donker man en zaait.
De hoeven der zware paarden stampen door de walmende voren.
De stilte huivert er van.
Geel en grauw in het rond ontbranden aarzlende lampen.
Weeklagend om het verloren jaar zwerven winden moe.
Zij strooien het laatste zomersche purper tusschen de kerkhofkruisen,
sidderen en vergeten een oogwenk verder te ruischen…
Eensklaps raast een snelle vlucht vogels voorbij.
Dan sluit de dag zich toe. �
A profound and bleak silence reigns over the distant mist.
A dark man sows the dark field, working slowly.
The hooves of the heavy horses trample through the smoky furrows,
Making the silence tremble.
The hesitant lamps shine yellow and ashen all around.
Tired, roaming winds lament the year past,
Tossing the last red leaves of summer between the graveyard’s stones.
They stutter, forgetting for a moment to rustle on.
Suddenly, a flock of birds tears open the sky
As another day draws to a close. �
“De Boeren I”
“The People of the Country I”
Theun De Vries (born 1907)
40.
Schwere Traktoren ziehen Eisen
durch die gehackte Wintererd’
Eggenzähne und Pflüge reissen
den Boden auf – Saatbeet werd.
Trägt im Sommer Staude und Halm
bei Sonnenschein und Regen
bringt halt doch der Acker
immer unser Brot zum Leben �
Through the churned winter earth
Heavy tractors pull their iron.
Harrow teeth and ploughs
Tear the soil open ready for sowing.
In summer come the shrubs and blades
To make our daily bread.
Through sun and rain alike
The field keeps us all well fed. �
“Der Acker” aus dem Buch “Hölzene Späne”
“The Field“ from the book “Hölzene Späne“
Toni Riser
Austria
41.
Portugal
“Quem ora soubesse”
“Who would have known ?”
Luis de Camões
D’Amor e seus danos
me fiz lavrador ;
semeava amor
e colhia enganos.
Não vi, em meus anos,
homem que apanhasse
o que semeasse.
Vi terra florida
de lindos abrolhos :
lindos para os olhos,
duros para a vida.
Mas a rês perdida
que tal erva pace
em forte hora nace.
Com quanto perdi,
trabalhava em vão ;
se semeei grão,
grande dor colhi.
Amor nunca vi
que muito durasse,
que não magoasse.�
I was the ploughman
Of love and its demons ;
I sowed love
And reaped illusion.
I have never seen, in all my days
One who reaped
What he sowed.
I have seen blooming meadows
With splashes of bright colours ;
So beautiful to the eyes,
So painful in life.
But the lost sheep
Gorging on the grass
Will live again, the time come.
With all that I have lost,
All my work was in vain ;
I may have sown grains,
But I reaped only pain.
Love everlasting
Bringing only joy,
This I never have seen. �
42.
Finland
“Saku sika”
Kirjasta Kukkuluuruu mita kuuluu, Kolobri 2000
“Saku sika”
Kirjasta Kukkuluuruu mita kuuluu, Kolobri 2000
Saku sika, Saku sika
eiko sua haittaa lika ?
Painvastoin, painvastoin !
Korvat juuri mutaan kastoin.
Röh, röh, röh �
Saku, my little pig
Saku, Saku, my little pig
Are you not worried by dirt ?
On the contrary, on the contrary !
I just dipped my ears in the mud.
Snort, snort, snort. �
43.
United Kingdom
“Apples”
Laurie Lee
Behold the apples’ rounded worlds :
juice-green of July rain,
the black polestar of flower, the rind
mapped with its crimson stain
The russet, crab and cottage red
burn to the sun’s hot brass
then drop like sweat from every branch
and bubble in the grass
They lie as wanton as they fall,
and where they fall and break,
the stallion clamps his crunching jaws,
and starling stabs his beak
In each plump gourd the cidery bite
of boys’ teeth tears the skin ;
the waltzing wasp consumes his share,
the bent worm enters in
I, with as easy hunger, take
entire my season’s dole ;
welcome the ripe, the sweet, the sour,
the hollow and the whole. �
44.
� One country, three communities-capital city for two peoples
The Kingdom of BELGIUM stretches over an area of 30,519 km2.It is bounded by the North Sea and is made up of threeregions :� Flanders in the north-west where Dutch is spoken ;� Wallonia in the south-east where French is spoken ;� BRUSSELS, the capital city (and a region) with one million.
� A densely populated countryBELGIUM has a population of 10.2 million.It is one of the most densely populated countries withinEUROPE with some 330 inhabitants per km2. The woodlandARDENNES are the exception to this rule with only 50 inhab-itants for every km2.57 % of the Belgians speak Dutch, 42 % speak French and1 % speak German.
� Medium-sized farms� 1,400,000 ha of the land within Belgium are used for farm-
ing.� There are 67,200 farms in total, only 2 % of which are larg-
er than 100 ha.� The average size of a Belgian farm is 21 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 68 % of the agricultural land used in Belgium is devoted to
tenant farming.� Belgian agriculture produces 1 % of the country’s wealth
and employs 3 % of the workforce (79,000 workers).
� More intensive farming to the north-east
In Flanders, sandy plains are combined with poldersreclaimed from the sea. The Flemings focus essentially onindustrial breeding, greenhouse growing and market garden-ing. The plateaux in the centre of the country are used forwheat, barley, potato and sugar beet farming.The ARDENNES woodland houses some clearings which areset aside for animal raising, in particular cattle farming.The East of Belgium (Limburg, the Herve plateau) is a regionthat is devoted principally to dairy production.
Greenhouse cultures and market gardening
Fresh vegetablesFruit
1,530,000 tonnes700,000 tonnes
Major arable crops
Wheat BarleyPotatoesSugar beets Sugar from sugar beets
Wood
Rough timber 3,000,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 34,000 tonnes
Belgium
III. THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNIONAND THEIR AGRICULTURE
NB: The greyed out italic numbers are the European Union totals.
105 000 00053 000 00050 000 000
117 000 00017 000 000
82 000 000123 000 000124 000 000
5 975 000
52 700 00011 940 000
1,600,000 tonnes350,000 tonnes
3,000,000 tonnes6,000,000 tonnes1,000,000 tonnes
Industrial breeding
CattlePigs Milk Meat of which poultry
Eggs
3,000,000 heads7,000,000 heads
3,600,000 tonnes1,800,000 tonnes
300,000 tonnes200,000 tonnes
45.
� A peninsula surrounded by islandsThe Kingdom of DENMARK covers a surface area of 43,080km2.It is made up of the peninsula of JUTLAND and several islandsof many different sizes. The largest of these islands, ZEALAND,is home to the capital city COPENHAGEN. Denmark has some7,000 km of coastline.This country is in a strategic location between the North Sea tothe west and the Baltic Sea to the east.
� A fifth of the population livein COPENHAGEN
DENMARK has a population of 5.3 million.Its average population density is 120 inhabitants per km2.1 million people live in the capital COPENHAGEN.
� Danish agriculture � Denmark has 2,700,000 ha of agricultural land.� There are 57,831 farms in total, of which 10.6 % are larger
than 100 ha. � The average size of a Danish farm is 47 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 25.2 % of the agricultural land used in Denmark is devoted
to tenant farming.
� A major exporter of agriculturalproducts
DENMARK is one of the world’s major farming nations interms of exports.Agriculture produces 3 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) andemploys 6 % of its workforce, i.e. 80,000 people, 40 % ofwhom are salaried employees.
