Spring : Imagine an Island Run by Children : Lesson 1
Brainstorming and map making
Brainstorming and map making
Introduction: 15 minutes
– Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4.
– Give each group a roll of paper and a set of cards.
– Groups should move through the cards themselves, answering the questions, adding drawings and notes, gathering as many ideas as possible.
Development: 50 mins
– Groups should pin their sheets to the wall and can work on the floor if the floor has a surface that they can stick material to (wood, lino, etc.), otherwise they should bring tables together for each group and use the table tops (3 tables per group).
– Using insulating tape, ask groups to begin by mapping out the perimeter of the island.
– They should then cut out pieces to add buildings, amenities, geological features.
– They can expand this map by adding drawings on paper and standing them or placing them within the map.
– If they progress to this level, they should begin to build narratives around the various spaces they have identified as important, make note of these spaces as you move through the room.
– Children should take pictures of their maps, get down low and take images not just of above but from the side and inside. If necessary take extra pictures so a document exists with the many ideas they will have come up with through making that won’t be included on their brainstorming sheets. – These images can be printed before the next class.
Conclusion: 25 mins
– The crowd of individuals should be saved carefully and any other details that can be rescued.
– Sit together as a group and ask them how they managed. Introduce questions designed to probe their thinking towards the components of a society, do people use money on this island? Should things be free? Could there be a barter system? How are things maintained? Who cleans things? Where do people sleep? What happens as people get older?
– Give them some time to write in their notebooks and to make a quick drawing of the map they made. Ask them to think of some more questions about this island for the next session.
Notes
- Take the children’s sheets and spend 20 minutes looking through them and making a list of all of the facilities they come up with, eg: park, supermarkets, public swimming pool, orchard, arcade, zoo. Write these out on a long list, print these out and cut them up for the next class. Try to ensure a combination of natural and man-made spaces.
– Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4.
– Give each group a roll of paper and a set of cards.
– Groups should move through the cards themselves, answering the questions, adding drawings and notes, gathering as many ideas as possible.
Development: 50 mins
– Groups should pin their sheets to the wall and can work on the floor if the floor has a surface that they can stick material to (wood, lino, etc.), otherwise they should bring tables together for each group and use the table tops (3 tables per group).
– Using insulating tape, ask groups to begin by mapping out the perimeter of the island.
– They should then cut out pieces to add buildings, amenities, geological features.
– They can expand this map by adding drawings on paper and standing them or placing them within the map.
– If they progress to this level, they should begin to build narratives around the various spaces they have identified as important, make note of these spaces as you move through the room.
– Children should take pictures of their maps, get down low and take images not just of above but from the side and inside. If necessary take extra pictures so a document exists with the many ideas they will have come up with through making that won’t be included on their brainstorming sheets. – These images can be printed before the next class.
Conclusion: 25 mins
– The crowd of individuals should be saved carefully and any other details that can be rescued.
– Sit together as a group and ask them how they managed. Introduce questions designed to probe their thinking towards the components of a society, do people use money on this island? Should things be free? Could there be a barter system? How are things maintained? Who cleans things? Where do people sleep? What happens as people get older?
– Give them some time to write in their notebooks and to make a quick drawing of the map they made. Ask them to think of some more questions about this island for the next session.
Notes
- Take the children’s sheets and spend 20 minutes looking through them and making a list of all of the facilities they come up with, eg: park, supermarkets, public swimming pool, orchard, arcade, zoo. Write these out on a long list, print these out and cut them up for the next class. Try to ensure a combination of natural and man-made spaces.
