International School Savremena takes pride in organising its teaching in a truly different way, combining similar or completely different subjects to find the perfect formula to make lessons fun and memorable for its students, and helping them learn as much as possible.

This is how, on 15 March, geography teacher, Mr Vladimir Milošević, History teacher, Mr Darko Tmušić, and Global Perspectives teacher, Ms Tatjana Koluvija, came to the idea to combine their subjects and teach Year 10 students the topic of migrations, forced and unforced, employing all three sciences to get to the core of this phenomenon.

Prior to the lesson, the students had been given a special task that would encourage them to take active participation in lessons and be ready to discuss the topics that would be covered in class. Organised into teams, they had to do research and prepare group presentations on the topic Different historical and geographical perspectives of migrations around the world. Each team chose their own region and country to present – the USA, Europe, Mexico, Vietnam, Siberia, covering all parts of the world. To make the topic even more entertaining, the students were asked to vote and award points for the best presentation, teamwork, and team leader, which gave the lesson a competitive touch and encouraged the students to do their best.

Having learnt about different migrations from their classmates, Savremena’s students were able to analyse them and discuss the causes, consequences, advantages and disadvantages of the process, while applying critical thinking skills, crucial for the development of young knowledge-thirsty minds and thoroughly practised in Global Perspectives lessons.

Teaching skills rather than knowledge

Apart from showcasing excellent presentation and public speaking skills, this lesson made Savremena’s Year 10 geography and history students unite to show how much they know about their chosen humanity. Moreover, they have certainly learnt another important lesson that goes beyond pure knowledge – how to collaborate with their team, overcome potential challenges of group work, and contribute to their project’s outcome by actively participating and contributing to it with their own individual work.

The interdisciplinary geography, history and Global Perspectives lesson is yet another example of how creativity and collaboration among teachers can bring excellent results and an unforgettable experience for their students. Savremena’s students surely can’t wait to see what their teachers will surprise them with next!