Kinmen County Elementary School – Women's Power & Beauty – Colors in the Island's Memories
This course originated from a real dialogue in a social studies class. When the teacher mentioned that "military service is a man's obligation," many male students in the class cried out in unison and asked in confusion, "Why do only boys have to serve? Why don't girls?" Such questions, stemming from life experience, not only reflected the children's intuitive feelings about fairness and responsibility but also sparked a deeper reflection among the whole class on "courage, responsibility, and gender." The teacher realized that gender issues are not abstract knowledge propositions but an important entry point for children's genuine emotions and value exploration.
In response to students' questions and concerns, the "Women's Power & Beauty – Colors in Island Memories" program uses the history of the Kinmen battlefield as a starting point, incorporating the true stories of the "Women's Self-Defense Force" to guide students in understanding that in an era of "everyone being a soldier," women also bear the public responsibility of protecting their homeland. Through tracing and discussing the historical context, students gradually realize that courage and responsibility are not exclusive to any one gender, but are practiced in different forms depending on the times and circumstances, thereby establishing a concept of shared defense and social participation under gender equality.
In Theme (I), "They Also Serve in the Military—Women's Self-Defense Forces," the course integrates social and affective learning. Through animated reading, historical research, video observation, and ORID focused discussions, students are guided to understand the social structure of "universal conscription" during wartime administration and the role and contributions of the Women's Self-Defense Forces. During the learning process, students practice distinguishing between facts and feelings, expressing their personal thoughts, and listening to others' perspectives, gradually developing self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible value judgment abilities within SEL (Self-Educational Skills), while also aligning with the core principles of SDGs 5 (Gender Equality) and SDGs 16 (Peace, Justice, and Institutions).
Moving into Theme (II), "The Colors of Their Unspoken Feelings," the course further guides students from "the courage to be seen" to "unspoken emotions." Through a walk-through of the historical space of the featured teahouse, observation, and questioning exercises, students, guided by the teacher, attempt to understand the lives and emotional threads of another group of women in battlefield history with a neutral and non-judgmental attitude. Through emotional lines, veiled creation, and artistic translation, students transform unspeakable feelings into lines, colors, and visual symbols, cultivating SEL abilities such as emotional recognition, emotional expression, and empathy, and deepening their aesthetic expression and inner awareness.
The core aesthetic expression of this course—"Open Art Creation"—carries important emotional and educational symbolism. The outer heart formed by the hands symbolizes understanding, receiving, and protection; the act of opening the artwork represents entering history, opening perspectives, and getting closer to inner feelings; the contrasting structure on both sides guides students to see both "the courage to be affirmed" and "the voice that is silenced," learning to understand differences and respect the efforts and emotions in different life situations.
The learning process emphasizes the establishment of a culture of feedback and dialogue. Through self-assessment, peer feedback, and audience feedback, students are guided to share using the language of "I see, I feel, I think," focusing on feeling, understanding, and responding rather than comparing and judging. The goal is for students to not only "know history," but also learn fairness from history, practice expression through art, cultivate empathy through interaction, and put peace and gender equality into action. Through interdisciplinary aesthetic learning, children are expected to gradually understand that "true courage exists not only in seen actions, but also in the unspoken yet real emotions and life stories; and peace begins with understanding oneself and respecting others, slowly and firmly transforming into gentle yet powerful action."
