We are proud to present the remarkable interdisciplinary project led by our 6th grade students, mixing French, Geography and Art. This project not only enriched their academic knowledge but also encouraged creativity and collaboration.

Literary study in French
The students began this project in French class by immersing themselves in Homer’s Odyssey. They explored the main adventures of Ulysses on his perilous journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. They discovered significant episodes such as the encounter with the Cyclops, the passage near the Sirens, and the confrontation with Charybde and Scylla. This study allowed students to develop their analytical skills and understanding of this foundational text of Western literature.

Geographical exploration
In Geography, students studied the map of the Mediterranean basin to locate the main places of the Homerian story on a modern map. This geographical analysis allowed them to better understand the realities of Ulysses’ travels and the geographical challenges he had to overcome. They learned to locate and mark places such as Troy, the island of Aeolus, and the shores of the island of Circe.

Artistic creation
The culmination of the project was the realization of a huge artistic map of the Mediterranean (450 x 260 cm) during Art. Each student was assigned a 50 x 65 cm sheet representing a fragment of coast or a piece of continent. Their mission was to reproduce these fragments while making sure to connect the coastlines with those of their comrades. The students had the freedom to choose the materials, techniques and colors, allowing them to fully express their creativity. The result is an artistic and poetic map, rather than a precise and exact reproduction.

In addition, the students worked in pairs to create pop-up cards illustrating the different adventures of Ulysses: the Cicones, Aeolus, the Mermaids, Charybde and Scylla, the Lotophages, the Cyclops, the Lestrygons, the Underworld, Circe and Calypso. These pop-up cards are connected to the large map by yarn, indicating the precise locations where each adventure took place. The intertwined threads symbolize Penelope’s embroidery, woven by day and defeated by night, symbolizing his expectation and hope of Ulysses’ return.

A lesson in collaboration
This project demonstrated the importance of teamwork. The students learned that, despite their differences, they could accomplish much larger and more surprising creations together than they would have imagined alone. They understood that unity is strength, a valuable lesson that transcends academic subjects.