Relief teachers Mrs K and Mrs James take students on a climate restoration adventure
Using Google slides, students spent the day going in and out of a mantle-inspired adventure:
"An author had written a workbook called 'I am Humanity/Climate Restoration'. She had taken it to a publishing company and wanted to see whether it was worth publishing. Students then went into the publishing company, called "New Earth".
The students read the workbook leader by leader, did hands-on activities related to the leader's commitment, and reviewed the workbook as writers, illustrators and marketers - using drama and P.E. throughout the day.
'I am Humanity Day' is on the 26th of October. The aim is that young people lead this day around Auckland. And in preparing for and doing so, they share with everyone what they want for humanity.
Before starting the two-day adventure . . .
. . . students were asked to complete a survey, so that when we started Climate Restoration they would "hit the ground running". When they complete the survey at the end of the two days, we can see what they have learnt. What was most interesting was how much they had learned about climate change and climate restoration and crisis. We also asked questions about their carbon emissions.
The "before" responses are below:
This is how the stickers work
Nature journal
The nature journal is ...
Setting up Rotation activities. We go into a publishing company called New Earth (being a climate restorie) A new I am Humanity/Climate Restoration workbook has come into the company. It is by an author who has written it. She has written it mainly for young people, though the author is unsure who would be interested. Young people are the editors and think about who the workbook might be for? They put stickers on each of the leaders and their activities. They look at grammar,
.
Activity rotations
Today's activity rotations were . . .
Here are samples of two activities. This is Jacob Anderson's activity.
Here is Ruakura Jones Activity
What happened after the first rotation of activities? This summarises students as part of the publishing company. They offer their ideas.
Young people's ideas for 'I am Humanity' / Climate Restoration Day on 26th October.
What happened after the second and last rotation of activities of the day? Mrs. K and Mrs. James corrected two activities from students who had identified them as too difficult.
We also did an exercise called I Am Humanity and We Are Humanity. This was an exercise done in pairs. One person of the pair started with I Am Humanity and looked into the other person's eyes. The other person repeated it and looked into the other person's eyes. The pair went back and forth about four times. Then the pair repeated the exercise with We Are Humanity.
Reflections from Mrs K and Ms James
What worked?
Students said they learned so much and wanted to learn more. The model of rotating around activities worked, as did the stickers. The science activity, especially, was significant, and all the other activities were a big hit.
The P.E. game, developing leaders, and learning about the Hauraki Gulf were also necessary and fun. These activities were meant to take a break from classroom learning, let off steam, and develop fitness, which they did.
The I Am Humanity exercise was a great segue into I Am Humanity Day ideas.
What mistakes could we easily correct?
We could enhance our program by incorporating more drama tools. We've used the strategy of pausing the story and having the students create, and it could be even more effective with additional resources engaging more drama.
We need to clarify that there are five activities to rotate around. Don't cross the midline of the room, and rotate around five activities on each side of the room. One of those activities is outside.
Have three in a group wherever possible.
Change the leader's students read about to include the six dimensions of drama. This is to have students be even more engaged with reading about leaders related to Climate Restoration.
Use simpler language so the young people can see themselves in the leaders.
Day two is coming, and the two-day student survey is completed and coming soon.