Central Idea:
Inventions from the past may influence present societies.
The overall understanding that this Unit seeks to explore is that ancient art forms such as the Chinese Shadow Puppetry have undergone technological and social transformations, and still can find space and purpose in the present time.
The essential knowledge is organized into three parts:
1. Inquiry into Chinese shadow puppets' history, materials, processes, and purpose.
2. The design of a shadow puppet.
3. Group collaboration skills.
Know, Understand, Do - Unit learning goals.
The Unit starts with a provocation. When entering the classroom students are surprised by several shadow puppets scattered around the tables and are challenged to walk around, observe, and interact with the puppets. At this moment, the only information that is shared is that they will have the opportunity to talk about what they are observing. The provocation concludes with the visual thinking routine: I see. I think. I wonder. It is a routine that students are already familiar with and offers an interactive way to assess what knowledge students have at this point.
During the tuning in stage, students observe different performances, watch artists talking about their work, and engage in discussions about the symbology and purpose of this art form. At this point, they are ready to start creating.
Group work is only introduced to students after they have created their original puppets. This is a conscious decision, and it is related to some factors observed in previous years:
- Students tend to arrange groups between boys and girls;
- Possibility of some students feeling excluded.
Students are grouped not based on their characters but rather by the balance of oral and written communication skills, and collaboration skills.
This is where creativity takes on a new dimension. Which story brings together in the same cast a little girl, a submarine, a talking tree, and a jellyfish? At first, the students show some resistance, and the stories take time to gain shape. We observed that some students assume the role of leaders, and the group dynamics develop naturally. In other situations, the leader's role is disputed, generating obstacles in the project's development. It is not uncommon for us to end the class with a discussion of what it means to work in a group with students presenting suggestions to overcome conflicts. In these moments, it is crucial that the students see the teacher as a mediator and the resolution of conflicts depends on them.
One of the most significant learnings is the opportunity for students to develop collaboration skills. This Unit exposes students to different situations where they will have to negotiate ideas and manage several tasks simultaneously.
This Unit also presents the possibility to discuss what it means to be a good audience and to show respect and empathy for the efforts of others. After each performance, the audience is encouraged to share constructive feedback through the two stars and a wish routine. This routine establishes a healthy dialogue about what was observed.
As a conclusion of this Unit's learning, students engage in a reflective moment. In order to break the abstract character that the act of reflection presents to students at this age, we associated the Approaches to Learning with attributes of the Learner Profile since it is an approach that they are familiar with.
Teacher-student assessment
When assessing students learning it is important to remember the journey that each student has experienced throughout this Unit. The Unit is challenging in many ways and for some students small steps mean extraordinary progress, and for others, constant challenges are required.
