Prep work
- Have the necessary technology ready.
Competences/activities to be practiced first by the teacher
- Could be used in combination with tool 4.2. Growing Future Literacy.
Steps in the activity
- Introduction
- Photograph
- Discussion and reflection
Step 1: Introduction
- Give an overview of the assignment by explaining to learners that they will be asked to reflect on the changes and transformations they hope to see in the world, in response to climate change and/or the ecological crisis, and then go outside and come back with one photo that symbolizes this change. Explain to the learners that the photograph can be as abstract or as literal as each person wants it to be. It can also be taken intuitively or following a clear logic.
- Invite learners to reflect on the types of changes or transformations they are hoping for in relation to climate change. This could be prompted by a specific question, or questions, or be left more open-ended.
Step 2: Photograph
- Invite learners to take some time alone and in silence (5 minutes approximately) to walk or sit and see what naturally grabs their attention in the outdoors. If it helps, people are welcome to take notes.
- Invite learners to take a photograph of an image, composition, or object that represents the change. Reassure the learners who may not be certain of why they have taken the specific photograph. Let them know that through discussion, they can discover some meaning.
Step 3: Discussion and reflection
- Invite the learners to reconvene in small groups of 3-5 people and share their experiences and photographs with the group, one after the other. Ask the person to the right of the person who is speaking to take notes for the person who is sharing. At least 2 minutes should be allowed for each person to explain their photograph without interruption and another 2-3 minutes for others in the group to ask questions or share their interpretations.
- Invite some volunteers to share key insights from each group with the plenary.
- Optional: provide a way for photographs to be emailed or uploaded onto a central computer so that they can be shared. The photographs could also be printed and hung in the classroom
Dos and Don’ts
Don’t
- Don’t comment on the quality of the photograph. This exercise is not a photography workshop but an activity to reflect on the transformations the learners want to see.
Adaptations
If the use of technology is not preferred, an alternative could be to have the learners draw/sketch what naturally grabs their attention.
For younger groups (12- 16 years), this activity could be coupled with a tour of the city or neighborhood, during which the photographs could be taken.
An example of an alternative photography workshop can be found here, for inspiration. For example, if the class cannot go outdoors, the learners could use photographs of themselves and use collage to reflect on their future.
It’s possible to use this activity before and after tool 4.2. Growing Futures Literacy, to see if the relationship of learners to the future changes after those activities. Have their visions changed?
We invite you to adapt this activity to the specific needs of your learners, including by taking into account their neurodiversity. When adapting tools and activities for neurodivergent learners, please note it is not about treating others how you want to be treated, but how they want to be treated. Ask, listen, and stay open to different ways of learning and engaging.
References
This activity is adapted from the Re-Imaginary resources by One Resilient Earth.
Finnegan, W. (2022). ‘It’s beautiful, living without fear that the world will end soon’ – digital storytelling, climate futures, and young people in the UK and Ireland. Children’s Geographies, 21(5), 898–913. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2022.2153329
Glaw, X., Inder, K., Kable, A., & Hazelton, M. (2017). Visual Methodologies in Qualitative Research: Autophotography and Photo Elicitation Applied to Mental Health Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917748215
