Taichung City Datong Elementary School—Hug my love~Hug nature
This course, centered around the concept of "love and environmental care," begins with fiber art creation in the first semester and continues with three-dimensional paper pulp modeling in the second. Through a coherent design spanning two semesters, it guides students through the process of expressing emotions, selecting materials, and understanding and engaging with environmental issues, gradually deepening their connection with nature.
◼ Last semester theme｜"Embrace my love ~ Embrace nature"
The course integrates emotional education, environmental awareness and the application of AI technology, guiding students to use recycled old clothes as materials to create animal pillows that symbolize ecological conservation (such as turtles, polar bears, etc.), and design their own "symbols of love" to express their care and protection for nature.
After completing their work, students used AI text-to-speech tools to give it voice and storytelling, imitating the livestreaming style of a host to create character videos that illustrate the conservation challenges facing animals. Each piece was presented digitally and interactively, incorporating a unique QR code or icon, allowing the animals to "speak" through technology.
We also invited experts from the Wilderness Society to share their insights, and our nature teacher used the ORID questioning method to guide students in their reflection on the significance of conservation and reuse. Students learned techniques like sewing and collage, and experienced firsthand how AI can support creative expression, further cultivating their love and responsibility for the Earth through both emotional and practical means.
In addition, we lead students out of the classroom to visit art studios and material banks to broaden their horizons in fiber art and environmental issues, and to stimulate more diverse creative imagination.
◼ Theme for the next semester｜"Guardian of Nature - My connection with nature"
Continuing last semester's focus on caring for nature, we expanded the theme to "My Relationship with Nature," using paper pulp and recycled materials to create the natural guardian spirits in each student's heart. These characters, drawn from forests, oceans, mountains, and even the students' hearts, embody their observations, understandings, and emotions about nature.
The course progressively guides students through character sketching, paper pulp modeling, decorative collage, and character narrative, gradually developing their three-dimensional modeling and narrative skills. Students are encouraged to compose the Guardian's story and mission from a first-person perspective. Throughout the process, students learn how to transform abstract perceptions into concrete forms, how to imbue their creations with new life using sustainable materials, and how to foster a dialogue between self and nature through their creations.
We emphasize the concept of "creation as action," encouraging students to use their artwork as a means of caring for the Earth. Each guardian sculpture is not only a creative form, but also carries students' thoughts and emotional responses to environmental issues.
◼ Overall goals and vision of the course
1. Through this two-semester course, we hope that students will not only learn to create, but also:
2. Understand the relationship between nature and humans and cultivate environmental awareness
3. Use art and technology to create creative expressions across media and sensory domains
4. Start with emotion, respond with action, and become a true guardian of nature in life
Art is a bridge connecting people and the world. May every child find ways to express love and responsibility through their creations, and bring this love into their future lives, so that "Earth is our common home" becomes more than just a slogan, but something they are willing to practice every day.
