contents
1. short description of
activity
2. programme
3. didactic concept
4. materials and tools
5. costs
6. side-conditions
7. the role of the teacher
8. technical aspects
9. pilot: location and
context
10. Perspective
1. short description of
activity
A spontaneous situation on the edge of the sand-pit of a campsite has
the potential to be elaborated into the direction of a planned technology
activity, attainable for every schoolteacher. The second attractive quality of this activity is that
mainly natural materials, to be found in almost any natural site, can be used.
The third quality is that it appears to be attractive and challenging on
various ages (from 2 to 13!).
In this case it started with one adult assembling some sticks into some kind
of hut. This immediately attracted the attention of two young children (2 and
4), who copied it first but quickly developed the idea into different shapes of
huts and very soon a kind of puppet-play arises. Reality and imagination are
mixed, sticks are persons, children, babies. All kinds of needs are met and
necessary attributes constructed, like a fireplace, a spit, a cradle for the
baby, a totem… in the meantime many other children of different ages have
joined in. Interventions of an adult consist only of some subtle initiatives,
like digging a river and providing new kinds of materials, and sometimes asking
questions “What do they drink? How do they dress? Is it safe? Do they sell
anything?” etc. Children believe in their play and are proud to show parents
their products.
In this case after some time suddenly at the other side of the sand pit
some of the older children started a new village. Apparently bored by the river
that all time lost its water, they designed one with a bed covered with leaves in
which indeed the water rested much longer. Coming back after a walk this new
village had evolved into a beautiful elaborated site, with many details, some
of them “technical” like a turning spit and a water well with a bucket and a
rope on an block and tackle.
2. programme
For this spontaneous activity no programme is available. It is however
important to have some free time, because the activity exists an succeeds by
the involvement of the children. It will de deadly to stop the activity when
children are totally “in” it, also because the result is very temporally.
3. didactic concept
The activity starts as a Experience Oriented learning activity. As soon
as an adult carefully interferes with enough distance and a right feeling for
timing it can become Development Oriented Education.
The storyline will offer many
opportunities to structure this activity slightly more (see paragraph 9).
The basisc scheme of this consists of 3 components:
Episode – key-questions – activities.
In an elaborate form this will get:
Episode – key-questions – activities – class-organisation – materials –
special attention for quality of….
4. materials and tools
All materials, except the bottom of the well were natural: sticks,
leaves, berries, grass, sand, small stones, water…..
It would be possible to add simple artificial materials, of course,
which would be good for understanding the evolution of technology.
5. costs
None
6. side-conditions
A sand-pit or an open place in a park, and some natural materials, preferably to be taken directly from
nature, because this will enforce the relation of the children with nature.
7. the role of the teacher
The teacher or any other guide should just play with the children, in a
quite unnoticed position. Interventions of an adult consist only of some subtle
initiatives, like digging a river and providing new kinds of materials, and
sometimes asking questions “What do they drink? How do they dress? Is it safe?
Do they sell anything?” etc.
8. technical aspects
Most of the technical aspects met are about construction and simple
mechanical transitions, like a lever and block-and-tackle.
9. pilot: location and
context
A campsite in Zeeland, The Netherlands, with children that hardly knew
each other before.
10. Perspectives
To develop this activity further and for certain age groups, the
story-line approach might serve well. This is described clearly by Steve Bell
and Vos/Dekkers in:
- Bell, S., K. Fifield & S. Bradshw (ed.) The Scottish Storyline
Method, a training Manual. Educational Resources Northwest, Portland, 1990.
- Vos, E. & P. Dekkers,
Verhalend Ontwerpen, een draaiboek, Groningen, 1994
The attractive quality of this approach is that there’s a nice balance
between planning by the teacher
(designer) and the influence of the children themselves who get the freedom to
fill in every episode. Therefor there is some warranty that in the activity
some described educational goals are met, whereas in the meantime children are
involved in their story and concerned about how to solve the next, naturally
upcoming question.
Download (all
materials): sandpit.zip