� Ploughing right up to the sea-sideDENMARK has good soil. Ploughed fields are presentthroughout. � 54.7 % of Denmark’s agricultural land is used for cereal pro-
duction, � 28.4 % is used for grasses (temporary and wild pastures)� 2.4 % is used for rapeseed and peas� 8.7 % is used to produce grass seeds for the pastures and
seeds for industry� 4.7 % is taken up by tubers (potatoes and sugar beets). However, in spite of over-production and falling prices,Danish agriculture remains focussed on dairy production andpig raising.
Crops in first place
WheatBarleyRyePotatoesSugar beets Sugar from sugar beets
4,432,955 tonnes37,790 tonnes
347,782 tonnes1,502,137 tonnes3,545,178 tonnes1,497,162 tonnes
The world’s leading exporter of pig meats
Cattle Sheep PigsPoultry meatMilkButterCheeseEggs
2,000,000 heads120,000 heads
13,000,000 heads205,100 tonnes
4,657,000 tonnes47,900 tonnes
290,000 tonnes78,200 tonnes
Plant produce
Fresh vegetablesFruit
220,000 tonnes51,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timberEnergy wood
1,159,000 m3
556,000 m
A traditional fishing country
Fish 1,400,000 tonnes
105 000 00053 000 000
50 000 000117 000 000
17 000 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
121 869 000
52 700 000
5 975 000
Denmark
46.
� The two Germanys are now as oneSince the reunification of the two Germanys in 1990, theFederal Republic of GERMANY has covered an area of357,000 km2 at the heart of Europe.The integration of the former East GERMANY was not all plainsailing.GERMANY is now composed of 16 individual states (Länder)which each has a certain amount of autonomy.
� A highly dense populationGERMANY has a population of some 83 million and is one
of the most densely populated countries in Europe with 225
inhabitants per km2.
BERLIN, the capital city, currently counts 3.5 million inhabi-tants.
� Medium-sized farms� 17,200,000 ha of the land in Germany are used for farming.� There are 535,000 farms in total of which 5 % cover more
than 100 ha. � The average size of a German farm is 32 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 63 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Farming produces 1 % of the country’s wealth and employs
3 % of its workforce (657,000, 28 % of whom are salariedemployees).
� Arable farming dominatesThe majority of the agricultural land in Germany is used for
wheat, barley, potato and sugar beet farming.
However, SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN in the north, BADEN-WURTEM-
BERG and BAVARIA in the south are developing mixed farming
methods oriented towards raising dairy cows, pigs and poul-
try.
The Rhine and Moselle valleys are renowned for their vine-
yards.
The schistose Rhine massif is covered with dense forest and
the Bavarian Alps play host to a well-developed tourist
industry, in particular in the winter.
Fourth global pig producer
CattleSheep Pigs
Poultry meatEggs
14,000,000 heads2,000,000 heads
26,000,000 heads(4th in the world)
770,000 tonnes820,000 tonnes
Seventh global wine producer
Wine 8,500,000 hl (7th in the world)
Fruit and vegetables
Fresh vegetables Fruit
3,800,000 tonnes3,000,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber29,000,000 m3
Germany
Fishing
Fish 220,000 tonnes
World-leading producer of barley
Wheat
Barley
PotatoesSugar beets
Sugar from sugar beets
20,000,000 tonnes (9th in the world)
13,500,000 tonnes (1st in the world)
13,000,000 tonnes28,000,000 tonnes
(3rd in the world)
4,100,000 tonnes
105 000 000
53 000
50 000117 000
17 000 000
5 975 000
155 000 000
82 000 000 95 000 000
123 000 000
52 700 000
Typical Mediterraneanproduce
Rice OlivesOlive oilWine Citrus fruits Fruits (total) Fresh vegetables Cotton (fibres)Tobacco
47.
� A mountainous peninsulaThe Republic of GREECE is a mountainous peninsula sur-
rounded by islands. It covers a surface area of 131,990 km2.
Jagged mountains, the highest of which is Mount Olympusat 2,917 m, overlook the blue waters of the Mediterranean.The largest of the Greek islands, CRETE, stretches across some266 km from east to west.GREECE has 10.5 million inhabitants with a populationdensity of 78 per km2.
� The fundamental role of agriculture� Agriculture in Greece produces 21 % of the country’s wealth
(in terms of GDP) and employs 23 % of its workforce(600,000, 14 % of whom are salaried employees).
� 3,500,000 ha of the land in Greece are used for farming,27 % of which are devoted to tenant farming.
� There are 821,000 farms in total of which 0.1 % cover morethan 100 ha.
� The average size of a Greek farm is 4.5 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).
� Irrigation as a necessityThe inner-most parts of the peninsula and of the major islandsare not cultivated : only 44 % of the land is cultivated whilst 22% is forest land.Irrigation allows for intensive agriculture within some of theinland basins and on the coastal plains.
Major crops
WheatMaizeBarley
220,000 tonnes2,227,000 tonnes
430,000 tonnes4,000 000 hl
1,039,000 tonnes2,500,000 tonnes3,980,000 tonnes
380,000 tonnes140,000 tonnes
2,000,000 tonnes2,000,000 tonnes
350,000 tonnes
Sheep-breeders
Cattle Sheep Pigs Poultry (meat)WoolEggs
1,000,000 heads9,000,000 heads1,000,000 heads170,000 tonnes10,000 tonnes
110,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber 1,600,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 150,000 tonnes
Greece
2 400 0009 724 000
155 000 0008 710 000
52 700 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
5 975 000
105 000 00036 000 00053 000 000
3rd global wine producer
Wine5th global pig producer
Cattle Sheep Pgs EggsPoultry meatWood
Typical Mediterranean produce
Citrus fruits
Fruit(including citrus fruits)BananasCotton (fibres)Fresh vegetables
4th global producer of barley
Wheat Maize BarleyRicePotatoesOlivesOlive oilSugar beetsSugar from sugar beets
5,127,000 tonnes(4th in the world)
9,500,000 tonnes
330,000 tonnes115,000 tonnes
12,130,000 tonnes
5,000,000 tonnes4,000,000 tonnes9,000,000 tonnes
797,000 tonnes3,000,000 tonnes3,395,000 tonnes
900,000 tonnes8,000,000 tonnes1,200,000 tonnes
Spain
� One State with 17 autonomousregions
The Kingdom of SPAIN covers an area of 504,800 km2.It is made up of 17 autonomous regions. Each region has itsown government which shares administrative responsibilitieswith the central government. The regions have a major say inthe area of agriculture in particular. Spain has a population of40 million with an average population density of 78 inhabi-tants per km2. The current population trend within Spain is tomove out towards the coastal areas. The inland regions, withthe exception of Madrid and its periphery, are emptying.
Almost 5 million people live in the capital Madrid.The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the CanaryIslands in the Atlantic are an integral part of the country.The official language of Spain is Castilian Spanish. There are3 other officially recognised regional languages :� Catalan (spoken in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and in the
Community of Valencia)� Basque (spoken in the Basque Country)� and Galician (spoken in the region of Galicia).
� 54% of Spanish soil is used forAgriculture
� 54 %, or 25,600,000 ha of the land in Spain are devoted toagriculture.
� Agriculture produces 3 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) andemploys 6.4 % of its workforce (720,000), 38.5 % of whomare salaried employees.
� There are 1,210,000 farms in total of which 4 % cover morethan 100 ha.
� The average size of a Spanish farm is 21 ha (EU : 18.5 ha),although major variations are observed between* :
- the average size of a cereal farm at 40 ha- and the average size of a vegetable farm at 6 ha
� 27 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenantfarming.
� Many regions of Spain are characterised by their woodyolive tree, vine and nut tree landscapes
� Huertas and arable farming� In those areas of inland Spain where farming is possible,
such as in CASTILE in the north-west, the agriculture isbased on cereal, potato, oil-producing plant and sugar beetproduction.
