Activity 1.4.2:

Creative practices

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Overview

This activity is for teachers and educators. It is a prerequisite and a foundational activity for all other activities related to climate emotions to be effective, impactful and not lead to more traumas or re-traumatization. It involves the acquisition of knowledge regarding one’s own emotional and mental wellbeing, and that of one’s learners. It also entails the creation of a different culture in relation to emotions in the classroom. Last, it requires the mapping and establishment of an emotional support system for teachers and educators, as well as for their learners, so as to further build safety, as part of trauma-informed practices.

Curriculum linkage

Language & Literature, Language & Literature, Arts, Arts

Competences built

Compassion, Emotional regulation, Empathy, Imagination, Originality, Self-compassion

Prep

  • Choose an artistic medium, gather material and select a prompt for the creative exercise.

Competences/activities to practice first by the teacher

Steps in the activity

  1. Creating 
  2. Sharing/Discussing

Step 1: Creating

Select a medium for this creative practice. It could be poetry or creative writing. It could be drawing, painting, collages, or clay. Provide the learners with the material they need to engage in the activity. 

If you choose writing, introduce the method for Haikus or Cinquains:

  1. A haiku is an unrhymed poetic form from Japan consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively.
  2. The method for working with Cinquains on eco-anxiety was developed by Leslie Davenport. A cinquains is a non-rhyming 5-line poem that is arranged in a special way. It can help you express your ideas and feelings. 
  3. The Cinquains method follows the steps below:
    1. You will be writing 2 poems. Give the first poem the title ‘Eco-Anxiety’ and write about the fears that come up for you about climate change. The second poem will be titled ‘Web’ and describe your personal experience of how all life is connected and how this awareness can help us work together to create a healthier world. 
    2. Write your poem using the steps below. First line: title (i.e. Eco-anxiety or Web). Second line: two-words that describe the title. Third line: three interesting action words that fit the topic. Fourth line: a four-word phrase that captures your feelings about the topic. Fifth line: one word related to the title. Example: 

Exo-Anxiety
Scared, questions
Trying, hoping, wondering
I hold my breath
Worried 

Web
Relationships, threads
Touching, connecting, holding
Bringing us all together
Whole 

If you chose drawing, painting, collages or clay: introduce the prompt for the practice. Possible suggestions for prompts include:

  • Represent all the emotions you feel about climate change as a monster/creature 
  • Represent one specific emotion you feel about climate change (e.g. climate grief)
  • Represent (elements of) the future you fear next to the future you dream of. Representing the futures we fear and the futures we dream of is also part of the Futures Literacy Lab activity (4.2.2).  
  • Represent your connections to nature and the more-than-human world. 

Prompts c and d can guide a group exercise following some individual reflection and some discussions. 

Step 2: Sharing/discussing   

  1. Allow some of the learners to present their creations to the group, describe what they represented,  and the emotions they felt, on a voluntary basis. 
  2. Provide space for the new questions that emerged for them (if any). 

Dos and Don’ts

Do

  • Leave enough time to learners to dive into the topic/prompt before representing it 
  • Have learners experience creative practices both individually and in a group, when possible or over time. 
  • Acknowledge emotions when they are shared by the learners

Don’t

  • Don’t grade these exercises.

Adaptations

To maximize the learners’ creativity, feel free to offer various media so that they can choose the one that inspires them the most.

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 was designed by One Resilient Earth. 

A learner sitting on a grassy area outside of the school, holding a nature-inspired mask in front of their face. Photo by Real School Budapest.

Basic Info

  • Age range: 6+
  • Duration: Short (less than 45 minutes), One or two lessons (around 45-90 minutes)
  • Group size: Flexible

  • Level of difficulty: Basic

  • Materials/space required: Material to draw, paint or create collages. Clay is also an option.
  • Location: Indoors

  • Engagement of external stakeholders: Optional

An artist from the community, or an artist working on climate change/ climate emotions would be welcome.