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In September 2023 Glasgow School of Art (GSA) and Daydream Believers invited teachers and education partners to a two day residential professional development experience at their Highland campus.


Together we explored the learning context and how we can provide innovative and adaptive challenges for our learners. Using the Daydream Believer’s Solarpunk Island and Forestopia challenges we created an experiential learning environment developing pedagogical models which we believe will motivate and value every learner. Immerse yourself in the joy of learning!

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Use this resource to collate your primary research

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Here are some prompts to help your research in the field.

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Work Collectively with the Relationship Whisperer for...

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Work Collectively with the Relationship Whisperer for...

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Dance and play your way to a united tribe. Can you create a new team sport that the whole island will want to play and support? Perhaps you can create the next emotive, political, thought provoking, powerful dance routine to make your tribe proud?

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Explore Additional resources to support Community Guardian role

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Explore Additional resources to support Community Guardian role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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https://daydreambelievers.co.uk/resources/dream-team

This resource could help students understand their skills and personality traits, to figure out where they can be most effective in a team

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Everyone has a creative “type”—knowing yours helps you maximize your potential. Take our quiz to discover your type!

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Could this learning be adapted to consider how create listening lodges for the island?

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Work Collectively with the Community Guardian for...

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Work Collectively with the Community Guardian for...

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Find and create new ways for you and your tribe mates game on the island. You may not have a PS4 but you still have creativity and an abundance of resources to help you find ways to have fun.

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Explore Additional resources to support Relationship Whisperer role

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Explore Additional resources to support Relationship Whisperer role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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Agroecological Report | SEFARI - Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutions

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SEFARI is six world-leading Scottish Research Institutes working on Environment, Food, Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Economy, Communities, Animal and Plant Disease, Biodiversity and Nutrition

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Crop mixtures - harnessing biodiversity for sustainable farming

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The DIVERSify project worked to understand how to optimise the performance of crop species mixtures or 'plant teams' to improve yield stability, reduce losses to weeds, pests and diseases, and enhance resilience to environmental change.

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The insect collections – a research resource

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Resources - Tree Council’s Young Tree Champions

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Whether you are looking for engaging learning activities, or to upskill your staff, find ideas and inspiration in our free resources, and help your pupils connect with and learn about nature. Get involved
Free activities for the

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In this section there is lots of useful material to help plan, and improve your growing. There are are pointers to other websites with more information. There are different tools and templates for recording your activities, to help plan and improve, and detailed examples of other businesses to compare and help assess your own plans and outcomes. The topics are:

General sources of information on growing

First steps

Propagation

Crop planning and management

Polytunnel /protected growing

Fruit

General Sources of Information on Growing

The Soil Association has Technical Guides on a range of topics. You can select the topic you want to find information on through a search filter. The 'horticulture' section, for example, has fact sheets on slugs and other pests, improving soil, planning and managing protected crops, and many more topics. The section on Soil Health has 22 documents/fact sheets, covering topics like earthworms, green manures, drainage, soil testing and more. Additionally, this page has a list of seven videos that explain 'sourcing quality compost', 'assessing soil health', 'soil management for protected cropping', and more.

The Farm Advisory Service has lots of useful downloadable information including case studies, news updates, Handbook chapters and online regional discussion groups, that can be searched by topic (including 'crofts and small farms', 'new entrants'), and has an advice telephone line for general inquiries.

The Organic Research Centre publishes research, provides information services, contributes to policy, posts lots of news and event updates, and publishes an e-bulletin that you can sign up for.

If you are interested in biodynamic growing, The Biodynamic Association is a membership organisation with interesting case studies and resources (much of which is for sale, unfortunately).

If you are looking for books, these are good places to start (more to follow shortly):

First Steps

The Site Assessment Checklist identifies the questions you need to ask yourself about your site. It is a one page handout with half a dozen questions about the space itself and the structures on this land; the climate and the growing conditions; and the site's history. With each question it suggests some action points.

Propagation

This Powerpoint presentation about Propagation Methods Powerpoint has 44 slides that explain seed germination, types of seeds, chemical treatments for diseases and fertilisers, methods of sowing, costs and more, mostly from a perspective of a large conventional veg grower, but indicating in places how this applies differently for organic growers.