� The irrigated zones (huertas) of the deep valleys and coastalplains produce above all citrus fruits and tomatoes. A largepart of this production goes on to be exported, althoughsome of these fruits are consumed by the domestic marketor sold on to the juices and conserves industry.
� Fruit and vegetable production is Spain’s major agriculturalsector, with over a quarter of end production being situat-ed in this sector in economic terms. This is also Spain’s mostdynamic sector.
� Spain’s vineyards stretch the furthest in all of the European Unionoccupying in excess of one million hectares. Quality vineyardsare establishing themselves as a Spanish agricultural trait.
� Olive groves are also common with Spain the world’sbiggest producer of olives and olive oil
35,000,000 hl
6,000,000 heads24,000,000 heads 22,000,000 heads
580,000 tonnes580,000 tonnes
31,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber 10,000,000 m3
A fishing tradition
Fish 930,000 tonnes
105 000 00036 000 00053 000 000
2 400 00050 000 000
9 724 000
117 000 00017000 000
8 710 000
52 700 000
155 000 000
5 975 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
48.
49.
� At the crossroads between thenorth and south of Europe
The French Republic is bounded by the English Channel to
the north, the Mediterranean to the south and the Atlantic
Ocean to the west. It covers a total surface area of 544,000 km2
including the island of Corsica. Metropolitan France is divided
into 22 regions and 95 departments and French Guyana,
Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion are France’s four
overseas departments.
� One in seven of the French popula-tion live in the Paris region
France has a population of 59.1 million with an average pop-ulation density of 108 inhabitants per km2.More than 2 million people live in the capital city of PARIS andits surrounding areas are home to some 8 million residents.
� The green giant of the European Union� France is western Europe’s agricultural giant and, with only
Italy for competition, is the world’s leading wine producer.
� 28,350,000 ha of the land in France are used for agriculture.
� There are 680,000 farms in France in total, of which 10 %
cover more than 100 ha.
� The average size of a French farm is 42 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).
� Agriculture produces 2 % of the country’s wealth (GDP)
and employs 6 % of its workforce (960,000, 24 % of
whom are salaried workers).
� 66 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.
� Both arable and specialist farmingThe Paris basin focuses its agricultural activities on arablefarming, including such crops as cereals and processing crops.The regions in the west of France concentrate on animalbreeding, whilst the south-west bases its agriculture onmixed farming and breeding.The deep valleys and Midi area towards the Mediterraneanare highly successful in specialist farming (fruits, vegetables,vines, etc.).The forests of France cover over a quarter of its overall surfacearea. Highland agriculture is still a highly dynamic sector.
Wood
Forest landRough timber
15,000,000 ha36,000,000 m3
Fishing
Pêche 580,000 tonnes
France
The world’s leading wine producer
Wine
Fruit and vegetables
Fresh vegetablesFruit
4th global producer of wheat
Oats Wheet
Maize
Barley
Rice PotatoesRapeseedSugar beets
Sugar from sugar beets
6,300,000 tonnes3,100,000 tonnes
Fish
TobaccoFlax
26,000 tonnes60,000 tonnes
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
124 000 000
105 000 000
36 000 000
53 000 000
2 400 00050 000 000
117 000 000
17 000 000
5 975 000
635,000 tonnes37,000,000 tonnes
(4th in the world)
15,000,000 tonnes (5th in the world)
10,000,000 tonnes(5th in the world)
107,000 tonnes7,000,000 tonnes4,600,000 tonnes
31,000,000 tonnes(1st in the world)
4 900 000 tonnes
59,000,000 hl (1st in the world)
All types of breeding
Cattle Sheep PigsHorses
MilkButterCheeseEggqMeat(of which poultry)
Wool
20,000,000 heads9,000,000 heads
16,000,000 heads350,000 heads
25,000,000 tonnes460,000 tonnes
1 600,000 tonnes950,000 tonnes
6,500,000 tonnes2,300,000 tonnes
22,000 tonnes
52 700 000
155 000 000
Arable farming is present too
Oats Wheat Barley PotatoesSugar beetsSugar from sugar beetsFresh vegetablesFruit
50.
Ireland / Eire
� A green islandIreland covers a total area of 70,284 km2 made up of a vastcentral limestone plateau ringed by hills and coastal moun-tains. The highest of these mountains reaches some 1,040 m.The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland (368 km), a coun-try which also has a great many lakes. This land mass is divid-ed into four provinces : Ulster, Munster, Leinster andConnacht. Each province is further divided into counties. TheRepublic of Ireland is made up of 26 different counties while6 counties within the province of Ulster belong to NorthernIreland (the United Kingdom).
� A tradition of emigrationIRELAND currently has a population of approximately 3.7 mil-lion, 1 million of whom live in and around Dublin, the capitalcity. The population density is 50.4 inhabitants per km2.Historically, the emigration rate in Ireland was the highest inEurope. Many people throughout the world, but particularlyin the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, haveIrish roots.According to the Irish constitution, Irish Gaeilge is the firstlanguage of Ireland and all official documents are publishedboth in English and Gaelic. However, English is the mothertongue of the great majority of the population.
� An agricultural sector that mattersAgriculture occupies a choice position within the Irish econo-my.� almost 5,000,000 ha of the land in Ireland are used for agri-
culture.� 90 % of that agricultural land comes in the form of grass-
land.
� Agriculture and food production produce 10.5 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) and employ 10.5 % of its workforce.
� There are 143,900 farms in total.� The average size of an Irish farm is 29 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).
47 % of Irish farms are smaller than 20 ha.� Cattle and dairy farming account for 60 % of total agricul-
tural production.
Wood
Rough timber 2,000,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 280,000 tonnes
Mostly cattle and sheep breeding
CattleSheep Pigs
MilkButterCheeseEggs
Meatof which poultry
Wool
120,000 tonnes650,000 tonnes
1,000,000 tonnes500,000 tonnes
2,000,000 tonnes240,000 tonnes245,000 tonnes
17,000 tonnes
6,000,000 heads5,000,000 heads2,000,000 heads
5,043,000 tonnes135,000 tonnes106,000 tonnes
402,000,000 eggs
1,000,000 tonnes130,000 tonnes
13,000,tonnes
105 000 00053 000 00050 000 000
117 000 00017 000 00052 700 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
124 000 000
5 975 000
Animal breeding
Cattle Sheep Poultry meatCheeseEggsWool
51.
Italy
� A peninsula and two major islandsThe Italian Republic (301,270 km2) is composed of a penin-sula, stretching out into the Mediterranean sea south of theAlpine arc, and several islands. The two major islands of Italyare Sicily in the south-west and Sardinia in the west.Italy is split up into twenty different regions, five of whichenjoy considerable autonomy. These are Trentino, Friuli, Valled’Aoste, Sardinia and Sicily.
� High densityITALY has a population of almost 58 million and an averagedensity of 189 inhabitants per km2. 2.7 million people live inthe capital ROME.
� The dominance of small-scalefarming
� 14,835,000 ha of the land in Italy are used for agriculture.
� There are 2,315,000 farms in total of which 1 % cover morethan 100 ha.
� The average size of an Italian farm is 6.5 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 24 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Agriculture produces 3 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) and
employs 9 % of the workforce (1,800,000 people, 15 % ofwhom are salaried employees).
� Mixed farming at national levelThe barren backbone of Italy is surrounded by fertile basinsand coastal plains.The Po Plain, where irrigation is possible, remains the bastionof Italian agriculture and in terms of the islands, Sicily offersbetter farming conditions than Sardinia.
