PART 2: Activities to Promote Inclusivity

ACTIVITY 1: COOPERATIVE COMICS 

TITLE	Cooperative Comics
GOAL	This collaborative activity is aimed at removing cultural barriers to inclusion and enhancing cross-cultural interaction among classmates. The objective lies in the creation of a short comic strip in groups. Students work together to plan and design, draw and write the dialogue of a 5 panel strip. The comic is based around a specific theme or topic that can cause problems or conflict at school. Students actively engage with the problem and find creative solutions by discussing different options and ideas together.
ART DOMAIN	visual arts
DURATION	2x60 minutes
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	Full class brainstorm of situations or scenarios at school that can cause problems, conflict, exclusion etc. All ideas are written on the board Divide students into groups of 5 students. Each group chooses the topic or theme they are most interested in. They then start to map this idea by discussing and/or writing down ideas relating to this topic. Explain that their comic will have 5 panels. It will have a beginning, a middle and an end, and two other panels to move the story forward. (1.beginning,2.progress panel, 3.middle, 4.progress panel, 5.end) Students first discuss the beginning and the end, then the middle, and finally the two progress panels. Then students get started on creating the comic. Each group is given a page with 5 panels. Each student can be in charge of one of the panels or each student can take a role - drawing, writing etc. Students must collaborate and communicate together to ensure that the story flows from one panel to the next. The comics can then be orally presented to the class, hang them up to be viewed and read in the classroom or hallway, or even scanned and shared on the school website or magazine.
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	Printed blank comic strip with 5 panels (1 per group of 5) blank paper, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, rulers, tape
EVALUATION	Has each group created a comic strip about how to solve a conflict? To what extent have the students collaborated positively together? To what extent has the activity promoted cross-cultural communication?
SOURCE	https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/lessons/cooperative-comics

ACTIVITY 2: HEART-WARMING DIVERSITY

TITLE	Heart-Warming diversity activity
GOAL of the ACTIVITY	Fun and easy art activity (fine motor activity) to help teach your students about diversity. In order to cultivate an inclusive classroom environment, it’s important to teach your students that people come in all shapes, sizes and skin colours. An integral message that goes with diversity is that all people are created equally, and that everyone deserves respect, care and consideration. The objective is to provide students with an opportunity to create a visual and artistic representation of something significant or important to them. This collaborative activity is aimed at removing cultural barriers to inclusion and enhancing cross-cultural interaction among classmates. She wanted to help her students see that people of all skin types are worthy of kindness, acceptance, empathy and love. Older students can work to create as many different skin colours as possible by mixing paints. It teaches students that they are all made up of the same basic ingredients, no matter what colour their skin is.
CHALLENGE to INCLUSION ADDRESSED	Cultural - enhancing creative thinking, motor and teamworking skills, building empathy.
ART DOMAIN	Plastic Art
DURATION	40 min
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	- Before beginning this activity with your students, have a class discussion about how people are sometimes treated differently because of the colour of their skin. Reiterate the idea that people of all skin colours are valued and important human beings! - Wet your brush and start by painting a yellow stripe up your page. - Slowly, blend the colours one by one to create a unique skin tone. Make sure to add a tiny dab of paint at a time. - Work across the page, experimenting to create as many different skin tones as possible. Copy these steps to create a second page (if completing individual student diversity hearts on A4 paper). - Once the paint has all dried, cut each strip of colour. - Cut out the centre heart, from the heart template given by the teacher - On the back of the page, glue strips vertically across the heart. Don’t leave any gaps! It’s best just to glue the very top and bottom of the strip so you can still weave your other pages through. - Finally, weave your remaining strips horizontally, making sure that each strip weaves under and over alternate strips to the one before it. - Discuss how many colours/tones we have created? Ask students to try and match their own skin colour.
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	Individual student hearts on A4 paper, we recommend students complete 2 pages of painted strips. Whole class version, students can create their own skin colour and contribute it to a whole class's love heart. - 3 white papers - scissors - red acrylic pain - black acrylic paint - white acrylic paint - yellow acrylic paint - craft glue - a heart template - a pot of water - paintbrush
EVALUATION	●      Has each student created a visual representation of something significant to them? ●      Has each student briefly shared the significance of their creation with their classmates? ●      To what extent do students feel more included having participated in the activity? ●      Have students collaborated together to create a unique piece of art? ●      Have all students participated in sharing their ideas about how they are similar and how they are unique?
SOURCE	Adapted from https://www.teachstarter.com/au/blog/creating-an-inclusive-classroom-diversity-heart-art-activity/ Ingenious art teacher, Cassie Stephens

