Interview with the project "Narnia un paese da favola ..e non solo..." by Linda Giannini
1) Could you tell us something more about this "fantastic country" called "Narnia" and about the author, C. S. Lewis?
In the book "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe" we find a particular link between the magic world of Narnia and the Italia. In fact, in Umbria, there is a little city called Narnia (now Narni), the same name used by the writer Lewis for his fantastic place.
I think Lewis was influenced by his academic studies, he was a teacher of medieval and renaissance history in the Oxford and Cambridge university.
The book "Chronicles of Narnia" could be, rightly, be considered as a good example of modern literature. It takes lymph from the international classic literature and tries to underline the human research of the Lose Heaven. It seems a story for guys, but trough the symbolism and the issues it deals with, it clearly shows the values of the Men's spiritual research.
About one hundred million copies of the C.S. Lewis books were sold all over the world; especially in English, but also there were many translations in different languages, in order to "capture" a lot of readers.
2) What are your project goals?
We want to create an international community, through the Internet, indeed. This international community will the same interest in the issues discussed by Lewis; this project will be mainly refereed to schools at all levels.
The Internet, with its communication potentiality, allow us to use different instruments: the electronic mail, the forum, the newsletters, the web sites... through these instruments, we can have quickly and "cheaply" a lot of information about our research and the different ways of expression.
It is a "work in progress" that could be shared through the pages online (web site) in order to facilitate knowledge and cultural share.
Moreover, the multidisciplinary approach, based also on the age of the participants, facilitate the socialization process.
We have, in addiction, the help of many educative organization, like the IEARN and the Egocreanet, and many international net, like Netdays. They facilitate the collection of intellectual resources to create new methods of knowledge.
3) How was your project developed?
The trip in the adventures of Narnia started in the last school year.
You can find the documents of the Latina's schools in this web addresses:
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0203/narnia.htm
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0304/narnia.htm
and in this web address: http://www.narnia.it ( the official web site of the Italian project) you can find a lot of documents from many students of other classes in the school, and in these documents it does emerge the creativity of the students and the possibility to read the same text with different stiles of learning and teaching.
The project deals with the following activities: to read the book and look the materials produced with the multimedia supports; to compare the religious aspects of the book , to go into the study the other books like "Harry Potter" and " The lord of the Rings" , to realize the pictures imaging the scenes of the books.
Other activities realized until now are:
We realized a collection of multimedia materials from different countries in the world, and these materials were translated in the different languages of the schools partaking the project.
During this school year an exhibition of the covers of these books was organised. Moreover a company is realizing a film about the "Chronicles of Narnia" for the next year.
Another stimulus for the students could be the discovery of the history of the name "Narnia", that is the Latin name of Italian city of Narni, far from the United Kingdom apparently.
4) I read that in your project there is a link between the story of Harry Potter and the famous trilogy of " The Lord of Rings" , what can you tell us something about this?
"Harry Potter"'s writer said that she read ,in her childhood, the book "Chronicles of Narnia" and she confessed to be inspired by this: for example the start of adventures of Harry Potter begins in the railway station of the London, as the most famous episode of the book "Chronicle of Narnia".
Moreover, Tolkien and Carroll were long date friends, they taught together in Oxford and Cambridge, they participated at the same literary groups.
In a short time, the film "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe" inspired by the book "Chronicles of Narnia" will be out in the cinemas.
5) It is clear that you're trying to foster a new didactic through classical literature. What did you find positive so far?
A positive answer is this: the students of secondary schools help the children from 3 to 6 years of primary schools in their studies.
6) What about the main snags you had to break through?
The students were more available, I hope that these activities can continue for the next years.
7) Which is your principal objective in this project?
To start a network of exchanges between the schools and other institutions and the families:
didactic comparison;
active interaction between children-children and between children-adults;
creativity and development of interactive community.
8) How do you see possible the development of interactive and international forums for the discussion of these themes?
I think that the creation of the interactive and international forum it's possible when there is a favourable atmosphere between the people that work together.
9) Would you advice other people to read this book?
Yes, I suggest to read the book at the other people because this book involves both children and adults.
10) Which are your plans for the near future?
In our future plans there is the film "Chronicle of Narnia". Whit this film people will develop a virtual community with the introduction of new methodology for the didactic.
Moreover, we want to create in Narni a National Centre of Study , where the people will can go into their study about Narni.
11) Which are your plans for the near future?
I think that this collaboration was very interesting and it's possible to look at the results of this experiences through this web address:
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0203/narnia_aw.htm
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0304/percorso_mondi.htm
12) How much space is left for fantasy in the world we're living in?