2nd global wine producer
Wine
Citrus fruits
Fresh vegetablesFruit(including citrus fruits)
5,700,000 hl(2nd in the world)
2,101,000 tonnes(6th in the world)
15,150,000 tonnes10,000,000 tonnes
A rice producer
Wheat Maize Rice OlivesOlive oilSoyaSugar beets
Sugar
7,000,000 heads11,000,000 heads1,200,000 tonnes1,000,000 tonnes
620,000 tonnes11,700 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber 9,500,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 280,000 tonnes
105 000 00038 900 000
2 400 0009 724 000
117 000 000
17 000 000
82 000 00095 000 000
5 975 000
155 000 000
8 710 000
52 700 000
8,000,000 tonnes10,100,000 tonnes
1,185,000 tonnes3,751,000 tonnes
500,000 tonnes1,200,000 tonnes
13,000,000 tonnes(9th in the world)
1,700,000 tonnes
52.
Luxembourg
� At the heart of EuropeThe Grand-Duchy of LUXEMBOURG is a land-locked coun-try with a total surface area of 2,586 km2.The Oesling plateau in the north peaks at 559 m. It is part ofthe Ardennes. The Gutland in the south reaches an averageheight of 250 m. The main rivers in Luxembourg are theMoselle, the Our and the Sûre.
LUXEMBOURG has a population of 430,000 with an averagedensity of 166 inhabitants per km2.Luxemburgish is the language spoken by the local popula-tion and became an official language in 1984. French is mostoften used by the public services whilst German is the mostcommon language to be read in the press.
� A discreet agricultural tradition...� 127,000 ha of the land in Luxembourg are used for agricul-
ture.� Agriculture employs 2.2 % of the workforce (15 % of whom
are salaried employees).� There are 2,461 farms in total of which 47 % cover more
than 50 ha (and 9 % cover more than 100 ha).� The average size of a farm in Luxembourg is 53 ha (EU :
18.5 ha).� 54 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.
� ... making constant progress A third of the territory of Luxembourg is covered with forest.The agricultural land is concentrated within the sedimentaryGUTLAND in the south where half of the fields are used forcereal production. Pasturage is also making progress. TheOesling in the Ardennes to the north-west is not suited toagriculture, whilst the Moselle valley houses a vineyard.
Quality wine
Wine 160,000 hl
Animal breeding
Cattle SheepPigs
Major arable crops
WheatBarleyPotatoes
210,000 heads7,000 heads
85,000 heads
105 000 00053 000 00050 000 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
155 000 000
61,000 tonnes63,000 tonnes21,000 tonnes
Intensive farming
Cattle Sheep Pigs
MilkButterCheeseEggs
Meatof which poultry
53.
The Netherlands
� Land stolen back from the seaThe NETHERLANDS (540,840 km2) are located on the north-western plains of Europe. They are bounded to the north andwest by the North Sea and a large part of the country liesbelow sea-level. Agriculture in the Netherlands is based onpolders, land regained from the sea. The land is dotted withlakes, rivers and canals. The south-east, a region whereplateau characteristics can be found, is the only region that isprotected from the floods that can occur as a result of dam-age to the sea walls. The highest point in the Netherlands isthe Vaalserberg in Limburg at 321 metres.The NETHERLANDS are divided into twelve provinces.
� A high level of densityThe NETHERLANDS has a population of over 16 million withan average density of 452 inhabitants per km2. This makesit the most densely populated country in the European Unionand one of the most densely populated countries in theworld. The population density is at its highest in the Randstadconurbation which groups together the cities of AMSTER-DAM, THE HAGUE, ROTTERDAM and UTRECHT.Dutch is the first official language of the Netherlands. The sec-ond official language, Frisian is spoken in the north-easternprovince of Friesland.
� Highly mechanised agriculture� 2,000,000 ha of the land in the Netherlands are used for
agriculture.� There are 108,000 farms in total of which 1.5 % cover more
than 100 ha.� The average size of a Dutch farm is 19 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 28 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Agriculture produces 3 % of the country’s wealth and
employs 5 % of the workforce (210,000 workers 27 % ofwhom are salaried employees).
� Horticulture accounts for 42 % of the total value of theNetherlands’ agricultural production.
� Exports of cut flowers are of particular significance (16 % oftotal agricultural production value).
� Europe’s gardenersThe agricultural land of the Netherlands has been wrestedfrom the sea or from the moors and peat bogs of the Rhine,Meuse and Scheldt delta and the sandy hills that surround it.This ongoing battle has resulted in the emergence of smallagricultural islands producing excellent yields and not only onthe polders. More traditional agricultural methods are used inZealand and Friesland. The Randstad region continues to eataway at the Dutch countryside.
Major crops
Wheat Barley PotatoesSugar beetsSugar from sugar beets
1,100,000 tonnes240,000 tonnes
8,000,000 tonnes7,000,000 tonnes1,100,000 tonnes
Horticulture first
Fresh vegetablesFruit
4,000,000 heads1,500,000 heads
13,000,000 heads
11,500,000 tonnes150,000 tonnes630,000 tonnes580,000 tonnes
2,600,000 tonnes675,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber 9,000,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 510,000 tonnes
52 700 000
105 000 00053 000 00050 000 000
117 000 00017 000 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
124 000 000
7 500 000
5 975 000
3,700,000 tonnes714,000 tonnes
54.
Austria
� A mountainous countryThe Republic of AUSTRIA, located in central Europe, is amountainous country in which the Alps occupy two thirds ofthe ground surface. The highest point in Austria is theGrossglockner at 3,797 m.The total surface area of this country is 83,857 km2. It is madeup of nine federal states (Länder).
� A quarter of all Austrians livein the capital
Austria has a population of 8.1 million.More than 1.7 million people live in the capital Vienna.
� 40% of the land is used for agriculture.
� 3,420,000 ha of the land in Austria are used for agriculture.� There are 210,000 farms in total of which 1.5 % cover more
than 100 ha.� The average size of an Austrian farm is 16 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 21 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Agriculture produces 2 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) and
employs 7 % of the workforce (a workforce of 180,000, 10% of whom are salaried employees).
� Piedmont agricultureAUSTRIA combines mountain agriculture focussed on dairyproduction with more diversified piedmont farming meth-ods. The banks of the Danube are home to vineyards whichessentially supply the domestic market.
Vines
Wine 2,800,000 hl
Fruit and vegetables
Fresh vegetablesFruit
The most common crops
Wheat Barley MaizePotatoesSugar beets
530,000 tonnes200,000 tonnes
Cattle and pigs lead
Cattle Pigs
MilkButterCheesePoultry meatEggs
2,000,000 heads3,000,000 heads
3,100,000 tonnes45,000 tonnes
102,000 tonnes107,000 tonnes100,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber 11,000,000 m3
105 000 00053 000 00036 000 00050 000 000
117 000 000
52 700 000
82 000 000123 000 000
124 000 000
155 000 000
1,200,000 tonnes1,200,000 tonnes1,700,000 tonnes1,000,000 tonnes3,000,000 tonnes
55.
Portugal
� An Atlantic country withMediterranean traits
The Portuguese Republic (91,980 km2) lies along the Atlanticcoast of the Iberian peninsula. The Azores and Madeira aretwo archipelagos which belong to Portugal, but areautonomous regions.
� A history of emigrationPORTUGAL has a population of 10 million. Its average popu-lation density is 107 inhabitants per km2, but is much greaterall along the coast to the north of LISBON. Lisbon and Portoare the two largest cities.The number of Portuguese people living elsewhere in theworld is estimated at 3 million. France, Germany andLuxembourg are the preferred destinations of Portugueseemigrants moving within the European Union.
� Agriculture produces almost afifth of the country’s wealth
� 3,800,000 ha of the land in Portugal are used for agricul-ture.
� There are 420,000 farms in total of which 2 % cover morethan 100 ha.
