Imagine an Island Run by Children
Project aim:
to develop a more complex awareness of collaboration and community through active, participatory design. Children can also build an awareness of their agency as citizens within a community, especially if references to their local area are incorporated into these classes.
Duration:
3 lessons, 90 mins each + 1 lesson, 3 hours
Suitability:
1st to 4th classes
Materials for Lesson 1
A set of cards for each brainstorming group with questions (list of questions below.) Large rolls of brainstorming paper (old wallpaper can work for this,) drawing materials for brainstorming, markers, many rolls of coloured insulating tape, scissors, masking tape, scrap paper, plasticine, lollipop sticks crowd made in project “Companions” (optional.)
Lesson 1 requires printed material:
Questions to be printed for each group before the class:
Where is the island located? What does it look like? What is the name of your island? Why did you choose this? Who lives on this island? (Are only humans allowed?) What do people do all day on the island? (Do children have jobs? Is there a school?) What kinds of facilities are there? What do people wear? Are there any rules on the island? What are the five most important things to know about the island? Who cleans the island?
Materials for Lessons 2 and 3
A large painting surface eg: old blinds (usually available in recreate -see “Resources”); large, thick pieces of paper eg: wallpaper; corrugated plastic, the sheets of plastic used in election posters. These can be easily primed with a layer of white emulsion paint rolled on (these should be 1meter +). Paint brushes, water and rags, heavy pencils, printed text from previous week (list of facilities on the Island run by kids) stuck up on the board.
Materials for Lesson 4
A large selection of recyclable materials for building shelters (long paper tubes, pipes, bamboo sticks, full bedsheets, loose fabric, foam from cushions, flattened cardboard boxes, insulation material, old election posters, tarpaulin, materials to attach eg. clothes pegs, crocodile clips, tape, string, thread.) One table per group, four chairs per group, flags, rolls of brown paper, oil pastels, scissors, plasticine, clean tin cans (with no lids), non-stretch thread (it will not work if it is stretchy!), large nail hammer.
Integration Opportunities:
- S.P.H.E.: these lessons will prompt children to understand their role as active and responsible citizens.
- Maths: this project can provide opportunities to study measurements and perimeters.
- Geography: opportunities with mapping.
A set of cards for each brainstorming group with questions (list of questions below.) Large rolls of brainstorming paper (old wallpaper can work for this,) drawing materials for brainstorming, markers, many rolls of coloured insulating tape, scissors, masking tape, scrap paper, plasticine, lollipop sticks crowd made in project “Companions” (optional.)
Lesson 1 requires printed material:
Questions to be printed for each group before the class:
Where is the island located? What does it look like? What is the name of your island? Why did you choose this? Who lives on this island? (Are only humans allowed?) What do people do all day on the island? (Do children have jobs? Is there a school?) What kinds of facilities are there? What do people wear? Are there any rules on the island? What are the five most important things to know about the island? Who cleans the island?
Materials for Lessons 2 and 3
A large painting surface eg: old blinds (usually available in recreate -see “Resources”); large, thick pieces of paper eg: wallpaper; corrugated plastic, the sheets of plastic used in election posters. These can be easily primed with a layer of white emulsion paint rolled on (these should be 1meter +). Paint brushes, water and rags, heavy pencils, printed text from previous week (list of facilities on the Island run by kids) stuck up on the board.
Materials for Lesson 4
A large selection of recyclable materials for building shelters (long paper tubes, pipes, bamboo sticks, full bedsheets, loose fabric, foam from cushions, flattened cardboard boxes, insulation material, old election posters, tarpaulin, materials to attach eg. clothes pegs, crocodile clips, tape, string, thread.) One table per group, four chairs per group, flags, rolls of brown paper, oil pastels, scissors, plasticine, clean tin cans (with no lids), non-stretch thread (it will not work if it is stretchy!), large nail hammer.
Integration Opportunities:
- S.P.H.E.: these lessons will prompt children to understand their role as active and responsible citizens.
- Maths: this project can provide opportunities to study measurements and perimeters.
- Geography: opportunities with mapping.
3 lessons, 90 mins each + 1 lesson, 3 hours