ACTIVITY 3: THE BOX OF THE TALKING COLOURED PENCILS

TITLE	The box of the talking coloured pencils
GOAL of the ACTIVITY	The activity helps children learn about diversity and its contribution to the beauty and harmony of our world.  Children learn that people like the colored pencils in a box are different but they are all important to the team and play a special role in their team. * The story The talking coloured pencil box A little girl once walked into a store and, to her surprise, she heard a conversation coming from a box of Colored Pencils. She heard the Yellow Pencil say: "I hate the green pencil." The red pencil agreed. The Red pencil continued: “I do not like Blue either". "Why?" the Yellow Pencil asked. “I don't know!" the angry Red pencil replied. "Look at that colour, Pink! How horrible!" the Green pencil screamed. Blue added: "Pink and Yellow are horrible." The Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, and Pink pencils said in chorus, " We hate the Orange pencil.” The Orange pencil said,” I don't like any of you, but I don't know why." The little girl was confused but after a while, she had an idea. She bought a box of crayons and went home. She began to draw on a sheet of paper while the pencils looked at her carefully. The girl first drew a blue sky with white clouds and a bright yellow sky, then took the green pencil and drew some trees and grass. The pencils watched her silently. She also drew a red brick house with a pink door. In front of the house, she drew an orange pot with plants. Yellow, red, orange and pink flowers completed the picture. "I like green grass. I also like the green leaves in the trees ``''said the Red pencil. The Blue and Orange pencils also agreed: "Yes, it looks good. It's a successful painting." Blue said, "The Yellow Sun is beautiful." The red, Green, Blue and Pink pencils agreed. The pencils once again looked at the Painting: "Yes, we are different but together we make beautiful things!”
CHALLENGE to INCLUSION ADDRESSED	Cultural
ART DOMAIN	Fine Art
DURATION	40 minutes
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	Activities to do with children: *Give each child a sheet of paper and a coloured pencil of their choice. Ask them to make a drawing (of their choice). Then ask them to make another drawing on another sheet of paper using all the coloured pencils. Which drawing looks better? *Read the story. *Discussion How do you think the Green pencil that the Yellow Pencil didn’t like felt when it heard what the Yellow pencil was saying? What can we learn from this story? * Place the children in a circle and ask them: Why didn’t the pencils get along? Why didn't they like each other? Did they know why? Is it possible that you don't like someone without knowing why? * If all the pencils were the same, had the same colour, would the paintings still be beautiful? What would your drawings look like if you used the same colour? * Talk about people: people are different. How? Use photos, for example. •Do people working together need to have a good relationship to have good results? How can different people contribute to the success of an action? * Is it OK for you to work alone or with colleagues? Why? •What do people who work together but don't get along need? •Do people who work together need to be similar or different?
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	* A coloured pencil box * Sheets of paper
EVALUATION	To what extent do students feel more included having participated in the activity? To what extent have students positively engaged and participated in the activity? To what extent have students learned about the lives of their classmates? Have all students participated in sharing their ideas about how they are unique?
SOURCE	LEAF Erasmus+ project

ACTIVITY 4: DEPICTION OF SKY IN WORKS OF PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS

