Shetou Elementary School, Shetou Township, Changhua County—Weaving the Beauty of Our Hometown—Shetou's Sock Industry and Sock Ring Reuse

(I) Background, significance and importance of unit design
Guava and socks from Shetou are local specialties that children are familiar with but may not fully understand. In the past, the course started with "Guava Matters" and guided students to understand the connection between local industries and life through observation, discussion and creation. It also allowed teachers to see the possibility of developing interdisciplinary aesthetic courses based on local culture.

This semester's curriculum extends to sock knitting, another important industry in Shetou. The teaching team discovered that the waste materials from the sock-making process, such as sock loops, are closely related to students' lives and have the potential for reuse. Therefore, they developed a "Sock Loop Reuse" course. Starting with an understanding of the sock knitting industry, students transform sock loops into flowers, household items, and creative works, experiencing the transformation from industrial waste to artistic creation and understanding the meaning of resource recycling and sustainable living.
The course also incorporates the spirit of Quanta's "Artistic Journey: Innovation and Transformation, Classic Status" exhibition, guiding students to think about how traditional industries can recreate value through innovation. Starting with socks, which originally had a single function, the course explores the possibilities for the future development of the sock industry. Combining ink painting and sock ring materials, sixth-grade students create works that incorporate their learning experiences, life memories, and feelings for their hometown over the past six years, showcasing their own perspectives and aesthetic expressions.
Furthermore, the course continued the spirit of inter-school exchange and cooperation, bringing the hosiery curriculum into different school settings through co-preparation and sharing with teachers from Jiuguan Elementary School in Puxin Township. Teachers adjusted their teaching methods according to the characteristics of the students, and students also demonstrated diverse creative achievements in different schools, promoting professional exchange among teachers and curriculum development.
Overall, this course starts from real-life experiences, connecting the Shetou hosiery industry, circular aesthetics, local revitalization, and self-expression, while echoing the SDGs 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Students not only learn creative techniques but also gain an understanding of their hometown, the industry, and respond to the environment through practical actions. Finally, they create graduation corsages using hosiery rings, reducing the use of disposable decorative items and truly integrating artistic creation into campus life.
2. Cross-disciplinary curriculum planning
This course, centered on "Weaving the Beauty of Our Hometown - Circular Aesthetics, Local Revitalization and Self-Expression," starts from students' familiar life experiences and local industries, combining fields such as art, society, integrated activities and language. Through exploration, creation and sharing, it cultivates students' understanding of their hometown culture, aesthetic creation and sustainable actions.
In the social sphere, students are guided to understand the development and local characteristics of the sock knitting industry in Shetou, comprehend the relationship between industry and life, and consider the possibility of resource recycling and local revitalization through the reuse of sock rings.
In the field of art, through the appreciation of the exhibition "Playing in Art - Innovation and Transformation, Classic Position" by Quanta, students are guided to understand the relationship between tradition and innovation, and to create works that combine ink painting and hosiery media, developing aesthetically pleasing works with personal stories and characteristics.
In the integrated activities and language domain, students develop their communication, collaboration, and expression skills through group discussions, collaborative creation, and sharing of their work. They also review their six years of learning and transform their personal experiences into creative content.
Through interdisciplinary integration, students start by understanding local culture, and then experience appreciation, creation, and reflection, transforming aesthetic education into a learning process that helps them understand their hometown, express themselves, and practice sustainability.
(III) Teaching Strategies and Assessment
This course employs teaching strategies such as inquiry-based learning, creative practice, collaborative learning, and reflective expression to guide students from understanding local industries to gradually engaging in creative thinking and artistic practice.
The course begins by guiding students to understand the culture of sock weaving in Shetou and the characteristics of the local industry through photographs, videos, exhibition appreciation, and discussions. It also incorporates the Quanta exhibition "Playing with Art – Innovation in Transformation, Classic in Place" to inspire students to consider the possibilities for innovation in traditional industries. Following this, through exploration of ink painting and sock-ring creation, students are guided to experiment with different modes of expression and develop their personal creativity.
The creative process combines individual creation with group collaboration. Students first express their individual ideas and then work together to complete a large-scale work, learning to cooperate as a team while maintaining their individual characteristics. Through the making and use of garter corsages, students understand the connection between artistic creation and sustainable living.
The assessment method adopts multiple assessment methods:
1. Learning Process Assessment
Observe students' performance in discussions, material exploration, collaborative interaction, and problem-solving.
2. Evaluation of the work's results
The evaluation assesses whether the work combines local culture, circular aesthetics, and personal creativity, showcasing the use of media and aesthetic expression.
3. Expressing reflection and evaluation
Through sharing their work and reviewing their learning, we can understand students' understanding of self-growth, hometown culture, and sustainability.