Creative Outdoors

About The Course

Suggested Grade Level

5th - 12th

Our guest Vanessa Gutierrez, Community Outreach and Inclusion Manager at the Outdoor Discovery Center will join us for a “down to earth” Classroom Conversation discussing her reactions to a few of the Mountainfilm for Students selections, the natural gems in our West Michigan community and the importance of conservation efforts led by women, people of color and indigenous communities.

Launching in March with our annual Children's Film Festival

Register to access this episode here:

Materials

  • Printer and paper
  • Smartphones
  • Access to Social Media
  • An outdoor environment
  • Audio Visual support

Learning Targets

  • Students will practice listening and empathy while exploring their curiosity. 
  • Students will better understand their emotions and thoughts and how they influence their behavior
  • Students will be challenged to practice social awareness, recognizing peer’s perspectives similarities and differences
  • Students will establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. 
  • Students will recognize uncomfortable emotions as indicators of situations in need of attention., and distinguish their real feelings from how others expect them to feel

Experience "Mountianfilm for Students"

Founded in 1979, Mountainfilm is one of America’s longest-running film festivals. The annual festival is held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride. Mountainfilm is a dynamic organization and festival of films, people, art, stories, and ideas that celebrate indomitable spirit, educate and inspire audiences, and motivates individuals and communities to advance solutions for a livable world. Mountainfilm for Students will feature a collection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and enlightening documentary short films that align with Mountainfilm’s mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world.

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts has been partnering with Mountainfilm since 2015 to bring these high quality films to thousands of K-12 classrooms in West Michigan.

After Viewing

  • What choices will you make today? 
  • How will you invite your friends of color into the outdoors?  
  • How can you show up for a neighbor?
  • In what ways will you be brave? 
  • How are you going to make the world a better place?

About The Course

Suggested Grade Level

5th - 12th

Our guest Vanessa Guitierrez, Community Outreach and Inclusion Manager at the Outdoor Discovery Center will join us for a “down to earth” Classroom Conversation discussing her reactions to a few of the Mountainfilm for Students selections, the natural gems in our West Michigan community and the importance of conservation efforts led by women, people of color and indigenous communities.

A Video Guide

The basis of these projects all revolve around a tailored video that you will show your class. Here’s a sneak peek.

sonder_materials

Materials

  • Sharpie + Stencils
  • Fabric squares
  • Ink + Stamps
  • Stamp Options: Set 1, Set 2, Set 3
  • Access to the Vimeo project videos
  • Access to Google Drive (Docs)
  • Pencil/Paper
  • Listening ears

Learning Targets

  1. Students will practice listening and empathy while exploring their curiosity.
  2. Students will better understand their emotions and thoughts and how they influence their behavior
  3. Students will be challenged to practice social awareness, recognizing peer’s perspectives similarities and differences
  4. Students will establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.

Before Viewing

Think about the complexity of everyone you encounter in a given day. Ask students to reflect on the most bizarre thing they’ve heard lately that could be taken out of context.

Where are places in our everyday lives that we can accidentally eavesdrop on strangers? What are conversations that you’ve been in earshot of?

Have you ever overheard something that you related to, or perhaps even needed to hear?

What snippet of or phrase in the Exhibit most piqued your interest?

After Viewing

Have your students practice empathy by reading excerpts from Altieri’s Index. Have students write narratives for these vague phrases. Have them build characters: who said it, who was it directed towards; settings: time, place, location and stories behind the phrase.

Tip: Set time limits for this creative writing activity, challenging students to write about the very first thing that pops into their heads. Select ones that would resonate most with your students. ** denotes background stories provided by Altieri, located in the Sonder coffee table book.