TITLE	Depiction of Sky in works of professional artists
GOAL of the ACTIVITY	In the process of studies, students are encountering a plethora of challenges. In the classroom, they are expected to communicate with their classmates who are denoted by differences in characters or different levels in terms of cultural education, social (interaction) and cognitive skills and socioeconomic characteristics. Their peers may be highly gifted or deprived of special gifts in some particular artistic or other type of activity. Classmates denoted by different emotions and characters as well as students with special needs when conducting a long-term project work spanning over a cycle of classes and drafting presentations get an opportunity to interact, discuss, share functions of teamwork according to their abilities and are thus given opportunities to perform the theoretical and practical parts of the assignment in the selected branch of arts. This not only strengthens the feeling of positivity but also broadens the level of cultural-artistic perception. Students get rid of their negative emotions by creating while simultaneously developing their cognitive, behavioural and social skills.
CHALLENGE to INCLUSION ADDRESSED	Cognitive,gifted, socioeconomic, behavioural, social, and cultural challenges.
ART DOMAIN	Visual arts: drawing, painting, graphics, sculpture.
DURATION	8 classes
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	Art research task: based on a PowerPoint presentation, the visualisation of the sky in the works of renowned painters, such as Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Mikalojus K. Čiurlionis is explored in terms of the content and rendering of the mood in the selected works of visual arts in the fields of painting, graphics and sculpture. The techniques of performance and the characteristic traits, etc. are discussed. Expression task: having reviewed the examples and investigated the variety of techniques of the visualisation of the sky in the works of artists representing different periods of art history, students are asked to collect a sample of such works on their own. Then, three works of sky depiction are performed: by employing the techniques of painting, graphics and creating a spatial object - a sculpture - without any restrictions regarding the selection of artistic means. The amassed information along with photos of the creative process and the completed works shall be used for the discussion in the presentation delivered in the PowerPoint or Prezi formats. The following requirements are imposed: teams are created, and students are distributed among the teams; functions are shared. The results of teamwork are assessed: this is the presentation in the PowerPoint or Prezi format. The presentation features and discusses examples and contains no less than three works of art depicting the sky by employing different branches of visual arts: painting, graphics and sculpture. The works are commented upon by briefly discussing the technique, the emotion along with the ways of rendering and the names of renowned artists whose artworks were being interpreted. The authors of creative works describe their emotions, experiences, positive aspects of such activity, etc. The informativeness of the parts of the task is assessed; also, assessment may be given for the visual aspects of the presentation, the fluency of delivering the presentation, etc. Teammates are expected to share their experiences and emotions.
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	Computers Tools and materials required for practising arts
EVALUATION	When performing this project, the objective was to help students reveal their abilities and skills in the activity which is most acceptable to them while working in a team, discussing and otherwise communicating thereby also sharing the responsibility. Thus social communication) and socioeconomic skills get developed. When collecting information and performing creative tasks, some students (without even understanding that) happened to select examples of artwork which reflected their emotional state. Thus, when discussing and interpreting, they released their emotions and revealed their character, which served as the presentation of their personality to the class and improvement and enhancement of their communication skills. When working in a team, students had an opportunity to show their skills and creativity in their favourite activities to the other members of the team. Thus, the barriers among students were overcome. While taking into consideration the different needs of the students and the differences in their psycho-physical development as well as the different levels of knowledge and abilities, the tasks are expected to broaden the horizons. Students felt they were able to express themselves when depicting the sky in its different manifestations while collecting and delivering information. This form of art helps to experience inclusion as attention is focused not only on skills and competences but also on positivity.
SOURCE	//

ACTIVITY 5: I KNOW MY COUNTRY

TITLE	I know my country
GOAL	Get to know the country you live in
ART DOMAIN	Design
DURATION	6 lessons-40 minutes each
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	1. Country map is drawn on 20 mm styrofoam in bold form. 2. The borders of the provinces in the regions are clearly drawn. 3. Different styrofoam thicknesses can be used in the drawing of the zones, depending on preference. 4. Zones are cut with the help of a utility knife or a fine bristle saw. 5. Regions are painted in different colours with water-based paint. 6. Preferably the provinces in the regions can also be painted in different colours 7. The names of the provinces are written with a felt-tip pen. 8.It is pasted to the desired wall with the help of hot silicone or double-sided tape.
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	1.20 mm styrofoam 2.10 mm.styrofoam 3. Utility knife 4.Water-based paint, brush, palette 5. Hot glue gun and silicone, double sided tape
EVALUATION	1. Do you know the regions and the provinces in the regions? 2. Do you know the provinces of the country that have a coast to the sea? 3. Do you know the neighbouring cities of the city you live in?
SOURCE	//