� The average size of a Portuguese farm is 9 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 29 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Agriculture produces 17 % of the country’s wealth (GDP)
and employs 17 % of the workforce (520,000 individuals,18 % of whom are salaried employees).
� Mediterranean production but agri-culture without little irrigation
The nearby ocean means that Portugal, although it deals inproduce of an essentially Mediterranean nature, needs verylittle irrigation. Irrigation is used in only very few farms. Overand above the uncultivated mountainous regions, rain-fedplantations are the most common. Cork oaks grown for the pro-duction of bottle corks are a particular Portuguese speciality.
Arable farming
Wheat Maize Barley Potatoes
360,000 tonnes800,000 tonnes
30,000 tonnes1,000,000 tonnes
A tradition of sheep breeding
Cattle Sheep Pigs Poultry meatEggsCheeseWool
Mediterranean produce
RiceOlivesOlive oilWineCitrus fruitsFruit (including citrus fruits)Fresh vegetables
1,000,000 heads3,600,000 heads2,000,000 heads270,000 tonnes85,000 tonnes65,000 tonnes9,000 tonnes
Wood
Rough timber 47,000,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 210,000 tonnes
143,000 tonnes334,000 tonnes
40,000 tonnes5,500,000 hl
324,000 tonnes712,000 tonnes
2,700,000 tonnes
2 400 0009 724 000
155 000 0008 710 000
52 700 000
105 000 00036 000 00053 000 00050 000 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
5 975 000
Arable farming makes its mark
Oats Wheat Barley Rye PotatoesSugar beetsSugar from sugar beetsFresh vegetablesFruit
Leading producer of wood pulp
ForestsRough timber
NewspaperRough timber
56.
1,588,000 tonnes254,000 tonnes
1,900,000 tonnes24,000 tonnes
1,000,000 tonnes1,000,000 tonnes
160,000 tonnes240,000 tonnes13,000 tonnes
Finland
� Surrounded by the Baltic SeaThe Republic of FINLAND (Suomi in Finnish) stretches acrossthe northern part of Europe. It is bounded by the Baltic Sea tothe west and to the south. FINLAND covers a surface area ofmore than 338,000 km2, including thousands of lakes, thebiggest of which are located in the eastern half of the coun-try. Agricultural land is to be found in the south only.
� Very low densityFINLAND has a population of 5 million and an average den-sity of 16 inhabitants per km2. Roughly 60 % of the popula-tion live in built-up areas.500,000 people live in HELSINKI.The Finns are greatly attracted by rural life – there are almost400,000 summer chalets located throughout the Finnishcountryside.A small Sami population lives in the north of the countrywhere it uses its own language and has to a certain extentpreserved its traditional lifestyle.There are two official languages in FINLAND: 93.4 % of thepopulation speak Finnish and 5.9 % speak Swedish.
� Finnish agriculture� 2,200,000 ha of the land in Finland are used for agriculture.� There are 91,400 farms in total of which 2 % cover more
than 100 ha.� The average size of a Finnish farm is 24 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 22 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Agriculture produces 6 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) and
employs 9 % of the workforce (126,000 individuals, 6 % ofwhom are salaried employees).
� Forestry firstTwo thirds of Finland is covered in forest land (boreal coniferforest to the north with mixed forest further south). The peatbogs, to be found either under forest land or without anytrees, cover 30 % of the land. The forest and its related indus-tries, such as the wood pulp and paper sectors, form one ofthe major pillars of Finland’s economy.Farming land is to be found to the south of the forest.Diary production accounts for 40 % of the total value ofFinnish agricultural production, whilst reindeer breeding rep-resents less than 5 %, being of any real importance only inLapland.
A troop of 196,000 reindeer
Cattle Pigs Poultry meatReindeer
MilkButterCheeseEggs
1,000,000 heads1,000,000 heads
61,000 tonnes196,000 heads
2,500,000 tonnes53,000 tonnes90,000 tonnes63,000 tonnes
20,000 000 ha10,000,000 tonnes
(25 % of total world exports)
1,500,000 tonnes30,000,000 m3
105 000 00053 000 000
50 000 000117 000 000
17 000 00052 700 000
82 000 000123 000 000
400 000
124 000 000
5 975 000
Fishing
Fish 145,000 tonnes of fish
Europe’s leading rough timberproducer
ForestsRough timber produced in 1998
57.
� The largest of the Nordic countriesSituated in the centre of northern Europe, SWEDEN is not
only the largest (450,000 km2) but also the most heavily
populated of the Nordic states. Half of its land surface is
covered in forest and less than 10 % is used for agriculture.
Almost a thousand lakes are dotted across its countryside,
which is relatively flat. A long mountain range, the
‘Scandinavian mountains’, stretches along the north-west of
the country reaching a maximum height of 2,123 m.
� Low population densitySWEDEN has a population of 9 million, 85 % of whom live inthe southern half of the country. The average population den-sity in Sweden is 21 inhabitants per km2.There is a Sami population of 15,000 to 17,000.
� Sizeable farms� 3,100,000 ha of the land in Sweden are used for agriculture.� There are 89,600 farms in total of which 8 % cover more
than 100 ha.� The average size of a Swedish farm is 35 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 48 % of the agricultural surface is devoted to tenant farm-
ing.� Agriculture produces 2 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) and
employs 3 % of the workforce (82,000 individuals, 24 % ofwhom are salaried employees).
� Two major agricultural zonesThe north of Sweden is uncultivated. The boreal conifer forestto the north and the mixed north-European forest to thesouth cover the majority of the country. However, in thesouth-eastern half of Sweden, there are two immense agricul-tural zones around the STOCKHOLM area and further to thesouth-west.
Diversified breeding
CattleSheep Pigs ReindeerPoultry meat
MilkButterCheeseEggs
2,000,000 heads440,000 heads
2,000,000 heads200,000 heads87,000 heads
3,300,000 tonnes59,000 tonnes
128,000 tonnes106,000 tonnes
Industrial crops
Oats Wheat Barley PotatoesSugar beets Sugar from sugar beetsFresh vegetablesFruit
Fishing
Fish
Sweden
105 000 00053 000 00050 000 000
117 000 00017 000 00052 700 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000400 000
124 000 000
5 975 00024,500,000 ha47,000,000 m3
1,200,000 tonnes2,000,000 tonnes1,900,000 tonnes1,000,000 tonnes3,000,000 tonnes
500,000 tonnes250,000 tonnes
29,000 tonnes
410,000 tonnes of fish
58.
� An archipelago bounded by theAtlantic, the North Sea and theChannelisland with annexes
The UNITED KINGDOM of Great Britain and NorthernIreland covers a surface area of 244,111 km2. It is made up of:� the island of Great Britain, itself divided into England,
Scotland and Wales and which is by far the largest of theislands, and
� Northern Ireland (Ulster), located in the north-eastern partof the island of Ireland.
� A highly dense populationThe UNITED KINGDOM has a population of 60 million, withan average density of 239 inhabitants per km2.London, the capital city, is home to 7 million inhabitants.
� Large farms� 16,170,000 ha of the land in the UK are used for agricul-
ture.� There are 233,000 farms in total of which 18 % cover more
than 100 ha.� The average size of a farm in the UK is 70 ha (EU : 18.5 ha).� 35 % of the agricultural land used is devoted to tenant
farming.� Agriculture produces 2 % of the country’s wealth (GDP) and
employs 2 % of the workforce (416,000 individuals, 38 %of whom are salaried employees).
� Increasingly intensive towards thesouth-east
The agriculture of the UNITED KINGDOM becomes increas-ingly intensive moving from the north-west to the south-east,i.e. from the wild Scottish Highlands to the wheat fields ofsouth-east England. Between these two extremes there is anarea of natural grazing followed by a zone of farms specialisedin grazing and breeding.
