The students in 4M have been participating in an innovative
learning experience on Thursday afternoons in the library working with Mr
McEvoy and me.
The lessons incorporated
project-based learning and provided the students with the opportunity to
engage in real world connections. These connections were explored within the
disciplines of STEAM i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
The aim of the project was to enable the students to embark
on a learning task which would equip them with skills that they need to learn in
order to become flexible thinkers, resilient problem solvers and socially aware
entrepreneurs.
The students read the book The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan. They then watched the academy award winning film adaptation of The
Lost Thing and, using their visual literacy skills, discussed and compared
the elements in the transition of book to film. The central theme of belonging was also
explored.
The main character in the book is a collector of bottle
tops. The students were given the task of designing a bottle top which had
significant meaning. They were then filmed sharing their ideas with the class.
They then embarked on the design process of creating their
own lost thing. They were required to bring a variety of easily accessible,
inexpensive resources from home and were required to use the design process of
Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create and Improve to complete their design. They were also
required to write a character profile of their lost thing.
Mrs McEvoy and I were thrilled with the results of this design
task and the innovative and creative ideas that came to light in the final
filming session.