ACTIVITY 6: TREASURE HUNT

TITLE	Treasure hunt
GOALS	Participants understand gender stereotypes and the role of visual art in transmitting them. Challenges to inclusion addressed (main): cultural 21st skills promoted: Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving; Social and Intercultural skills; media literacy
ART DOMAIN	visual art
DURATION	2 sessions:  60 + 45
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	Current issue: The effect of gender stereotypes are evident in many sectors of society. As concerns the world of work, women still remain larger in the minority of managerial and top positions (glass ceiling effect). Visual media are part of the match in transmitting stereotype and contro-stereotype messages. Gender equality is part of SDGs and Diversity Charters Steps part A brainstorming: the trainer reads students the following story and then asks them to explain: “a father and son are in a horrible car crash that kills the dad. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as he’s about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, “I can’t operate—that boy is my son!” arts-related instructions: the trainer introduces the topic of gender stereotypes with a focus on the role of visual art in transmitting stereotypes. Some examples of visual art products that transmit this message are provided (for example the posters on 50’s housewives). The trainer explains the visual art elements that characterise these products and how to transform them into contro-stereotype pieces of art. activity A: in small groups of 4-5, students are provided a journal and they are invited to search for visual art products that transmit the stereotypes and to think about how they can be transformed in contro-stereotype. sharing  A: students are invited to comment on their search and explain why the product they found is controstereotype. part B Activity B: Students are asked to complete one of the two following homework (a) in small groups of 4-5, students are invited to think about the society that they would like to be and create a visual art product that represents an equality gender image, or (b) in thinking about the art history students have to identify a product that represents a contro-stereotypical product for that age and that contributed to female emancipation and gender equality. sharing B: students are invited to share and comment on their work and comments summary: the trainer summarises the main points that emerged from the discussion
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	journals, book on the history of arts paper and colours
EVALUATION	GOAL: Has the goal been achieved or not? To what extent?   At the end of the session students should be able to answer the following questions - as concerns the inclusion What is the definition of a gender stereotype? what is the contro-stereotype? What is the role of visual art concerning the image of a woman?  - as concerns the artistic tool as concern the image of women, what are the visual art elements that contribute to the stereotype and to the contro-stereotype
SOURCE	Cotter, D. A., Hermsen, J. M., Ovadia, S., and Vanneman, R. (2001). The glass ceiling effect. Soc. For. 80, 655–682. doi: 10.1353/sof.2001.0091 Babic A and Hansez I (2021) The Glass Ceiling for Women Managers: Antecedents and Consequences for Work-Family Interface and Well-Being at Work. Front. Psychol. 12:618250. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.618250 BU Research: A Riddle Reveals Depth of Gender Bias https://www.bu.edu/articles/2014/bu-research-riddle-reveals-the-depth-of-gender-bias/ EU Platform of Diversity Charters: https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/tackling-discrimination/diversity-management/eu-platform-diversity-charters_en