Fruit and vegetables
Fresh vegetablesFruit
2,850,000 tonnes310,000 tonnes
8th global producer of barley
Wheat Barley
PotatoesSugar beets
Sugar from sugar beets
Wood
Rough timber 4,700,000 m3
Fishing
Fish 830,000 tonnes
The United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
105 000 00053 000 000
50 000 000117 000 000
17 000 000
82 000 00095 000 000
123 000 000
124 000 000
17 000 000
52 700 000
1,500,000 tonnes7,500,000 tonnes
(8th in the world)
7,000,000 tonnes10,500,000 tonnes
(10th in the world)
1,700,000 tonnes
Europe’s leading shepherd
Cattle sheepPigs
MilkButterCheeseMeatof which poultry
EggsWool
11,000,000 heads28,000,000 heads6,000,000 heads
15,000,000 tonnes140,000 tonnes400,000 tonnes
4,000,000 tonnes1,500,000 tonnes
600,000 tonnes70,000 tonnes
5 975 000
59.
IV. European Council of young farmers (CEJA)
Founded in Rome in 1958, CEJA now has 22 member organisations from the 15 EU Member Statesand 6 associated members from Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Sloveniawhich together represent the interests of almost one million young farmers.
CEJA’s objectives
� Informing, training, organising and representing young farmers in Europe,� Facilitate the conditions for young people to establish a career in agriculture,� Act as a forum for communication and dialogue between young farmers in Europe,� Promoting the development of agriculture and rural areas within the EU,� Inform society about the roles of agriculture.
CEJA’s concerns
� Prevailing conditions and economic incentives for agricultural entrepreneurs to start up. � Turning the ageing of the professional agricultural population.� Following the development in the CAP closely, especially by trying to lead the debate ahead of the
various Agenda 2000 mid term sectoral reviews planned for 2002/03.� Encouraging the development of safe and fair trade rather than free trade within the WTO. � Continuing to be involved in the enlargement process, among others by developing more stable
links with young farmer for the CEECs.� Continuing to ensure the best possible dialogue with and protection of the consumers. � Continuing to inform and to encourage dialogue and strengthen the networking between young
farmers in Europe. � Giving attention to new tools in the agricultural sector.
60.
Young farmers organisations that are members of CEJA
BELGIUM/ BELGIE / BELGIUM
GROENE KRING (VZW)Waversebaan 99B-3050 OUD HEVERLEETél. +32/16/47 99 99Fax : +32/16/47 99 85e-mail : [email protected]
JEUNES ALLIANCES PAYSANNES (JAP)Chaussée de Namur 47B-5030 GEMBLOUXTél. +32/81/60 00 60Fax +32/81/60 05 27e-mail : [email protected]
DANEMARK / DENMARK
DANMARKS LANDBOUNGDOMUdkaersvej 15, SkejbyDK-8200 ÅRHUS NTél. +45/87/40.50.00Fax +45/87/40.50.85e-mail : [email protected]
ALLEMAGNE / DEUTSCHLAND /GERMANY
BUND DER DEUTSCHEN LANDJUGEND (BDL)Ernst-Reuter Platz 3-5D-10587 Berlin Tél. +49/30.31.904.253 Fax +49/30.31.904.206e-mail : [email protected]
GRECE / ELLAS / GREECE
PANHELLENIC FEDERATION OF YOUNG FARMERS’ ORGANIZATIONS (GESASE)
Kifisias avenue 16,GR-11526 ATHENSTél. +30/1/77 117 11Fax +30/1/77 101 57e-mail : [email protected]
ESPAGNE / ESPAÑA / SPAIN
JUVENTUDES AGRARIAS DE COAGc/Agustín de Bethancourt 17, 5°E-28003 MADRIDTél. +34/91/534 63 91 Fax : +34/91/534 65 37e-mail : [email protected]
ASOCIACIÓN AGRARIA JÓVENESAGRICULTORES (ASAJA)
Agustin de Bethancourt 17, E-28003 MADRIDTél. +34/91/533 67 64 Fax : +34/91/534 92 86e-mail : [email protected]
FRANCE
JEUNES AGRICULTEURS (JA)14, rue La BoétieF-75 382 PARIS cedex 08Tél. +33/1/42 65 17 51Fax +33/1/47 42 62 84 e-mail : [email protected]
IRLANDE / EIRE / IRELAND
MACRA NA FEIRMEIrish Farm Centre, BluebellIRL-DUBLIN 12Tél. +33/1/42 65 17 51Fax +33/1/47 42 62 84
ITALIE / ITALIA / ITALY
ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE GIOVANI AGRICOLTORI (ANGA)
Corso Vittorio Emanuele 101I-00186 ROMATél. +39/06/686 98 50Fax +39/06/686 49 49 e-mail : [email protected]
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MOVIMENTO GIOVANILE-CONFEDERAZIONENAZIONALE COLTIVATORI DIRETTI (CNCD)
Via XXIV Maggio 43,I-00187 ROMA Tél. +39/06 46 82 394 - 48 24 371Fax +39/06 46 82 393 e-mail : [email protected]
ASSOCIAZIONE GIOVANI IMPRENDITORI AGRICOLI (AGIA-CIA)
Via Flaminia 56I-00196 ROMA Tél. +39/06 32 03 564Fax +39/06 32 03 566 e-mail : [email protected]
LUXEMBOURG
LETZEBUEGER JONGBAUEREN A JONGWENZER5 Avenue Marie-Thérèse L-2132 LUXEMBOURG Tél. +352/447 43 252Fax +352/447 45 1
CENTRALE PAYSANNE - Service jeunesse -Lëtzebuerger Bauerejugend
Bd. d’Avranches 16L-2980 LUXEMBOURGTél. +352/48 81 61-1 Fax +352/40 03 75 e-mail : [email protected]
PAYS-BAS / NEDERLAND
NEDERLANDS AGRARISCH JONGEREN KONTAKT (NAJK)
Postbus 816NL-3500 AV UTRECHT Tél. +31/30/27 69 869Fax +31/30/27 10 577e-mail : [email protected]
AUTRICHE / AUSTRIA
ÖSTERREICHISCHE LANDJUGENDLöwelstraße 12A-1014 WIENTél. +43/1 53 441 306 Fax +43/1 53 441 328 e-mail : [email protected]
PORTUGAL
ASSOCIAÇAO DOS JOVENS AGRICULTORESDE PORTUGAL (AJAP)
Rua D. Pedro, V, 108-2°P-1250 LISBOA Tél. +351/213 431 485/6/7/8Fax +351/213 431 490 e-mail : [email protected]
FINLANDE / FINLAND
CENTRAL UNION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND FOREST OWNERS (MTK)
P.O. Box 510SF-00101 HELSINKITél. +358/9/13 11 51Fax +358/9/13 11 5408 e-mail : [email protected]
SUEDE / SWEDEN
LRF-UngdomenKlara Östra Kyrkogata 12S-105 33 STOCKHOLM Tél. +46/8 787 5000 - 787 5482Fax +46/8 200 832 e-mail : [email protected]
ROYAUME-UNI / UNITED KINGDOM
THE YOUNG FARMERS’CLUBS OF ULSTER (YFC)475 Antrim RoadUK-BELFAST BT15 3BD, Northern IrelandTél. +44/1232 37 07 13 Fax +44/1232 77 79 46 e-mail : [email protected]
SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION OF YOUNGFARMERS’CLUBS (SAYFC)
Ingliston, Newbridge UK-MIDLOTHIAN EH28 8NE, ScotlandTél. +44/131 333 24 45 Fax +44/131 333 24 88 e-mail : [email protected]
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF YOUNG FARMERS’CLUBS (NFYFC)
National Agricultural Centre, Kenilworth,UK-WARWICKSHIRE CV8 2LGTél. +44/1247 6857 200 Fax +44/1247 6857 229 e-mail : [email protected]
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BELGIUM
� PlattelandsklassenLeemweg 24B-9980 Sint-LaureinsTél. + 32/9/379 74 77Fax + 32/9/379 74 78E-mail : [email protected] site : http://plattelandsklassen.be
A Flemish organization aiming at promoting countrylife and regional environment through visits to farmsand education materials.