Indoor Propagation Key Points has lots of useful advice in two pages of short sentences: the advantages/disadvantages of direct sowing vs sowing for transplantation, using different types of seeds, different methods of sowing indoors (trays, pots, boxes etc.), what composts are available, and how to's about sowing, aftercare and temperature, all in 2 pages.

Outdoor Sowing Key Points is a brief one page advice sheet about bed preparation, methods of direct sowing, and lists the advantages of growing in raised beds.

The Propagation Methods Record Sheet is an example of a spreadsheet that can be used to record the propagation type, the transplant method and bed preparation that was carried out for a list of 30 different crops over a calendar year.

The Cullerne Sowing Calendar is a spreadsheet listing the details of growing 30 crops from basil to turnips across a year's calendar, broken down in weeks. Cullerne gardens belong to the Findhorn Community, in North East Scotland. The calendar indicates for each crop the time of sowing, the methods used, the location and quantities sown and planted, and is thereby a good example of how particular garden establishes its crops.

Crop Planning and Management

The Crop Observation Sheet is an empty template that prompts you to record a lot of detailed information about each crop individually, starting with the details of the variety, where and when it was planted, what its needs are in terms of site and soil, nutrients and water, etc, and a detailed diary of its development prompting you to note its progress and any actions needed at each stage.

The Northern Greens Sowing Schedule is an example of a year's calendar showing when each of thirty crops were sown (sheet 1) and harvested (on sheet 2)

The Detailed Growing Plans Example spreadsheet is another real example of an organic business's crop records: there are six different sheets including an overall map of all beds, bed-by-bed details, details of each crop sown, dimensions, a picture plotting crop densities and more.

The Brookfield Farm Crop Planning Spreadsheet provides an example of how a medium-sized veg growing farm records its growing activity. It has an overview as well as pictorial map of its different fields, keeping track of detailed information such as particular crop varieties, amounts, location, acreage covered; product timing and amounts; yields targeted; row numbers, length and bed depth; and lots more.

The Northern Greens Crop Area Calculator shows the detailed records of one particular farm 's production of 20 to 60 veggie boxes, three years later. It records information about each of 35 crops for each year, detailing its unit size, number of plants, number of customers it was grown for, number of weeks, size of land needed, etc..

The Legumes is a three-page handout with key information about nitrogen-fixing green manure crops that can also be eaten as crops in their own right. There is information about peas, broad beans and french beans and other green manures. It gives advice about fertility requirements, pests and diseases and more.

Three Rs of Crop Management is a one-page summary handout to remind you of what you need to understand about three key in crop management namely: the right crops, the right timings, and the right conditions for each crop. It then lists what you can do to build up your understanding of these e.g. by recording, market research, site assessment, and to improve your performance.

Polytunnel / Protected Growing

The Polytunnel Study is a 13-page detailed report that documents the 'Profitability of twelve small-scale organic vegetable crops grown in a greenhouse in the North East of Scotland'. It was completed in 2008 and therefore dated, but it prompts reflection about what factors should be considered to assess profitability.

The Tunnel Crops spread sheet shows detailed information about each of ten crops generally grown indoors in Scotland, including planting data, against labour and sales costs/incomes (as they were in 2008), with an overview sheet totaling all incomes and costs. These are also the crops that are discussed in the above paper.

Fruit Growing

The Organic Soft Fruit Growing Considerations is a brief two-page list of key points to consider on Which market?, Which crops?, Is my site suitable?, Which growing system?, and more, with a handful of conclusions and essential 'Action Points' at the end. Useful as a checklist of things to bear in mind before you start on detailed planning or invest in any particular direction.

The Orchard Micro Planner is a short seven-point step-by-step decision-making chart that prompts the key questions you need to answer at each stage for drawing up your plans for an orchard.

The Apple Tree Pruning Guide is a short two-page practical guide that takes you through the timing, your goals, and what bits to prune off your trees. This is followed by a paragraph each on pruning mature and neglected trees, full-size trees and young trees. Useful for getting the hang of basics for pruning apple trees and similar other types of fruit trees.

