WHAT WE DID
Term 2: TANGRAM FARM
Term 3: FUTURE FARMS
The farming theme connected both terms, tapping into children' s lived experiences. This real-world relevance made the curriculum come alive in a way that was relatable, fun and engaging.
Tangram Farms saw 7 groups of students make seven farm shapes to a prescribed set of instructions using measurement and geometry. Accuracy and discipline was required by everyone so that the seven shapes could be assembled into a perfect square at a final ‘reveal’, a symbolic act of unity and collaboration.
In Future Farms, the focus shifted to sustainable farming agricultural production and the crucial role farmers will play in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of achieving ‘Zero Hunger (SDG Goal 2) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG Goal 12). The students’ project saw them create diorama homes for useful – and highly imaginative - hybrid farm animals of the future.
In both projects, physical creations allowed the students to express their ideas and give them increased student agency. Tactile and visual interaction with materials made abstract mathematical and other curricular concepts easier to grasp. Extending this making into the familiar territory of paddocks, fences, dams and animals revealed practical mathematical applications. They calculated the perimeter of fences, the area of paddocks and the percentages of dam sizes according to water allocations. Drawing and making hilarious hybrid creatures gave rise to imaginative solutions to address pressing food production challenges.
The creative value of ‘allowing the impossible’ was helped by the role of chance in making ‘crazy connections’. A strategy used throughout our Creative Schools journey was the lucky dip bucket to encourage unexpected pairings. Adventuring bravely and boldly into the world of the absurd was an evident release for many students who felt they struggled with “coming up with ideas”. Silliness and humour opened doors and went hand in hand with the Creative Habits of Imaginative and Inquisitive: “What would happen if…?!”
In designing diorama homes for hybrid animals, students identified not only the sustainability benefits but also the unique challenging conundrums of farming such a creature and meeting its requirements. In the initial design phase, a student noted that while her cow/snake cross gave milk and useful poisons, it was “VERY poisonous”, could not be kept as a pet, and needed grass to eat and “hidey holes”. In a great example of blue sky thinking in solving future energy problems, another’s creation produced electricity (and as a bonus ‘electric wool’ and ‘electric meat!’)
The construction phase of both projects was not without frustrations and problems, however these challenges were met with imaginative solutions and sheer persistence. Creative problem solving and critical thinking skills were developed by referring to warm-up activities and games such as the 9 Dots Challenge and the Build a Cube from 9 Sticks Challenge.
Simply taking a breather and thinking of new ways of doing something (such as switching from tape to a glue gun whence matchstick fences fail) was also aided by helping hands. Such collaborative action was noted and highlighted on the spot, along with all the Five Creative Learning Habits. They were spontaneously reinforced and targeted in the reflections, even when time ran out and an on-the-spot ‘plan b’ kicked in such as using brush washing to direct conversation to how their session went, the pros and cons, the challenges and solutions.
WHAT WAS THE IMPACT?
“(Creative Schools lessons) are different because we’re not stuck in a classroom. We’re doing something I enjoy, and sometimes I don’t even realise I’m learning maths until later. I think, oh, I learnt this today.“ (Student)
“In Creative Schools we create things, which we don’t usually do in normal lessons. In maths, for example, it’s very boring – you just sit there. But in Creative Schools you can move around, get more materials, and make things out of whatever you can find.” (Student)
“It makes me feel a bit better about maths. When we were building our farms, we had to measure and work out the sizes, then scale it up and paint it, adding texture and everything.” (Student)
“I know I got better in maths this term, probably because of this.” (Student)
“We’re doing all these different things and it’s not like maths in a classroom—it’s like maths outdoors with art, and I really enjoy that.” (Student)
“It’s a lot easier than just writing on worksheets with a pen and paper. I’m not sure why, but it just feels easier.” (Student)
“You get to make things, learn new things, and take on challenges. You find out what you can actually do.” (Student)
“It’s interesting when your child comes home from school and talks about a program – not just once, but consistently. That’s what our daughter has done. She comes home and talks about the project they’re working on and what they’ve been learning. What has she got out of the program? I’d say teamwork and an understanding that everything fits into a bigger picture. Coming off a farm, she’s also understood a bit more about breeding animals for a purpose. She even created a cross between a giraffe and a kangaroo – we discussed that at home and talked about the implications of trying to farm an animal like that. So the program has really connected back to our own lives, which is impressive. Do I think she’s grown in her creative and critical thinking skills? Absolutely – she continues to grow. The program really supports what the school is trying to do, and it gives the kids a different outlook on how to learn and how to approach things. They’ve learned the benefits of teamwork and of thinking carefully about what they’re doing. For my child, I’d say it’s been outstanding.” (Parent)
“Creative Schools is such a different way of approaching the curriculum. She usually doesn’t enjoy mainstream school as much, but she’s found this approach much more hands-on and easier to grasp. It’s been hugely beneficial for her as a non-traditional learner. She’s always been a little bit behind in reading and maths, but she’s very creative, so this has been a great way to keep her engaged, excited, and having fun. It’s like learning by accident.” (Parent)
"Creative Schools has been really great for our Year 4/5/6 class. The students have engaged with so many different topics that we wouldn’t normally explore in such a creative way. We started with maths, and it was such a hands-on approach that worked really well. Combining Tony’s ideas with my teaching input flowed naturally. In terms of their journey, at first the students were very conscious of ‘not being creative.’ But over time, they opened up their understanding of what creativity is—that even small things can turn into a masterpiece. One activity we did with perspective really showed them this: Tony gave a 30-second pep talk, then just one minute to draw, and what they produced amazed them. They realised they could do it, and that was very empowering. Throughout the program, they’ve been thrown different challenges. At first that was difficult, but they grew used to it and came to expect it. For our kids, a big part of this has been resilience—learning that if something doesn’t work, you don’t just give up. You ask: How can I change this? How can I make it different? That resilience really grew through the projects.” (Zoe Prosser, Teacher)
.png)