DENMARK
� Danmarks Landboungdom / Danish YoungFarmers Organization :
Udkærsvej 15, Skejby8200 Århus N.Tél. + 45/8740 5000Web site :www.Landboungdom.dk
The Danish Young Farmers organization is a nationaldemocratic organisation with 84 local unions distribu-ted by 14 regional organizations. The organizationhas about 6600 members between 16 and 35 years.All young people interested in rural life or agriculturecan be a member of The Danish Young Farmers.
The objective of the Danish Young FarmersOrganization is to promote the general purpose of thefarm youth work, which is :- To inform young people on agricultural conditionsand to give advice on the content and extend of theagricultural education.- To offer young people participation to the agricultu-ral education and in arrangements of general andsocial character.- To offer them a background for attending in thedemocratic management of the agricultural unionswork.- To contribute to greater independence, sense of res-ponsibility and interest in the social conditions amongyoung people in rural areas.- To be industrial political spokesmen for young far-mers.
� Landbrugets Samfundskontakt / Publicrelations service of the Danish farmers
Axeltorv 31609 København VTél. + 45/3314 5672Web site : www.Samfundskontakt.net/
Landbrugets Samfundskontakt is a department ofDanish Agricultural Council. The purpose of“Landbrugets Samfundskontakt” (public relation ser-vice of the Danish farmers) -is to increase understan-ding between townspeople and farmers. We improvethe contact between them- by providing towns-people- with information about farming and also byinviting as many of them as possible to see and expe-rience farming.ExperiencesFarm visits are organised for both adults and children.Come and see how your food is produced - and howthe farmer is managing the environment of the opencountry.InformationExhibitions, debates, lectures and information aboutfarming, livestock, food, consumption etc.If you need a visiting teacher, a lecturer, a panellist ora co-organiser for an event about farming or food, wewould be pleased to help you find the right person.
� Landbrugsrådet / Danish AgriculturalCouncil
Axelborg Axeltorv 31609 København VTél. +45/3314 5672Web site : www.Landbrugsrådet.dk
Danish Agricultural Council is a joint committee of themain agricultural organizations in Denmark. Theyrepresent farmers’ unions, co-operatives and otheragricultural relations.
� Danmarks 4H / Danish 4HUdkærsvej 15, Skejby8200 Århus NTél. + 45/8740 5000Web site : www.Danmarks4H.dk
The Danish 4H organization is arranging practical acti-vities for children and young people. They can makeindividual or group projects in relation to animals,nature, gardening and household. Around Denmarkthere are also a number of 4H-farms.
� Landbrugets Rådgivningscenter / TheDanish Agricultural Advisory Centre
Udkærsvej 15, Skejby8200 Århus NTél. + 45/8740 5000Web site : www.lr.dk
V. USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS
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The Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre (DAAC) isorganized and owned by The Danish Farmers’’ Unionsand The Danish Family Farmers’’ Associations. DAAC’’sInternational Department is offering to other countriesits assistance in core activities closely linked to exper-tise put into practise in Denmark like : - Development of agricultural advisory systems basedon user influence - in co-operation with farmers’ orga-nizations - Development of links between the agricultural advi-sory service and the agricultural schools for future far-mers- Development of links between the agricultural advi-sory service and the agricultural research institutesand universities.
� Arla Foods ambaSkanderborgvej 277P. O. Box 2400DK-8260 Viby JTél. +45/89 38 10 00Fax +45/86 28 16 91E-mail : [email protected]
Arla Foods’ objective is to be the consumers’ and cus-tomers’ preferred dairy. In Northern Europe - with awide range of dairy products.In Southern Europe - with selected ranges of cheeseand butter.Outside Europe - with a product range adapted to theindividual markets.Moreover, Arla Foods intends to maintain and developits position as an innovative global supplier of addedvalue, milk-based ingredients for leading food produ-cers throughout the world.Other links (web sites) where to find facts aboutDanish agriculture :www.landbrug.dk www.agrofact.dk
� The Danish Outdoor CouncilThe Council is an umbrella organisation for more than90 Danish NGOs, who are all involved in outdoor acti-vities. The primary purpose of the Council is to pro-mote the access to outdoor recreation for NGOs andthe general public, while also taking environmentaland nature protection issues under consideration. TheDanish Outdoor Council is the Danish member of theFoundation for Environmental Education in Europe,and hosts the European Co-ordinations for both theLearning About Forests and the Blue Flag pro-grammes. More information on the Council can befound at : www.friluftsraadet.dk
� The Foundation for EnvironmentalEducation in Europe
The Foundation for Environmental Education inEurope is a truly European organisation, which israpidly becoming Global. Its founding fathers wereexperts of a group on environmental education of theCouncil of Europe. Representatives of France, Spain,Germany and Denmark signed the founding charter in1981 in the Netherlands.The aim of the Foundation for EnvironmentalEducation in Europe is to foster environmental educa-tion. This aim is fulfilled through both environmentaleducation actions, lobbying and awareness raising atnational and European level. The Foundation is, howe-ver, first and foremost a pragmatic and action-orien-ted organisation.Presently, the organisation includes members frommore than 20 European countries. They represent allcorners of Europe : North, South, East and West. You can learn more about the Foundation forEnvironmental Education in Europe and its pro-grammes at :www.feee.orgwww.blueflag.orgwww.eco-schools.orgwww.youngreporters.orgwww.learning-about-forests.org
� Learning About ForestsThe Learning About Forests programme is the fourthprogramme of the Foundation for EnvironmentalEducation in Europe. The goal of the Learning AboutForests programme is to inspire the participatingcountries to help pupils and teachers of primaryschools to use the forests as an outdoor learning faci-lity. Pupils and teachers will be introduced to life in theforests, and learn to appreciate the forests as part ofmodern society. The programme focus on the valuesthat the forest represents to us all, both for outdoorenjoyment and as a renewable and sustainable resour-ce that can be used and re-used. The programme thushelps to increase young peoples’ knowledge of forestsand the use of forests.You can learn more about the programme at :Learning About Forests European Co-ordinationThe Danish Outdoor CouncilScandiagade 13DK - 2450 Copenhagen SVDenmarkTél. +45/ 33 79 00 79Fax +45/ 33 79 01 79E-mail : [email protected] : www.learning-about-forests.org
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GERMANY
� IMA - Information. Medien. AgrarAuerberger Allee 1D-53117 BonnTél. +49/228/ 55 979 0Fax +49/228/ 55 979 20Web site : www.ima-agrar.de
Informations and teaching medias about/for “schooland agriculture”.
