Ecological Making in Intercultural Cooperation trough STEAM
VISION
EMIC-STEAM aims to integrate MAKER educational spaces in schools as an important learning environment for education and sustainable development (ESD) in the field of environmental education, as well as the development of intercultural and foreign language skills. The pedagogical concept to be developed is based on the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach, thus combining the didactics of the foreign language, English, with those of the subjects involved: biology, geography and art.
Latest News
Visualizing the Journey of a T-Shirt using Interactive Maps
With the help of the cooperating teachers EMIC STEAM researchers and student teachers from Weingarten University of Education implemented the first Mobile Maker Box (MMB) in the cooperating school in Ravensburg in July 2025.
The challenge was to „Find a creative way to show and inform about this process and make it engaging for your peers.“ As as result some groups developed the journey of a T-shirt and visualised it with the help of an interactive map and LEDs.
Pupils and teachers really appreciated working with the MMB. They particularly appreciated being able to make their own decisions during the making phase. However, teachers in particular still see challenges that need to be overcome, such as time management, task setting, etc.
EMIC STEAM Congress of the German Society for Foreign Languages Didatics
Ute Massler and Moritz Wagner gave the first presentation on EMIC STEAM at the Congress of the German Society for Foreign Language Didactics in Kassel on 27 September 2025. The audience responded very positively, particularly impressed by the combination of CLIL and sustainability topics and the integration of international cooperation. They Illustrated the teaching concept and explained the different phases in Detail.
EMIC STEAM Participates in the European Researchers Night
The Portuguese EMIC-STEAM team participated in the European Researchers‘ Night raising awareness on the topic of fast fashion and carried out a workshop on this theme.
The workshop provided a great forum to present and discuss the Emic Steam approach.
Students and teachers were challenged to work together to create a fashion accessory using leftover materials and various second-hand items. They were extremely engaged and participated actively throughout the whole event. Students learnt more about the social and environmental impacts of the contemporary fashion industry, its fast-cycling trends and clothing lines that perpetuate feelings of renewal, encouraging us to buy more.
Teachers got an insight how to address these issues through Making and collaborative, hands-on approaches that stimulate design thinking, creativity and empathy.
The results were amazingly creative!
MAKING
In the EMIC STEAM project, Making is a creative, hands-on approach to learning where students actively engage in developing solutions to real-world challenges. It blends technical, artistic, and social perspectives and encourages learners to prototype, build, test, and reflect—whether through physical creations, digital tools, or mixed formats. Making isn’t just about crafting objects; it’s about fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving through purposeful creation. Rooted in the principles of design thinking and project-based learning, Making empowers students to become inventors, designers, and changemakers.
