Set in the twenty-third century, Mechanica describes a time when the earth could no longer support wildlife. The text’s underlying message is clear: if we don’t adapt to live more sustainably, this could be our future.
I have been working with Years 5 and 6 teachers and students to implement an Art of Literacy unit of work using the text Mechanica by Lance Balchin. The focus of the unit of work is on developing students’ critical and creative thinking skills using a multidisciplinary English and Visual Arts approach.
The multidisciplinary unit of work began with the study of the text’s incredible illustrations. This led to the exploration of the steampunk genre to add depth to student learning, and improved student engagement and writing outcomes. Students used Mechanica to compose their own descriptive texts that were both original and imaginative. The unit of work provided students with opportunities to increase the flexibility, fluency, originality and elaboration of their ideas in their writing and in their art-making.
During the teaching and learning experiences, students were provided with opportunities to practise their thinking skills to plan and create their own Mechanica-inspired sculptures using wire and found objects such as motherboards, wires and circuit boards. Students were encouraged to engage the dispositions of persistence, resourcefulness, flexibility, open-mindedness, risk-taking, and reflection.
The unit of work explicitly targeted making learning visible. Students clearly articulated what and how they were learning using a practised, shared language. The understanding of a shared language was supported by the use of learning intentions and success criteria, which focused on elaboration and originality. Students’ creative growth was measured using divergent thinking assessments at the beginning and the end of the unit. Student work and progress were communicated to, and well-received by, the school community.
Special events
As part of the learning experiences, Mechanica author, Lance Balchin, spent a day at Manly West working with teachers and students. He discussed the dystopian world of Mechanica, artificial intelligence, environment and technology. He further explored the art of photoshop in a smaller workshop, which provided an enriching opportunity for students to extend their ICT capabilities in art-making.
The unit of work culminated in Mechanica: The Art of Literacy exhibition, which showcased student learning and achievement. Students displayed three pieces of work: the Mechanica-inspired three-dimensional wire sculpture, a piece of descriptive writing and a lifecycle of the Mechanica-inspired creature. It was an excellent way for the school community to celebrate and share the learning and achievements of Year 5 students and their teachers.
A model of success
The Mechanica unit of work was an example of how learning the skills of critical and creative thinking can underpin student learning in all subject areas, and how effective collaboration between leaders, teachers, students and the parent community can impact on student learning. The success was demonstrated in student and teacher engagement and feedback.
Feedback identified improved confidence and ability to generate ideas, and an increase in the flexibility and originality of those ideas. Students demonstrated their capacity to transfer the skills they learnt during weekly Mechanica sessions across other learning areas. As a result, the capabilities are now incorporated into the learning intentions and success criteria of other units of work. Students and teachers now share the mindset that creativity can be taught and learnt.
Curriculum focus: general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities in English and The Arts
Within the context of English and The Arts learning areas, the three dimensions of the Australian Curriculum were addressed through a focus on Critical and Creative Thinking capability and the cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability.
General capability: Critical and creative Thinking
CCT element |
Sub-element |
Key skills & learning: English and Visual Arts |
Inquiring, identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas element |
Pose questions
Identify and clarify information and ideas
Organise and process information |
- Explore the steampunk genre. Develop knowledge and understanding about the Industrial Revolution and its influence on art and design in the 19th century. - Make and explore the connections between the text’s illustrations, the Industrial Revolution and the steampunk art movement. - Identify and learn a range of questioning skills |
Generating ideas, possibilities and actions element |
Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
Consider alternatives
Seek solutions and put ideas into action |
- Increase the fluency and flexibility of ideas using the SCAMPER and Art of Brainstorming models. - Develop originality and elaboration in writing and artmaking. - Use design thinking to plan, design and create a 3D Mechanica-inspired wire sculpture that incorporates found technology. - Ask good questions. - Use technical and creative language to produce writing that is imaginative. - Take risks with ideas (risktaker) |
Reflecting on thinking and processes element |
Reflect on processes
Transfer knowledge into new contexts |
- Articulate what is being learnt, using a shared language. - Explain and reflect on thinking. - Use the knowledge of the Industrial Revolution to understand the steampunk genre and make connections to the illustrations in Mechanica. - Use divergent thinking tests to reflect on their creative growth and potential. - Use teacher and peer feedback to improve their work |
Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures element |
Draw conclusions and design a course of action
Evaluate procedures and outcomes |
- Demonstrate flexibility and resourcefulness by being able to look at problems from multiple perspectives, and modify their plan when problems arise. - Improvise when resources are limited. - Use prior knowledge to evaluate the effectiveness of ideas, methods and courses of action |
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability
Organising idea 4: World views that recognise the dependence of living things on healthy ecosystems and value diversity and social justice are essential for achieving sustainability.
Organising idea 7: Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments.
Key questions |
Capability focus: CCT elements |
What is sustainability? |
Identify and clarify information and ideas |
What impact have the humans had on the environment? How do we know this from the text? Evaluate the benefits of this impact. Do they outweigh the problems? |
Organise and process information, apply logic and reasoning, evaluate procedures and outcomes, consider alternatives, think about thinking. |
How can we live more sustainably? |
Transfer knowledge into new contexts, seek solutions and put ideas into action. |
By using the Curriculum filter function on the Australian Curriculum website, you can search for the Critical and Creative Thinking general capability across year levels and learning areas?