Local Actions for Sustainability
Exploring how local actions can contribute to national and global sustainability goals.
Key Questions
- Analyze what makes a community sustainable.
- Design a plan for reducing waste in our local area.
- Explain how young people can influence local environmental policy.
NCCA Curriculum Specifications
About This Topic
Illustrating My Own Story helps students to become both authors and artists. In the NCCA 'Drawing' and 'Paint and Color' strands, students learn to use visual elements to support a narrative. They explore how to sequence images to show time passing and how to use color and composition to highlight the most important parts of their story.
This topic encourages personal expression and sequential thinking. Students learn that an illustration doesn't just 'match' the words; it can add new details and emotions that the words might leave out. This topic is highly personal and benefits from peer feedback. Students grasp the mechanics of storytelling faster through 'storyboarding' and sharing their work-in-progress with classmates, who can tell them if the 'plot' of the pictures makes sense.
Active Learning Ideas
Inquiry Circle: The Storyboard Swap
Students draw a three-part story (Beginning, Middle, End) on separate cards. They mix them up and give them to a partner, who must try to put them in the 'right' order and explain the story they see.
Gallery Walk: The Silent Book Fair
Students display their finished illustrations around the room without any text. The class walks around and leaves 'I wonder...' or 'I see...' comments on sticky notes, guessing what is happening in each story.
Think-Pair-Share: Color My Story
Pairs discuss which colors would best represent a 'scary' part of a story versus a 'happy' part. They then choose one scene from their own story and explain why they chose specific colors for the mood.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionYou have to draw every single thing that happens.
What to Teach Instead
Explain that illustrators choose the 'most exciting' moments. Using the 'Storyboard Swap' helps students see that a few well-chosen images can tell a whole story more effectively than many cluttered ones.
Common MisconceptionIllustrations are just 'extra' and not important.
What to Teach Instead
Show a picture book where the pictures tell a different story than the words. This helps students realize that the artist has a very important job in telling the 'full' story.
Suggested Methodologies
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I help a student who says they 'can't draw' their story?
What is the best format for 1st Year illustrations?
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Can students use collage for their illustrations?
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