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The arts and creativity more broadly offer important practices for exploring relationality and experiencing relational learning because they are uniquely capable of expressing relational qualities. Relational qualities include feelings, sensations, and emotions that may be difficult to fully express through words. Creative tools and artistic practices are valuable in communicating these aspects of the human experience. For example, art offers unique ways to express empathy toward non-human beings. Additionally, from the same example, the creative process can foster deeper empathetic relationships with non-human beings. The two-eyed seeing with plants activity from the previous module also invites this experience.
Reading
Reading
Creative Tools and Design Principles for Sustainable Classrooms by Neda Mohaved and David Manuel-Navarrete
Viewing
Viewing
The Art of Soil: Painting with Earth
Grieving Dying Saguaros of the Bushfire
Connecting with Dying Elders by Brian Grant
Sandbox Game 4 → RELATIONAL WEB
Sandbox Game 4 → RELATIONAL WEB
Main activity: Relational Web
What’s the goal? Building a relational approach to a sustainability issue, and understanding how that issue relates back to (and affects) your origin story. Stretching on our artistic and creative selves as a powerful gateway to developing relational ways of teaching and learning.
How is this activity linked to relationality and sustainability? This activity helps us make connections between sustainability issues and our own lives and the relationships that make up our lives, or our relations. The artistic expressions are important for building an awareness of the emotions and feelings we feel with these issues, which can aid us in sustainability problem-solving, as well as living fully amidst challenging circumstances. Sustainability issues can seem ‘out there’ or disconnected from us, but from a relational perspective we are always connected with them at some level, and understanding that is vital for sustainability problem-solving.
How do you use this activity? Follow the worksheet to build a Relational Web, and then use the Web to edit your Origin Story Introductions
Facilitation tips (when applicable): Be as creative as you want to illustrate the Web!
Reflection Questions
Reflection Questions
Viewing your artistic creation of your relational web, what emotions and feelings do you see present?
Do these emotions communicate anything to you about your relationship with the sustainability problem you worked with?
Describe how you understand your relationship with the sustainability problem you worked with. What role, if any, did this activity play in this understanding?
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