ACTIVITY 7: OUR ROOTS

TITLE	Our roots
GOALS	Participants understand the importance of being inclusive in the community, valuing old people as a resource, and considering the age divide as not a limit. Participants learn the concept of advocacy and strategies to be active in the community. Challenges to inclusion addressed: social (main), cultural 21st skills promoted: Creativity and Renewal (main) Communication and Cooperation,  Media Literacy, Social and Intercultural skills, - Leadership and Responsibility
ART DOMAIN	Visual Arts (video)
DURATION	multiple sessions 4 sessions of 2 hours each
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	Current issue.  Age is considered a diversity issue when older and younger people are perceived as the opposite. For example, the first ones are often described as lower productive and innovative, with difficulties in being flexible and adapting to change, a reduction of skills, and a reduction in their functionality, while the second ones are often considered productive, innovative, and smart. Helping youth to adopt an advocacy perspective toward old people is synonymous with respect, inclusion, and social justice.  Steps Part A introduction: the trainer shows some research or report data (such as those of the report of the Bank of Italy, see in the reference) that demonstrate the complementarity of young and older employers in the working context. ‘One element that emerges is that the employment dynamics of different age groups follow different logics. In fact, it is not said that a pensioner who was assigned to a job would necessarily be replaced with a young worker, a robot could be a better choice. Just as a young person could be hired to manage new machinery or new software without replacing any pensioners. Furthermore, in the face of a constant decline in the birth rate and the consequent inexorable emptying of the younger population cohorts, even the supposed generational change would not be enough to support the demand for work in the coming years, except to think of all being replaced by robots, which is not enough. it's  not happening.’ (http://www.bollettinoadapt.it/giovani-e-anziani-quando-il-lavoro-e-complementare/). discussion: the trainer asks students to think about examples of their experience related to the age divide and helps them to reframe their ideas on the importance of not losing the human capital that is in the hands of older people. The trainer summarises the main topics that emerged from the discussion and arts-related instructions: the trainer invites students to conduct some interviews with older people and to produce a video that transmits the collected messages. The trainer explains that this project involves several steps then explains the preliminary steps: (a) the first step is to define a topic. For example, it could be ‘how older people experienced the pandemic and what is the message they would like to give to young people for their future’. (b) The second step is to think about the people to interview and how to reach them. This could be done in collaboration with some local institutions. The trainer may provide a list of people to interview, or a list of institutions to involve that he/she contacted in advance, or ask students to decide the people or institutions to involve and make a plan. (c) The third step is to define the interview and practice with the questions.   Activity A: students in small groups (4-5) are given examples of interviews that have been conducted with the +older persons and are asked to read them, to define their topic for the project, and to practise with the questions. The trainer gives students feedback and suggestions. (The groups will be the same throughout the project and could be decided by students or by the trainer). discussion: the trainer asks groups to share their thoughts about the selected topic and the interview in order to arrive at defining their questions. Summary: groups are asked to review the materials they produced in order to be ready with the interview and develop their plan for realising the interview. part B sharing: the trainer asks students to share the work done, clarifies doubts, provides feedback and suggestions. arts-related instructions: the trainer explains that the groups should make videos during the interviews and then make a short film that gives a message related to the selected topic. The trainer explains how to make the videos during the interviews. Activity B: groups are asked to (a) practice with the interview and the video among the group establishing the roles of interviewer, cameramen, etc. (b) progress with their plan for realising the interviews (outside class) part C sharing: the trainer asks groups to show their products and to share their thoughts in order to make them ready for the real interview with older people. arts-related instructions: the trainer gives instructions on how to make the short film.  Under supervision, groups are asked to practice making a short film. activity C: students are asked to do the interviews. During this time the trainer establishes some moments to supervise the work done and the progress of the short films. part D sharing: the trainer asks groups to show their short film and to discuss what they have learned and how this activity changed their thoughts and behaviours and what they think they can do in the future to be more inclusive. Summary: the trainer summarises actions  participants mention
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	Guidelines for  making good interview Guidelines for making a video
EVALUATION	GOAL: Has the goal been achieved or not? To what extent? At the end of the session students should be able to answer the following questions: - as concerns the inclusion What is the age divide? What can be done to overcome the age divide as a boy or girl? What can be done as a member of the community? - as concerns the artistic tool how to make a video how to make a video interview
SOURCE	http://www.bollettinoadapt.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/en_Tema-1297.pdf

ACTIVITY 8: I AM PART OF THE WHOLE

TITLE	I am part of the whole
GOALS	Using creative tools, think and create a self-representing detail of the puzzle. Everyone creates a common puzzle that consists of different particles.
ART DOMAIN	Art
DURATION	45 min.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS	Preparation for the lesson: The teacher prepares the parts of the puzzle that the children will decorate during the lesson. Lesson. (45 min.) The teacher presents the task. Briefly provide examples of how you can express yourself in colours, shapes, and symbols. Students think about how to creatively convey a symbol on a puzzle piece that will represent it as a personality. Students choose colours, shapes, symbols. When finished, all the parts are put together in one delion. Discussion: What was the hardest part? Who was lucky? How does everyone affect society? How can we do it to build a better society? How do we do this if we want to build a better society?
MATERIALS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	For each child a piece of the puzzle, whips, felt-tip pens, gouache
EVALUATION	(3 questions related to the GOAL: Has the goal been achieved or not? To what extent?) How can you express yourself through colours, lines, shapes, symbols? What are the commonalities in all the details? What unites us all as human beings?
SOURCE	adapted from Student_Connection_Activities_and_Icebreakers.pdf (inclusive schools.org)