Dacheng Elementary School, Xinpi Township, Pingtung County—Sounds, Flowing Water, and Traces of Nature

By "leaving traces," we see nature, and we also see ourselves.
Nature leaves its mark at every moment, and art makes those unseen marks visible.
This course uses "sound, water flow, and traces left by nature" as its interdisciplinary learning theme, guiding students to start from natural phenomena that are commonplace yet easily overlooked in their daily lives. Through reading comprehension, scientific inquiry, artistic creation, and practical life experiences, students can rediscover the traces left by the interaction of all things in nature, thereby cultivating their observation skills, aesthetic perception, and environmental care.
Starting with the sound art creations of artist Chiu Chi, the course, through themed book exhibitions, artist workshops, classic readings, and outdoor education at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, allows students to learn how artists use different media to interpret natural phenomena, understand that artistic creation originates from a keen observation of the world, and that reading becomes an important medium for understanding art, learning about nature, and constructing knowledge.
In the exploration process, students first observe the patterns formed by sound waves through drumhead vibration experiments, understanding that sound is not an abstract entity, but a natural phenomenon with energy that leaves a trace. Students then use artistic expressions such as pointillism and cyanotype printing to transform the brief vibrations into visual images, experiencing the process of mutual verification and transformation between scientific inquiry and artistic creation.
Next, the learning environment extends to the school campus, irrigation canals, and the natural environment. Through courses such as nature observation, irrigation canal dyeing, plant dyeing, and land art, students explore the natural textures formed by the interaction of water, plants, soil, stones, and sunlight. They understand that every trace in the natural environment is the result of the combined effects of time, environment, and life. Students no longer simply appreciate nature, but learn to listen, respect, and cooperate in the process of interacting with nature, and experience the value of a harmonious coexistence between humans and the environment.
The course concludes by returning to life, integrating natural creations into family and daily life. Through activities such as transforming dyed fabrics into household items, parent-child co-creation, family day cafes, and exhibitions of finished products, students are encouraged to share their creative process, allowing art to step out of the classroom and into the home, and enabling learning to truly respond to life.
The overall curriculum adopts a competency-based design, using "reading comprehension—scientific inquiry—artistic translation—life practice" as the learning process. It guides students to use their abilities in observation, questioning, inquiry, creation, expression, and reflection to integrate knowledge from different fields such as language, natural science, visual arts, sound arts, and environmental education in real-world contexts. This fosters interdisciplinary integration skills, aesthetic literacy, inquiry abilities, and environmental action, enabling students to understand that art is not just about creating works of art, but also a way of understanding nature, interpreting the world, and responding to life.