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.

The North Wind and the Sun

MYTH

Main element: Air

Language of the original: Greek

Author: Aesop

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

A story about the argument between the Sun and the North Wind over who is the stronger of the two.

Once upon a time, the Sun and the North Wind had a big argument about which of the two was the stronger. Both were very stubborn. They argued and argued until the North Wind proposed a plan to find out the truth. The Sun was a little bit sceptical at the beginning, but he was sure that he would win so he agreed.

So, the North Wind revealed the plan he had in mind. He told the Sun that they should pick one man randomly and then take it in turns to try to get him naked. Whoever succeeded would be the winner and the stronger.

After a while a man passed by and the North Wind started blowing with all his power. The man bent his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest, in order to protect himself from the wind. The North Wind was furious and he started blowing harder. The man buttoned up his coat and threw a woollen blanket around him. The harder the North Wind blew, the tighter the man held the blanket. The North Wind was disappointed and stopped blowing.

Then it was the Sun’s turn. When the North Wind stopped blowing, the Sun peeked through and the man took the blanket off and put it back in his backpack. The Sun started to shine a little bit more and the man unbuttoned his coat. As the Sun shone brighter and brighter, the man started to sweat and took off all his clothes, one by one, until he was completed naked. He looked for a tree in whose shade he could sit. As there were no trees nearby, he got into a river and stood there, as the Sun diminished his glow.

Ο Βοριάς και ο Ήλιος

Μύθος

Στοιχείο: Αέρας

Γλώσσα του πρωτοτύπου: Ελληνικά

Συγγραφέας: Aesop

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

Μια φορά και ένα καιρό, ο Ήλιος και ο Βόρειος Άνεμος τσακώνονταν για το ποιος από τους δύο είναι ο δυνατότερος. Και οι δύο ήταν πολύ πεισματάρηδες και κανένας από τους δύο δεν έκανε πίσω. Τσακώνονταν για ώρες, μέχρι που ο Βόρειος Άνεμος πρότεινε ένα πλάνο, για να δουν ποιος ήταν ο δυνατότερος. Ο Ήλιος ήταν λίγο σκεπτικός στην αρχή, αλλά ήταν σίγουρος πως ήταν ο πιο δυνατός και γι’ αυτό συμφώνησε με την πρόταση του Βόρειου Ανέμου.

Έτσι, ο Βόρειος Άνεμος, αποκαλύπτει το πλάνο που είχε κατά νου. Πρότεινε στον Ήλιο να επιλέξουν ένα περαστικό στην τύχη και μετά ένα- ένας να προσπαθήσουν να τον γδύσουν. Αυτός που θα κατάφερνε να γδύσει τον άνθρωπο θα ήταν ο δυνατότερος.

Μετά από λίγο, πέρασε ένας άνθρωπος και ο Βόρειος Άνεμος ξεκίνησε να φυσάει με όλη του τη δύναμη. Ο περαστικός έσκυψε το κεφάλι του και σταύρωσε τα χέρια του μπροστά στο στήθος του, για να μπορέσει να προστατεύσει τον εαυτό του από τον άνεμο. Ο Βόρειος Άνεμος νευρίασε και άρχισε να φυσάει με μεγαλύτερη δύναμη και ο περαστικός κούμπωσε το παλτό του και έριξε στην πλάτη του μια μάλλινη κουβέρτα που είχε στο σακίδιό του, για να ζεσταθεί. Όσο πιο πολύ φυσούσε ο Άνεμος, τόσο πιο σφιχτά κρατούσε ο άνθρωπος την κουβέρτα γύρω του. Ο Βόρειος Άνεμος απογοητευμένος σταμάτησε να φυσάει.

Και μετά ήταν η σειρά του Ήλιου. Όταν ο Βόρειος Άνεμος σταμάτησε να φυσάει, ξεπρόβαλε ο ήλιος και ο περαστικός δίπλωσε την κουβέρτα και την έβαλε στο σακίδιό του. Ο Ήλιος άρχισε να λάμπει περισσότερο και ο άνθρωπος ξεκούμπωσε το παλτό του. Όσο ο Ήλιος συνέχιζε να λάμπει, ο περαστικός έβγαλε τα ρούχα του, μέχρι που έμεινε γυμνός και έψαχνε ένα δέντρο να κάτσει στη σκιά του. Αφού δεν υπήρχε κανένα δέντρο, βούτηξε σε ένα ποτάμι που ήταν κοντά και παρέμεινε εκεί, μέχρι που ο Ήλιος μείωσε τη λάμψη του.

Αίσωπος. (2007). Ο ΒΟΡΙΑΣ ΚΙ Ο ΗΛΙΟΣ. Αθήνα: Ψυχογιός.