我們應該好好珍惜每一個可以分享自身知識的時光，並把握住這個機會一同來討論那些關係著地球上所有生命的重要議題。每個人都可以是藝術家，這是我們想要讓孩子們瞭解的。嚮光協會決定再更進一步，告訴所有人：只要有心，每個人都可以是個社運分子，都可以是變革促進者，都可以為我們的未來盡一份心力！
We should cherish each moment that we have to share knowledge by taking the opportunity to approach social issues that are of great concern to all life on the planet. Anyone can be an artist – this is what we want to show kids and many others want to show them. Bright Side Projects takes this one step further and tells everyone that they can also be activists, be agents of change, thus one of the crucial steps in laying the path to the future. (English Below)
在我們的動物保護與福利系列課程，我們將焦點放在瀕臨絕種的動物上，透過小組討論還有紙漿雕塑的方式，討論並了解為什麼這些動物會面臨到瀕臨絕種的命運。我們希望孩子們可以創造出他們自己的全新品種動物的紙漿雕塑，並且詳細地列出牠們所面臨到的環境危機。
這次我們沒有直接告訴孩子們我們想要介紹的動物是哪些，我們讓他們從棲息地、飲食、大小、叫聲以及動作來猜到底這些動物是什麼，我們有討論到北極熊、紅毛猩猩還有石虎。我們讓孩子們站在這些動物們的處境，試想如果今天這些事情發生在自己的身上，會有怎麼樣的感受？不單只有在這裡討論，也希望能把這些討論帶回家裡，跟其他人分享。
我們討論了各種非必要的開發、對於某些特定原料的過度依賴（例如棕梠油）、能源的過度使用以及其他的行為，這些造成了各地以及全球性的氣候變遷，出乎我們意料的，居然有些孩子們已經知道這些瀕臨絕種的動物們所面臨到的困境有哪些，而有些孩子們卻表示他們一點都不在乎，因為這些跟他們一點關係也沒有。
但當被問到“那如果我今天要開一條路，穿過這個活動中心還有你家的話呢？”，孩子們立刻堅決的回說“不行！”他們開始思考我們都已經有這麼多條道路了，為什麼還要再開一條新的道路呢？為什麼要為了這條路破壞他們的家園呢？這成了我們帶入下一個討論的好時機，我們接著討論那這些瀕臨絕種的動物該怎麼辦的時候，孩子們開始為這些動物們抱不平，並開始思考“需要”與“想要”之間的差別。我們也討論了一些我們平常就可以做到的事情來減輕對於這些動物以及地球的傷害。
孩子們帶著剛剛所學到的進入到課程的下一個階段，要決定他們心中的動物是長怎麼樣子，用筆畫下來，用剪刀剪下形狀，再用衣架的鐵絲彎成動物們的骨架身形。他們把舊報紙撕成一條一條的，加入水中揉爛做成紙漿，再把紙漿上到骨架上，一個一個孩子們的動物就這麼誕生了！
我們後來花了快一整天的時間與紙漿交手，希望大家的作品在我們下一次回來台東的時候都已經乾了，這樣我們就可以替這些動物們上色，我們還有很多的議題想要跟孩子們一起討論，一起學習，而這個能真正培力於孩子們的獨特教學模式，非常需要你們的支持！
老師 Teacher： 張恆銘 (六樓鐵皮)
攝影師： Daisy Lin，李仁豪
大朋友 Big Friends：Peter Hsieh
廚師Chef：Peter Hsieh
捷式股份有限公司, Jimmy Sun | 祥益興業社 / 菜市場的Eason, Plants, 探索天下有限公司/蔡慧儀 | 蕭鈞忠 | 陳盈如 | 張瓊云| 鍾幸容 | Stephen Suen | Kelly Lin | 蕭敬騰 | Anonymous Marathoner | Stephen Suen | 私立育才國民小學 Kevin Dam Julie Shih | 歐寶惠 | 李文馨 | Sarah Milne | 鄭安婕 | 黃素月 | 林其安 Vegeholic Charity Birthday Party | Happy Tuesday – 鐘少庭 | 林晅瑄 | 林士軒
特別感謝 Special Thanks: 郭慈幼 | 新馬蘭部落, 公益彩券基金, BDigital Asia
We should cherish each moment that we have to share knowledge by taking the opportunity to approach social issues that are of great concern to all life on the planet. Anyone can be an artist – this is what we want to show kids and many others want to show them. Bright Side Projects takes this one step further and tells everyone that they can also be activists, be agents of change, thus one of the crucial steps in laying the path to the future.
In our animal welfare series, we brought the focus onto endangered animals through group discussion and paper mache. By talking about and understanding animals plus their reasons for being endangered, we hope kids would then create their own “brand new” paper mache animals and detail the environmental hazards they faced as well.
This time we talked about polar bears, orangutans, and (what was it again). Instead of telling the kids the animals we would introduce, we had them guess the type of habitat, their diet, size, sound, and how they moved. Putting kids into the scenarios that the animals may face and their loss, and asking kids how they felt if it happened to them, brought the issues home.
Unnecessary development, over-reliance on ingredients such as palm oil, excessive usage of energy and other actions contributing to climate change felt locally and where polar bears lived, were discussed. It was really surprising for us that some of the kids actually knew about the serious consequences that animals faced and yet some of them said they did not care because it was not themselves who were facing it.
When then asked “how about I build a road through this community center and over your house?” The kids adamantly said no and wondered why if there were so many roads already why this new one needed to be built and should destroy their homes. This became a perfect stepping stone as we launched into the discussion about how endangered animals came to be and soon enough, kids were defending them and balancing the act of what was a want versus a need. We went over some possible action that they could take lessen the harm on our planet and the animals.
Kids took this lesson with them on the next step in deciding what to draw and create for their own animals, sketching then cutting and reshaping the lines from discarded clothes hangers. They ripped old newspapers for the paper mache that would be used for the sculptures.
It was a long squishy paper filled day in the end, but we hope that the crafts will dry as expected so when we return later on they will be able to give life to their animals by touching up their masterpieces with color. We have so much more to talk about with the kids and learn together on this road and urgently need your support for this unique type of education method that truly empowers them.
