FR25 HA History of Dunkirk

The students were divided into groups of four, each with a correspondent. A brief overview of the history of Dunkirk in the 17th and 18th centuries was provided using documents. The goal was to help them understand that Dunkirk was completely transformed by Vauban at the request of Louis XIV and that the city was then the most important port in the kingdom. 

From there, the students had to, using photos and current historical information, find the names of several buildings dating from this period. They had to match each photograph with an explanatory text in French and English. There were five buildings dating from this period : the belfry, the Leughenaer tower, the naval gate, the oldest house in Dunkirk, and a shipowner's house. 

Then they had to locate them on a map from 1713. 

The second activity consisted of finding the current location of these buildings. To do this, they were provided with a current map of the city and had to use Google Maps with the Street View option to navigate.

Each student came to the board to correct the exercise.

The final activity aimed to expand on cultural and historical themes. The students worked on street names that referenced local culture. They were given a street name and, using their phones, had to research historical and cultural references : the bridge of Texel, referring to the naval battle won by Jean Bart in 1694, the Quai du Risban, where the fort that protected the harbor entrance was located and which gave its name to the Dunkirk lighthouse, the CigognesSquadron, which evokes the squadron to which Georges Guynemer belonged during the First World War, and, finally, the street of Islandics, which recalls the Dunkirk fishermen who went fishing in Iceland and are mentioned in several carnival songs. The French students had to help their correspondents by explaining the references. Each time, an explanation with documents (maps, tables, photographs, texts) was provided to clarify the reference.

The workshop allowed the students to discover the rich heritage of Dunkirk. It was all the more interesting because they were then able to see them "in real life" during another activity organized in the city. They were also able to discover certain elements of the local culture. The students collaborated well with their correspondents. 
The use of GPS made the activity more concrete.