IMPORTANT!

• don't die ...

The experience reveals a profound shift in perspective brought about by immersion in a natural environment. This encounter inspired my creation of a game focused on exploring and discovering new music, movement and drama within nature.

The overgrown flora and atmospheric sounds evoked a sense of another planet, contrasting starkly with the urban setting. The environment itself guided the development of the game, with elements like leaves and water ripples embodying a dramatic narrative.

This newfound connection to sound and movement sparked a sense of excitement and adventure. Ultimately, the experience transformed the perception of the city into a realm of boundless possibilities, reflecting a desire to empower students to engage independently with their surroundings and reflect on their observations and connections to place.

• My creative response is an open ended idea. It's to incite you to think about how we can use the space to practice movement/dance and notice the sounds around us.

• Similar to Dadirri by (Ungunmerr, 2018), it's an opportunity for us to be still and soak in this 'new world'.

• An ice-breaker to kick start the game could be, getting them to sit in a circle quietly in the game space. Then giving them a minute of stillness.

• Within that minute or so, I'll prompt them with questions like "focus on what you're hearing, seeing and touching" "feel yourself connect to nature".

The idea that children are capable of their own understandings. We educators just need to give them that opportunity and space to be able to be still and listen to the world around them.

In the future, I'll definitely incorporate the idea of not just listening but actually hearing the sounds around us. "Listening is not the same as hearing and hearing is not the same as listening" (Oliveros, 2016). Teaching children the difference between passive hearing vs actively listening.

Before this unit, I saw music, movement and drama as separate entities. But this assessment has shown me that they're not that different after all. The 3 of them are a chorus of thoughts and emotions.

If I do my role as an educator right, the children will comprehend the true importance of the 3. And not only that, be able to use that knowledge practically. In the process, of course helping me learn things from their perspective.

• I was inspired by 'Let's play outside' by (Wallin, 019), "children who participate in complex, collaborative, pretend play are better able to regulate their emotions and implement creative problem-solving".

• Wallin's article talks about the importance of pretend play and how it benefits a child.

• Regulating emotions and creative problem solving stood out to me. I thought "From this experience of learning music/movement and dance, help to shape these things?"

• As a starting point, I chose to hold this experience in an open outdoor area which might not already be familiar to the children. I set the scene to then let the children imagine to their hearts content.

Artifact Dance Project. (2018). Movement, Sound, Play [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrgpeuPbp-I&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

Bangarra Education Resources. (2016). Mutton Bird [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-PV98Oshkc&ab_channel=bangarradancetheatre

Meyers, A., & Berk, L. (2014). The SAGE Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood. The SAGE Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings#:~:text=When%20children%20are%20given%20the%20time%20and%20space%20to%20play,to%20cognitive%20and%20linguistic%20growth.

Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr. (2018). DADIRRI [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8&ab_channel=MiriamRoseFoundation

Pauline Oliveros. (2016). The difference between hearing and listening [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

The Community Playthings. (n.d.). The importance of pretend play in natural settings. Community Playthings. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings

Victor Wooten. (2014). Music as a Language [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

Wallin, M. L. (2019, June). The importance of pretend play in natural settings. The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings

• Reflecting back on 'Wala is life' by Allara, I tried taking the chirping, rushing wind, leaves rustling and composing a melody. I found myself humming a harmony. This demonstrates how immersion, interaction and observation can teach us music without a teacher (Wooten, 2013).

• For example : Rain dropping created a percussion beat

2. Through the artefact shown we know that the voice of the 'planet' can be heard through stillness. Too much and you'll miss it.

• I added the train in the creative response because it sounded like humming, like it was humming to the tune of nature.

• Children can also be shown how industrial and nature sounds combine to create a chorus of voices.

• It can be seen in 2 ways : the planet is welcoming your presence or warning you of it's history.

• Drama consists of so many aspects but I chose to focus on dramatic storytelling. However, drama can actually be found in both music and movement. It ties the 3 elements together.

• Children can take this opportunity to imagine and invent a story of as big of an extravagance as they like. Nature has do finite definition, why do their stories have to be?

• They can foster a habit of participation and collaboration.

• For example : Roles can be chosen. You can be a tree, a bird, an explorer, a water human and so much more. Children can step into a different character's shoe and develop a personality for them. This builds upon their skill of emotional intelligence.

2. Personally, when I thought intently about this game. Drama was a main focus, which was then accompanied by the other elements accordingly.

• My mind immediately jumps to space explorers on an inhabited planet. Who are we? Why are we here? What lives here?

• i had so much fun coming up with different scenarios in my mind, I'm sure the children will love as well.

• Props. Children can find loose parts in the space around them and use it in their dramatic play.

• Children can learn to notice and really use their creativity to create a story.

3. Steps that can be made to create that atmosphere :

   1. have children close their eyes

   2. have children imagine

   3. have children act

   4. use story-telling to set the scene

• I thought to myself "how do the trees look like their dancing?", "are the birds moving together as a community or alone?".

• Children can be encouraged to use their movement vocabulary to describe the nature around them.

• For example : The trees move boldly in the wind, stretching their branches outwards reaching for another tree. The birds dance to the tune of finding food to eat.

2. “Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often" (Mark twain).

• In my creative response, I aspire to get the children up and going. Similar to 'Mutton Bird' by
  Bangarra Education Resources, this game can inspire the children to tell a story about what they find on this planet. How did it make them feel? Scared? Excited? All these can be conveyed through expression and movement

• Sometimes, It can be hard to describe something you see. You often find yourself using your hands and body to explain it. This natural reflex is something I would like the children to use more often.

• Ultimately, promoting movement allows children to be more confident in their own ideas and perceptions of things.