Symbiotic Life
Age Groups: 8-15
No. Staff per children necessary: 1 adult per 20 children
Approximated time: Minimum 30 minutes: 30-40 minute talk, additional 30-60 minute creative task
Overview:
Through an enticing visual exploration of creatures in the microcosmos and natural world, we will explore ideas of what it means to be an ‘individual’. Ecological respect is synonymous to ecological belonging. Through encouraging students to be ecologically curious, have them think in what ways they are entangled within their surroundings, what creatures and objects collage to form their ‘body’, what systems enable life, they can further perceive their actions as vital, important and impactful to the world they are in. The fascinating realities of symbiotic evolution aim to spark engagement with these ideas, whilst meditating love and awe for the beauty of the natural world.
Through playful collage and drawing, students will be asked to complete a non-self-portrait of who and what they are dependent on that doesn’t explicitly contain their physical body i.e. people in their life they love, the pavement they walk in, their favourite foods, who produced the food etc. Through this creative task, students will identify and find gratitude towards parts of their surroundings that make their life possible.
Required Materials (optional):
Newspapers/magazines for collaging. Recycled/perused A3 paper. Pencils. Crayons/Pastels. Scissors. Glue. Tape. Pain Pens if possible.
Workshop Plan:
Through the presentation, students will learn how cells evolved into all organic life: from endosymbiotic adaptation to cell colonies, specialisation, and finally fusing into multicellular organisms. We will then explore how macro-organisms rely on one another in a similar fashion, with a key focus on ants, corals, pigeons, trees, algae, mushrooms, and finally the Earth itself. The class will be encouraged to engage on how this relates to their own body and own community, and how it makes them think differently about relationships. The presentation will end with a focus on love and care, how our actions, conscious or unconscious, effect and form humanity as a superorganism, and what we want that superorganism to look like.
Students will be asked to think about and draw a non-self-portrait of themselves in terms of what and who they are dependent on. They will be encouraged to converse and ask questions throughout. Students excited to share their work will be given time to at the end of the class.
Work From Students At Chancel PrimaryNo. Staff per children necessary: 1 adult per 20 children
Approximated time: Minimum 30 minutes: 30-40 minute talk, additional 30-60 minute creative task
Overview:
Through an enticing visual exploration of creatures in the microcosmos and natural world, we will explore ideas of what it means to be an ‘individual’. Ecological respect is synonymous to ecological belonging. Through encouraging students to be ecologically curious, have them think in what ways they are entangled within their surroundings, what creatures and objects collage to form their ‘body’, what systems enable life, they can further perceive their actions as vital, important and impactful to the world they are in. The fascinating realities of symbiotic evolution aim to spark engagement with these ideas, whilst meditating love and awe for the beauty of the natural world.
Through playful collage and drawing, students will be asked to complete a non-self-portrait of who and what they are dependent on that doesn’t explicitly contain their physical body i.e. people in their life they love, the pavement they walk in, their favourite foods, who produced the food etc. Through this creative task, students will identify and find gratitude towards parts of their surroundings that make their life possible.
Required Materials (optional):
Newspapers/magazines for collaging. Recycled/perused A3 paper. Pencils. Crayons/Pastels. Scissors. Glue. Tape. Pain Pens if possible.
Workshop Plan:
Through the presentation, students will learn how cells evolved into all organic life: from endosymbiotic adaptation to cell colonies, specialisation, and finally fusing into multicellular organisms. We will then explore how macro-organisms rely on one another in a similar fashion, with a key focus on ants, corals, pigeons, trees, algae, mushrooms, and finally the Earth itself. The class will be encouraged to engage on how this relates to their own body and own community, and how it makes them think differently about relationships. The presentation will end with a focus on love and care, how our actions, conscious or unconscious, effect and form humanity as a superorganism, and what we want that superorganism to look like.
Students will be asked to think about and draw a non-self-portrait of themselves in terms of what and who they are dependent on. They will be encouraged to converse and ask questions throughout. Students excited to share their work will be given time to at the end of the class.
Intended Impact:
In conjunction with learning the harsh realities of carbon literacy, growing love for the planet is vital. Love creates hope, anger, and response-ability, and thus action. Embedding young people with terror and hopelessness through teaching of global disaster without ecological curiosity can be incredibly destructive to both the individual and the resistance. Young people are emotionally vulnerable, and we must consider the mental distress of learning about global warming bluntly. Reactive feelings of denial, depression, and hopelessness are not useful. In the fight for a future, ecological love makes strides much more powerful than ecological nihilism.
Understanding ecological entanglement, its intricacy, delicacy yet resilience, can create an incredibly spiritual sense of belonging to the world, belonging to the air, and the soil, not only nourishing love and responsibility and the planet, but to oneself (as though those weren’t the same thing anyway). Encouraging non-individualistic thinking will also encourage stronger community bonds, encouraging practices of gratitude, and acknowledgement of interdependence.
Supporting Texts:
Entangled Life, Ways of Being, Staying with the Trouble, We Have Never Been Individuals, The Second Body, We Belong to Gaia, Gaia: a new look at life on earth, Hyperobjects, Journey to the Micro-Cosmos.
Reviews:
Best. Class. Ever!!!
- Anonymous 6th Grade Student, Chancel Primary School
We were very fortunate in the Spring term to receive a whole-morning session from Cloud, who was leading an activity based upon the Cannock Chase Great Imagining scheme. Cloud deftly weaved new knowledge into a practical and fun session, which enthused all learners. Cloud is a confident teacher who develops an instant rapport with children. Cloud's preparedness ensured flexibility, adapting the session to meet the particular needs of my class.
- Paul Newton, Chancel Primary School 6th Grade Teacher
Entangled Life, Ways of Being, Staying with the Trouble, We Have Never Been Individuals, The Second Body, We Belong to Gaia, Gaia: a new look at life on earth, Hyperobjects, Journey to the Micro-Cosmos.
Reviews:
Best. Class. Ever!!!
- Anonymous 6th Grade Student, Chancel Primary School
We were very fortunate in the Spring term to receive a whole-morning session from Cloud, who was leading an activity based upon the Cannock Chase Great Imagining scheme. Cloud deftly weaved new knowledge into a practical and fun session, which enthused all learners. Cloud is a confident teacher who develops an instant rapport with children. Cloud's preparedness ensured flexibility, adapting the session to meet the particular needs of my class.
- Paul Newton, Chancel Primary School 6th Grade Teacher