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Teacher guidanceHere you can find a teacher guide with a description of which elements can be taught in connection with Things Talk.
The teaching materials for Things Talk are based on a practical, imaginative and creative process, in which the pupils create a sculpture, a junk model, which consists of discarded objects, rubbish, waste, scrap and recyclables.
The creative process of making a junk sculpture provides the pupils with an opportunity to become curious and explore different subject and thematic directions and in this way accumulate new knowledge and cognition.
In some classes, efforts will be concentrated on the creative work with the junk sculptures, and in other classes the junk sculptures will function as a starting point for a more theoretical approach to subjects like recycling, environment and climate.
The teaching materials have been developed, such that the teacher for each class can choose which of the texts, the pupils will work with and thereby construct their own course. The intention is for the pupils to be confronted with facts, practical activities, experiences, imagination and creativity, so that both the intellect as well as emotions come into play. In this way, most pupils will be able to find an access point or working method which will suit them.
The project is also well suited to both single subject as well as cross-curricular teaching.
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Student guideThe guidance material for pupils is prepared in a way such that they will be able – either wholly or partially – to read short texts about climate/environment and about Henry Heerup’s work with junk sculptures and our thoughts about the project.
The material is structured so that the pupils can get an idea of the fact that things, just like people, have a history.
Things also have a past, present and future. The thing’s present can be that it has become a piece of rubbish, but the pupils can, through their work with the junk sculptures, change the thing’s future and have it enter into a new context.
Have fun!
Go to student guide
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Guide to working with junk sculptures
1. Introduction
Review the pupils’ teaching materials with them. Discuss the project, so that you are all prepared for what will happen.
2. Collection of rubbish
The pupils should collect rubbish from their neighbourhood. It is recommended that you keep an eye out for larger pieces of rubbish, e.g. wood, planks etc. The pupils should each bring one item from home, which they would have thrown out anyway (it could be anything from old toys to tin cans – not food!)
3. Storytelling
The pupils will show their item to the class and say what it is made out of and what it was used for earlier and why it has been thrown away. The students then do a drawing of themselves and of the piece of rubbish.
4. Building the junk sculptures
The pupils will build their own junk sculptures, either alone or in small groups, which include their own waste object. The junk sculptures can either be big or small. Consider which materials you would use to put the junks sculptures together, so that the sculpture can be dismantled again and recycled. The pupils will give their sculptures a title or a name and introduce them to the class.
5. Perspective
Discuss with the pupils, what their own piece of waste has become, what the future of their junk sculpture could be if it is dismantled one day and becomes junk again. What will happen to the individual materials? What will happen to the individual materials and what does it mean for the environment whether the materials are recycled or not?
6. Documentation
The pupils write the history of the junk sculpture – its past, present and future. Take a digital picture of the junk sculptures so that they are ready to upload to the website.
7. Visions/statements
7. Visions/statements
Talk about the consequences for the environment and climate. The children’s thoughts and statements about the environment and climate will be uploaded onto the website together with photos of their junk sculptures. Under the world map it is possible to see other students’ junk sculptures and follow their histories. Because the project is international, we would ask you to formulate your texts in English.
8. Exhibition
Arrange an exhibition of the pupils’ junk sculptures and drawings. The drawings and stories can tell about the pupils’ personal piece of waste – from thing to junk, and from junk to thing with a new function. It could be a joint exhibition at the school, in connection with a parent’s evening, or in the local shopping mall, library or nursing home. You are only limited by your imagination…
Selection of teaching materials
Factsheets
Factual texts, drawings and photos. There are factsheets about products/things/goods with a focus on how they are produced, the way they are used and the manner in which they are discarded/recycled.
There are factsheets about local and global environmental issues, climate and climate changes, energy and energy consumption, creativity, aesthetics, art or about different countries and living conditions.
Short stories
15 short fictional stories about children who live under different conditions in 15 countries, who each reflect a geographical, economic, climatic and political reality.
Each story of about 2-4 pages describes a slice of daily life for a child in the relevant country - with particular focus on the actual living conditions, consumption patterns, resources (or lack of the same), which have an influence on the global environmental and climatic issues.
Each story is backed up by short factual information about the relevant country as well as illustrations and photos, which show landscapes, environments and people.
The stories should be seen as a creative access point for the factual information in the teaching material on climate, climate change, energy, resources, production, consumption, recycling etc.
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