� Centrale Marketing-Gesellschaft der deutschen Agrarwirtschaft
Web site : www.cma.de
Information about food
� Auswertungs- und Informationsdienst fürErnährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten(aid)
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 3D-53177 BonnTél. +49/228/ 84 99 0Fax +49/228/ 84 99 177E-mail : [email protected] site : www.aid.de
Teaching medias for food agriculture, environment
� AgranetWeb site : www.agranet.de
Portal-site for facts about German agriculture (variousinstitutions)
GREECE
� OGEEKA DEMETRA29 Acharnon10432 Athènes
� Ministère de l’agriculture2 Acharnon 10432 Athènes
SPAIN
� www.redr.es
The Spanish Rural Development Network is an associa-tion made up of 164 local action groups workingthroughout Spain to promote rural development.99 of these groups are responsible for managing the“Leader” project and the remaining 65 are involved inthe national “Proder” programme.www.infoagro.com provides information on agricul-tural training courses and centres of education.The following websites provide news on agricultureand agriculture and environment policy :www.agroterra.com; www.agroguia.com ; www.europaagraria.com ;www.elagricultor.com; www.agricultura.com;www.lagacetarural.com; www.agrodigital.com
� Spanish Teachers’AssociationWeb sites : www.aede.org
www.aede.org/espana
IRELAND
� Agri AwareWaverley Office ParkIRL-Dublin 12Tél. +353/1/ 460 11 03/05Fax + 353/1/450 89 12Web site : www.agriaware.ie
Teaching mediums for food agriculture and the environment
� Bord GlasWeb site : www.bordglas.ie
The horticultural Development Board in Ireland. BordGlas promotes increased consumption of all qualityhorticultural produce.
LUXEMBOURG
� Administration des Services Techniques del’Agriculture
Web site : http://www.asta.etat.lu/
� Institut Viti-vinicoleWeb site : http://www.meridian.lu/vin/de/index.htm
� Office national du remembrememtWeb site : http://www.etat.lu/ONR/
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THE NETHERLANDS
� NAJKPostbus 8162500 AV UtrechtTél. +31 30 2769869Fax +31 30 2710577E-mail : [email protected] site : www.najk.nl
� AgriterraWillemsplein 43-ii6811 KD ArnhemTél. + 31 264455445Fax +31 264455978E-mail : [email protected] site : www.agriterra.org
AUSTRIA
� Österreichische LandjugendLöwelstrasse 12, 1010 WienTél. 01/53441-0www.landjugend.ataktuelle Veranstaltungen
� Österreichische JungbauernschaftBrucknerstrasse 6, 1040 WienTél. 01/5058173-0www.jungbauern.atüber 600 Agrarlinks
� Aktuelle Agrarinformationwww.agrar-net.at
PORTUGAL
� Associação dos Jovens Agricultores dePortugal
Rua D. Pedro V, 108 – 2.ºP - 1269-128 Lisboa
� Direcção Geral do Desenvolvimento RuralAv. Defensores de Chaves, 6P – 1000 LisboaTél. + 351 213579276Fax + 351 213535872www.dgdrural.pt
� Direcção Geral de VeterináriaLargo da Academia das Belas Artes, 2P – 1200 LisboaTél. + 351 213239500Fax + 351 213463518www.dgv.min-agricultura.pt
� Gabinete de Planeamento e Política Agro-Alimentar - GPPAA
Rua Padre António Vieira, 1P – 1070 LisboaTél. + 351 213819300Fax + 351 213876635
� Instituto Financeiro de Apoio aoDesenvolvimento da Agricultura e Pescas –IFADAP
Av. João Crisóstomo, 11P – 1000 LisboaTél. + 351 213116200Fax + 351 213528030www.ifadap.min-agricultura.pt
� Instituto Nacional de Garantia Agrícola –INGA
Rua Fernando Curado Ribeiro, 4 – GP – 1600 LisboaTél. + 351 21 7518500Fax + 351 217518600www.inga.min-agricultura.pt
� Ministério da Agricultura,Desenvolvimento Rural e das Pescas
Praça do ComércioP – 1149-010 LisboaTél. + 351 21 3234600Fax + 351 213234601www.min-agricultura.pt
FINLAND
� FinfoodVernissakatu 8ASF-01300 VantaaTél. +358/9/61 55 45 01Fax +358/9/61 55 45 05Finland´s Food Information Association is a govern-ment funded but functionally independent associa-tion, the aim of which is to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Finnish agriculture andfood production to consumers and the media. Ourmain channels of distribution are the Internet and e-mail, but the we also publish some printed material
� MTKSimonkatu 6P.O.Box 510FIN-00101 HELSINKITél. +358/9/1311 5316Fax +358/9/1311 5409Web site : www.mtk.fiA central union of agricultural producers and forestowners in Finland. It represents farming families, otherrural entrepreneurs and families owning forests.
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� MKLUrheilutie 6FIN-01300 VANTAATél. +358/9/4174 000Fax +358/9/4174 0400Web site : www.agronet.fi/mkl
MKL is an advisory organisation for farmers and ruralentrepreneurs.
� SLCFredriksgatan 61 A 34FIN-00100 HELSINGFORSTél. +358/9/586 0460Fax +358/9/694 1358
Central Union of Swedish speaking agricultural produ-cers (SCL) is covering the interests of agriculture,forestery, horticulture and the whole countryside.SLChas 18 000 members and is active in the Swedishspeaking areas along the southern and western coastof Finland.
� National Board of EducationWeb site : www.edu.fi
Their web site gives information about Finnish educa-tion system.
UNITED KINGDOM
� Royal Agricultural Society of EnglandNational Agricultural CentreStoneleigh ParkUK-Warwickshire CV8 2LZTél. +44/2476 696969Fax +44/2476 696900Web site : www.rase.org.uk
� Scottish Farm and CountrysideEducational Trust
Royal Highland CentreUK-Ingliston - Edinburgh EH 29 8NF
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VI. EUROPEAN SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
The aim of European school partnerships is to enable exchanges between schools in different countries ofthe European Union.
The Socrates programme
In the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Member States of the European Union undertook “to promote thedevelopment of the highest possible level of knowledge … through a wide access to education andthrough its continuous updating”.The Socrates programme is an important part of the European Commission’s policy in this field. That sec-tion of the Socrates programme that deals with school level education is called “Comenius”.
The aim of the Comenius programme is to enhance the quality and reinforce the European dimension ofschool education, including at primary level.The Comenius programme is divided into three sections. The European Union promotes transnational co-operation between schools through Comenius 1, which deals with multilateral school partnerships,known as “projects”.
Partnerships and school projects:
The essential condition for a partnership is that it should bring together educational institutions from atleast three eligible countries that are represented in the partnership equally. A school may participate inseveral partnerships at once.One of the participating schools is entrusted with co-ordinating the partnership. This involves, amongstother things, setting up the project and ensuring its educational value.Various major subject groups can be taken as a basis for a project. Cross-curricular projects and projectsthat involve interesting teaching methods, information technologies and innovative communication sys-tems are of particular interest.Each school project should aim to delve deeper into one or several specific topics through educationalactivities that must:- form part of the usual activities of the school;- fit in well with the regular school curriculum;- involve one or several groups/classes;- cover as many curricular subjects as possible.
Financial support
Subsidies can be awarded to the schools involved in such partnerships for a duration of maximum 3years, whereby the project is reviewed on an annual basis. Grants are also awarded to enable the staff of the eligible institutions to undertake preparatory visits ofmaximum one week to another of the participating countries with the aim of laying the foundations fora future school project.Other types of grants are awarded to teaching staff and school management to enable teacherexchanges lasting between 1 and 4 weeks, teaching staff work experience placements within businessesalso lasting between 1 and 4 weeks, and study visits that may last for a maximum of 1 week.
Contacts:
Any school wishing to participate in a school partnership should go through its national ComeniusAgency to be put in touch with schools in other countries. Alternatively, information is available on thewebsite http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/socrates/comenius/index.html.
Conseil Européen des Jeunes Agriculteurs
23-25 Rue de la science Bte 11 • B-1040 Bruxelles • tel : + 32.2.230.42.10 • fax : + 32.2.280.18.05Email : [email protected] • http://www.ceja.org
