4 ELEMENTS

Project logo
Improve the foreign language learning and intercultural competences of adults through e-learning

The project

FOUR ELEMENTS is an initiative called to raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of culture and heritage as well as to train educators working with adult learners who want to improve their skills and competences necessary in today’s EU labour market.

The project will take advantage of the potential of the common European cultural values associated to the 4 elements earth, water, air and fire) to empower adults to improve their digital, foreign language and intercultural competences.

The partnership expects to develop and deliver innovative teaching materials presented in a culturally accessible E-book consisting of European legends and stories – giving visibility to the underlying common EU values and principles, especially adapted to learners with special needs.

To achieved such objectives, partners will develop:

An interactive map: a collection of legends and stories related to earth, water, air and fire, in different EU countries.

Digital Books with national legends and stories related to the four elements.

Methodological recommendations for adult educators.

To find more information, access the Four Elements platform here.

Digital books

The nations of Europe all have rich cultures of myth and folklore which give the different regions their particular individual flavour. Here we have grouped traditional stories from Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain according to the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire.

They are specially adapted to adult learners and can be used to develop language or ICT skills among your students while enhancing intercultural understanding.

Alongside the stories, this digital book contains interactive exercises and is in Easy Read format. All the material in it can be downloaded and printed. Teachers and trainers will find tips and suggestions for how to use it on the Recommendations section of this site.

European partnership

Four Elements is an Erasmus+ KA204 project designed to highlight the importance of culture and heritage at European Union level. It aims to train educators working with adult learners to enable them to acquire the skills and competences, including linguistic and digital skills and competences, required in the European labour market.

The project is coordinated by : CVO EduKempen (Belgium). The partnership also includes DomSpain Consulting (Spain), The Central Library of Võru County (Estonia), Les Apprimeurs (France), Istituto dei Sordi di Torino (Italy), Slovenian Third Age University (Slovenia), MyArtist (Greece).

Erasmus+ project

Erasmus logo The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Hephaestus’s lost secret

MYTH

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: Greek

Origin of the legend: Greek mythology

To find more information about the legend, access the Four Elements platform here.

A traditional story trying to explain volcanic activity.

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the god of fire and volcanic activity. He had a palace and a blacksmith’s workshop on Mount Olympus.

As the god of fire, Hephaestus commanded the fire that existed in the depths of the earth, causing the molten rocksmelted materials to eject from their holes, which people called volcanoes.

Hephaestus made all the weapons and shields of Agamemnon and he made the jewellery and thrones of the gods. He was an excellent metal craftsman and so he became the god of metallurgy. He forged Achilles’ shield.

Hephaestus was the protector of fire, until Prometheus stole it to give to people. People used fire for heating metals to make weapons and for cooking their food.

Το χαμένο μυστικό του Ήφαιστου

Μύθος

Στοιχείο: Φωτιά

Γλώσσα του πρωτοτύπου: Ελληνικά

Συγγραφέας: Greek mythology

Για να βρείτε περισσότερες πληροφορίες σχετικά με το μύθο, αποκτήστε πρόσβαση στην πλατφόρμα των 4 στοιχείων εδώ.

Κατά την ελληνική μυθολογία, ο Ήφαιστος ήταν ο θεός, αλλά και ο προστάτης της φωτιά καθώς και της ηφαιστειακής δραστηριότητας.

Ο Ήφαιστος προστάτευε και βοηθούσε τους ανθρώπους, όταν είχαν πραγματική ανάγκη. Ήταν αυτός που έφτιαξε τα όπλα και την ασπίδα του Αγαμέμνονα, καθώς και τα κοσμήματα και τους θρόνους των θεών. Ήταν ένας εξαιρετικός μεταλλουργός και γι’ αυτό και έγινε ο θεός της μεταλλουργίας. Ο Ήφαιστος ήταν αυτός που κατασκεύασε την ασπίδα του Αχιλλέα. Το εργαστήριό του βρισκόταν στον Όλυμπο και ο Δίας τον έθεσε προστάτη της φωτιάς.

Ο Ήφαιστος ήταν ο προστάτης της φωτιάς, μέχρι που ο Προμηθέας έκλεψε τη φωτιά για να τη δώσει στους ανθρώπους. Οι άνθρωποι χρησιμοποιούσαν τη φωτιά, για να λιώνουν μέταλλα, για να φτιάχνουν όπλα και για να μαγειρεύουν το φαγητό τους. Ως θεός της φωτιάς, ο Ήφαιστος είχε τη δύναμη να εξουσιάζει τη φωτιά που υπάρχει στα βάθη της γης. Την ανάγκαζε, λοιπόν, να λιώνει τα υλικά που βρίσκονταν βαθιά μέσα στη γη, τρέποντάς τα σε πυρακτωμένες μάζες. Τις μάζες αυτές που πετάγονταν από το υπέδαφος οι άνθρωποι τις ονόμασαν ηφαίστεια.

Greek mythology.