Fantasy is the key element for letting our children blossom….and their lives have to be nurtured by fantasy…this is what this projects aims to do.
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In the book "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe" we find a particular link between the magic world of Narnia and the Italia. In fact, in Umbria, there is a little city called Narnia (now Narni), the same name used by the writer Lewis for his fantastic place. I think Lewis was influenced by his academic studies, he was a teacher of medieval and renaissance history in the Oxford and Cambridge university.
The book "Chronicles of Narnia" could be, rightly, be considered as a good example of modern literature. It takes lymph from the international classic literature and tries to underline the human research of the Lose Heaven. It seems a story for guys, but trough the symbolism and the issues it deals with, it clearly shows the values of the Men's spiritual research.
About one hundred million copies of the C.S. Lewis books were sold all over the world; especially in English, but also there were many translations in different languages, in order to "capture" a lot of readers.
2) What are your project goals?
We want to create an international community, through the Internet, indeed. This international community will the same interest in the issues discussed by Lewis; this project will be mainly refereed to schools at all levels.
The Internet, with its communication potentiality, allow us to use different instruments: the electronic mail, the forum, the newsletters, the web sites... through these instruments, we can have quickly and "cheaply" a lot of information about our research and the different ways of expression.
It is a "work in progress" that could be shared through the pages online (web site) in order to facilitate knowledge and cultural share. Moreover, the multidisciplinary approach, based also on the age of the participants, facilitate the socialization process. We have, in addiction, the help of many educative organization, like the IEARN and the Egocreanet, and many international net, like Netdays. They facilitate the collection of intellectual resources to create new methods of knowledge.
3) How was your project developed?
The trip in the adventures of Narnia started in the last school year.
You can find the documents of the Latina's schools in this web addresses:
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0203/narnia.htm
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0304/narnia.htm
and in this web address: http://www.narnia.it ( the official web site of the Italian project) you can find a lot of documents from many students of other classes in the school, and in these documents it does emerge the creativity of the students and the possibility to read the same text with different stiles of learning and teaching.
The project deals with the following activities: to read the book and look the materials produced with the multimedia supports; to compare the religious aspects of the book , to go into the study the other books like "Harry Potter" and " The lord of the Rings" , to realize the pictures imaging the scenes of the books.
Other activities realized until now are:
During this school year an exhibition of the covers of these books was organised. Moreover a company is realizing a film about the "Chronicles of Narnia" for the next year.
Another stimulus for the students could be the discovery of the history of the name "Narnia", that is the Latin name of Italian city of Narni, far from the United Kingdom apparently.
4) I read that in your project there is a link between the story of Harry Potter and the famous trilogy of " The Lord of Rings" , what can you tell us something about this?
"Harry Potter"'s writer said that she read ,in her childhood, the book "Chronicles of Narnia" and she confessed to be inspired by this: for example the start of adventures of Harry Potter begins in the railway station of the London, as the most famous episode of the book "Chronicle of Narnia".
Moreover, Tolkien and Carroll were long date friends, they taught together in Oxford and Cambridge, they participated at the same literary groups.
In a short time, the film "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe" inspired by the book "Chronicles of Narnia" will be out in the cinemas.
5) It is clear that you're trying to foster a new didactic through classical literature. What did you find positive so far?
A positive answer is this: the students of secondary schools help the children from 3 to 6 years of primary schools in their studies.
6) What about the main snags you had to break through?
The students were more available, I hope that these activities can continue for the next years.
7) Which is your principal objective in this project?
To start a network of exchanges between the schools and other institutions and the families:
8) How do you see possible the development of interactive and international forums for the discussion of these themes?
I think that the creation of the interactive and international forum it's possible when there is a favourable atmosphere between the people that work together.
9) Would you advice other people to read this book?
Yes, I suggest to read the book at the other people because this book involves both children and adults.
10) Which are your plans for the near future?
In our future plans there is the film "Chronicle of Narnia". Whit this film people will develop a virtual community with the introduction of new methodology for the didactic.
Moreover, we want to create in Narni a National Centre of Study , where the people will can go into their study about Narni.
11) Which are your plans for the near future?
I think that this collaboration was very interesting and it's possible to look at the results of this experiences through this web address:
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0203/narnia_aw.htm
www.descrittiva.it/calip/0304/percorso_mondi.htm
12) How much space is left for fantasy in the world we're living in?
Fantasy is the key element for letting our children blossom….and their lives have to be nurtured by fantasy…this is what this projects aims to do.