Lesson 3

Learning intention

We can make interesting observations, research and creatively design, write or deliver information about litter.

We can read and listen and appreciate the work and efforts of others.

Success criteria

We have created, choreographed, written, drafted and worked on a product that has a focus on litter. This can be an artwork, poster, article or story, dramatisation or video/audio recording.

Students can appreciate and discuss different ways of presenting a message to an audience.

They can appreciate and reflect upon their own creative processes.

Zero Litter in Georges River Drain Art Project

Activity 1: Creating the Drain Art design

Design brief -

We know that stormwater drains lead directly to our waterways. That means every time it rains, litter flows directly to local streams and then the Georges River.

Through the transforming of stormwater drains you will get the chance to highlight the importance of protecting our waterways and the positive impact we can have in our community. You are being asked to express yourself through an artwork that shares the message of 'Zero Litter in Georges River'.

18 of these artworks (3 from each participating school) will be installed along the Georges River and will become public artworks that will be seen by thousands of people.

The reproduced artworks need to have a clear link to the topic 'Zero Litter in Georges River'. Need to engage and educate residents, therefore encouraging positive public impact. Must be family-friendly and add beauty to the community. The artwork will be created on A2 paper in landscape orientation and have a clear design. That will be transferred by a professional artist to become a 1500 mm long piece of drain art.

Lesson 4 preparation

Lesson 4 is a filming session for selected students and an opportunity to photograph all artworks.

This project is being conducted in accordance with privacy and protection of children guidelines and requires parent consent for students to participate and be photographed/filmed. Please see the Release Form for Parents and Teachers Consent to be Filmed document provided to the school.

After Lesson 3 students will be given an extra week to complete their designs and select 5 finalists. The finalists designs will be judged to arrive at 3 artworks, that will be painted on the footpaths of the local area. A representative for each of the 3 winning designs will be interviewed to camera. Not all designs will be filmed. However, all designs will have an image taken and be loaded into the project website gallery.

Artwork process and selection:

· Students work in teams of 4 or 5* (I.e. 188 kids = roughly 40 groups).

· To create a joint A2 size artwork with poster pens/textas (materials will be provided by GRK).

· Artworks must be completed two week before session 4 to qualify.

· Students/school selects 5 finalist teams and a representative for each finalist team.

· School emails a photo of 5 finalist artworks to Georges Riverkeeper.

· Professional artist and Georges Riverkeeper selects 3 ‘Hero’ artworks to paint/ team representative to be interviewed on video.

· All artworks will be photographed by GRK during session 4.

· Photographs of all artworks will be displayed on the project website.

· School will need to provide a suitable, weather-proof area for filming (2 hours). Filming will occur over 1 hours with one representative at a time (10 min time slots).

· Selected representatives will be asked a small series of questions to answer to camera.

· Representative’s answers will be compiled to form part of the final video for the school.

· Final A2 artworks may be displayed inside the school, at the school’s discretion.

· If there are less than 3 classes, the process will be tailored so that the students work in groups of a suitable number to end up with 5 final artworks from the school.

Sample timeline:

T1 Wk2: zoom with teachers

Plus

Option 1: Wk 4 – 9 (3 consecutive lessons and session 4 held 2 weeks later)

Option 2: Wk 3 – 10 (3 fortnightly lessons and session 4 held 2 weeks later)

(note: Lesson 3 is followed by 1 wk to finish art, + 1 wk to judge ‘heros’, + 1 wk to video)

More inspiration for litter in the river problems

How can we care for our rivers and waterways?

Share this video and learn five simple actions that show you Love Your Waterways!

RRRRRRR Recycle.jpg

Beyond 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle': the 9 R’s of a sustainable life.

Students learn that we can do more than just 'Reduce, Reuse & Recycle'.

https://www.greenpeace.org.au/blog/beyond-reduce-reuse-recycle/

The importance of water in a catchment

Unfortunately stormwater drains don't only contain rain. Watch this video to see what can be done to improve stormwater quality. Considering litter as another stormwater problem, think how we might extend this learning.

Optional Extra Activities

Creating your message using the medium of choice e.g., drama, digital photography or writing

Drama

Drama is a great medium for presenting an idea or scenario to an audience. When creating a presentation it is important to include:

A title for the dramatization
The scene description
Dialog or actions between characters and props
End scene designations (a desired end goal)

For more information and further direction on play-building and role-play, teachers can work through the sessions from Act Ease. With a particular focus on creating scenes and scenarios related to solving our litter problem. The videos and information in Activity 2 - Story drama is particularly useful with the use of a prop.

Click on the image below to be taken to this resource.

DramaDepartment of Education

Digital Photography

Georges River Environmental Education Centre teachers will teach students how to take amazing nature photos to use in campaign posters. The lesson covers topics such as: subject, rule of thirds, macro, leading lines, light, framing, and focus.

Students will then create campaign posters using their amazing nature photos and the images in the photo carousel below as examples. Watch the video created by teachers at Field of Mars Environmental Education centre on how to create you poster.

Photos below taken by students from Beresford Road Public School, Greystanes

Writing

Writing is a wonderful way to get your point across. It will help you to develop posters with punch, drain art that pops and presentations that inspire. But, are all words the same?

If you choose writing as your medium for 'Zero Litter in the River' or if you want to get inspiration for a better creation. Make sure you watch Ursula and use some of her 'Wonderful Words'.

Ursula Dubosarsky, author and children's laureate 2020-2021, and Laureate Magpie, speaks about using your writing superpowers and choosing words to personalise the fingerprint of your writing.

Extend your writing words with this Wonderful Words guide and find precise meanings to evoke feelings and connection that will create positive change in your audience.

Writing ideas

If you want to write about litter you can explore the theme in any way you like.

You can play with these ideas, or fly off in your own direction with your own ideas words. You could write:

a poem about a forgotten litter wrapper
a story from a litterers perspective
a relationship between people and their litter
a non-fiction article about the litter you have seen in the Georges River
a stormwater based adventure - from when it starts to rain

Read widely and experiment with writing starters to help your writing develop.

The completed artworks and groups responsible for their creation will be filmed answering questions related to their submission. This activity is Lesson 4 and will require negotiation with the videographer, school teachers and school timetables.