Synthesizing ideas
Based on last week's research, our group was engaged in exploring three aspects of soil: biodiversity, education and ritual. We decided to unify those topics discussed into one idea. John reminded us we could be bolder when thinking of creating a ritual. We were considering how could this soil ritual involve a larger group of people and make this more meaningful and educational.
Making a educational soil ritual
According to Capra (2009), "In the coming decades, the survival of humanity will depend on our ecological literacy – our ability to understand the basic principles of ecology and to live accordingly."
The importance of caring for plant from a young age
It is important for children to learn to take care of plants in their future education, Wilson (2014) suggested that as children develop empathy for plants, they are also developing perspective-taking skills which are critical aspects of social emotional competence, at same time they’ll be developing a sense of empathy for people as well.
I interviewed my 11-years old cousin, she is in the fourth grade now. In china, primary biology class, we were required to take care of bean sprouts for weeks. Through the comparative experiment, we can learn the relationship between biology and soil, sunshine and water. This teaching method is more direct than reading books. Children can also learn the way of plant growth and the importance of protecting the environment.
The importance of rituals
Suggs (2003) proposed that rituals can establish an agreed upon social order in which we feel familiar, evoking a sense of “sameness”; strengthen our sense of belonging through our shared experience and our observation of others’ perception of the same experience; reaffirm meaning. Designing an educational soil ritual will raise awareness of the value of the environment.
Create a routine
We believed it is important to educate people throughout their lives – from primary and secondary schools to colleges, universities and the continuing education. So we framed it as a project from birth to adulthood, where children take care of their own soil with the help of their parents and school, building a sense of social responsibility.
Storyboard by Maria
Soli Warriors Program
The program named soil warriors, we aimed to help develop children with soil. To better explain and refine this new ritual, we made a video to explain the whole process.
Video by Qendresa
Max an I were working on the certificate and handbook that would be given out with the soil, which indicated the implications of the ritual and how it works.
Presentation&Feedback
During presentation, we handed out the soil, certificate, handbook and seed to each student and asked them to take care of their own soil from now on and give back their feelings.
Photos from Maria
We were encouraged to consider a more detailed overview of the project, such as how to keep the soil for so many years, how to ensure that people would follow it through and so on. What delighted me was that the class liked the idea of taking care of the soil; some of them, like Giada and Sebastian even cultivated the seeds of successful. This may imply the viability of this program.
From this project, I explored the possibilities of design. Before this, I had never thought that I could design a future ritual to reveal the existing life of human beings. As a former product designer, my creation has always been bound by the market. In applying "Speed Dating" this research method, I drew storyboards that were limited by the reality of my imagination. Can this be achieved? Can this material be found? So much so that my ideas are generic and don't resonate with people. I think in the initial stages of design we can perhaps be creative and imagine some strange ideas, and then get more pragmatic in the later stages of development.
References
Capra, F. (2009) The new facts of life: Connecting the dots on food, health, and the environment. Public Library Quarterly, 28(3), pp.242-248.
Suggs, P.K. and Suggs, D.L. (2003). The Understanding and Creation of Rituals: Enhancing the Life of Older Adults. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 15(3), pp.17–24.
Wilson, R. (2014). Caring for Plants and Animals Fosters Empathy. [online] Teaching Tolerance. Available at: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/caring-for-plants-and-animals-fosters-empathy (Accessed 9 Dec. 2020).