Main Curriculum Focus
HASS/GEOGRAPHY:
Places have distinctive features. The location of the equator and the northern and southern hemispheres, including the poles. The natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location on a pictorial map, how they may change over time (e.g. erosion, revegetated areas, planted crops, new buildings) and how they can be cared for. How weather (e.g. rainfall, temperature, sunshine, wind) and seasons vary between places, and the terms used to describe them. The activities (e.g. retail, recreational, farming, manufacturing, medical, policing, educational, religious) that take place in the local community which create its distinctive features.
Cross-curricular Links
Digital Systems
Digital systems (hardware and software) are used in everyday life and have specific features.
Visual Language
Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning.
Media – Making skills
Exploration and experimentation with the codes and conventions of media -
technical (capturing, selecting and arranging images).
Symbols (objects, colour).
Audio (selecting and capturing sounds to create a mood or feeling; loudness and softness).
Visual Arts – Making Skills
Development of artistic skills through experimentation to create artworks including:
shape (geometric shapes)
colour (mixing primary colours to create secondary colours)
line (broken, jagged, dashed)
space (background, foreground)
texture (familiar objects; changes in texture; transfer of texture)
WHAT WE DID
The project was based on students creating their own stop motion movie based on certain events that take place in their desired location. The creation of all elements, set, characters and filming were created by the students. Bringing all these elements together brought the curriculum alive for the students. By giving the students the agency over these specific elements of their learning, we noticed that their engagement for learning increased. Certain activities were completed in groups to develop the Creative Habits of Mind, the skill of collaboration; particularly in the areas of giving and receiving peer feedback and sticking with difficulty; skills which the teacher were keen to see developed in this group of students. We discussed the Creative Habits in the form of games, discussions and creating reflective jars. The language of the Creative Habits is unique and takes time to develop, it was powerful to see the students develop their own language and meaning around the concepts of the Creative Habits.
In term 4 we shifted ideas to improve student’s collaboration skills. We found that the class really struggled to take each other's ideas and consolidate them into one project. In term 4 students had a chance to practise their collaboration skills by designing and creating their own unique games using a specific set of items. Another year group was then invited to try out the games and give their critical feedback. The design and creation of the game involved careful consideration of not only how the game would be constructed and played, but also the design, packaging and marketing of the game to their potential customers in the other year group.
WHAT WAS THE IMPACT?
Student
The students are developing this language of the Creative Habits and becoming more aware of how to recognise this in others and themselves. The listening skills required during collaboration was filtered through the rest of the class and those who struggled to listen and communicate in class ended up being able to combine their ideas with others.
Teacher
Catherine Mekins noticed during our sessions that the students found it hard to collaborate and work with each other’s ideas. She has appreciated the physical component that a professional dancer brings to the classroom and how it can relate with the physical and emotional needs of the students. Continuing these ideas and developing the Creative Schools pedagogy in her classroom has allowed Catherine Mekins to practice and implement the Creative Habits in her own teaching practice and to see the positive impact that it is having on her students.
“I’m good at being disciplined because I listen. Working with others is hard. People think differently and it’s hard to say things when I don’t know. It’s hard to share ideas.” (Student)
“I am loving Creative Schools. I love to watch them work independently rather than within the usual structure. It draws on their emotions. Last week we taught them how to use their body to connect to the emotions. Today is very rewarding watching them work in groups. I’m trying hard to not jump in and help. You can see the ones who haven’t understood the task and are just wondering around trying to work it out. It’s hard to hold back and just watch.” (Teacher)
“I’m not so fixated on the product. I’ve really focused on the process without worrying about the outcome. I’ve spent more time letting the students investigate and explore in their learning. I’m trying to do less vocal work on my part and get the students to use their imagination and do the work.” (Creative Practitioner)
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