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Making a Living from Local Food - Resources on Fruit and Veg Growing - Nourish Scotland

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In this section there is lots of useful material to help plan, and improve your growing. There are are pointers to other websites with more information. There are different tools and templates for recording your activities, to help plan and improve, and detailed examples of other businesses to compare and help assess your own plans and outcomes.

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We work across the whole farming and food system in Scotland: from the farmer in the field, to the food on your plate. We are working to deliver real, on the ground solutions to the challenges that our food system faces both now, and in the future.

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We work across the whole farming and food system in Scotland: from the farmer in the field, to the food on your plate. We are working to deliver real, on the ground solutions to the challenges that our food system faces both now, and in the future.

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If you are enjoying our educational resources, please consider donating to support our work!

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Key skills: Crop rotation, soil health, natural pest control, aquaponics. Island

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Key skills: Crop rotation, soil health, natural pest control, aquaponics. Island

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Focus:

Identify potential farming/growing plots and natural fertilizers. Consider what your tribe needs to eat to survive.

Design a concept for sustainable growing and farming area to feed the tribe that works in harmony with nature. Create a meal plan.

Ensure year-round food security, create a protocol for crop failure. Consider opportunities to trade with other tribes.

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Can you cook up a storm for your tribe and put your island on the world's culinary map with creative recipes and innovated cooking methods? Michelin stars could be shooting towards Solarpunk Island!

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Explore Additional resources to support Harvest Alchemist role

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Explore Additional resources to support Harvest Alchemist role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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Resources to help Support Your Tribe Role.

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Resources to help Support Your Tribe Role.

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We know your character is a keen musician, can you help inspire and unite your tribe by creating a piece of music to convey the sounds of your island.

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Explore Additional resources to support Power Wizard role

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Explore Additional resources to support Power Wizard role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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Can you create lotions and potions from nature to help keep your island safe and healthy in body and mind?

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Explore Additional resources to support Aquatic Guardian role

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Explore Additional resources to support Aquatic Guardian role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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Could this learning be adapted to consider how your buildings are constructed on Solarpunk Island?

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Can you write or perform an captivating story during an island campfire to inspire, comfort and entertain your tribe mates?

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Explore Additional resources to support Architect role

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Explore Additional resources to support Architect role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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As well as your main island focus, your creative skills can help the island to thrive in the longer term. Enjoy the challenge of creating a sustainable wardrobe for your tribe, think about functionality and fun! Will your garments be worn every day or on special occasions?

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Here is a video which help you to consider how we can use and re-use materials.

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Rethinking Materials Episode 3 | Meow Wolf

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Explore Additional resources to support Ecologist role

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Explore Additional resources to support Ecologist role

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You can share these resources with your pupils

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This is a PowerPoint deck that includes all seven Personas.

This file is completely editable. Please modify it to meet your needs.

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Solarpunk Island immersive experience personas-1

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This is the presentation from Portobello 

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Presentation to launch the experience at assembly

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Presentation to launch the experience at assembly

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What is Four-day Solarpunk Island Immersive Experience?

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What is Four-day Solarpunk Island Immersive Experience?

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The Solarpunk Island Four-Day Immersive Experience provides a deeper exploration of Solarpunk resources. This experience can be introduced in a single classroom or expanded to involve the entire school. It’s a fantastic opportunity for teachers across different subjects to collaborate and bring interdisciplinary, project-based learning into their teaching.

How does it work?

We’ve prepared a detailed guide, available below, to help you deliver this experience in your school.

This experience builds on the one-day Solarpunk Immersive Experience, offering even more depth and engagement. This time, your pupils will each receive a persona with unique skills and needs to guide them through the challenge. Working in groups, they’ll form tribes, with each tribe assigned a unique location on the island, each offering distinct advantages. Their mission: to create a thriving habitat in their new environment.

Throughout this experience, students will research, develop concepts, build and refine their habitats, and craft a compelling story about life on their island.

Duration:
Four days

Who can use this resource?
Primary, Secondary, High Schools, and Universities

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This guide provides suggestions on how to run the Solarpunk Immersive experience in your classroom.

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What might this look like at Portobello High School 

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What might this look like at Portobello High School 

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Solarpunk Island at Portobello High School (Subtitles)