Hidden Materials: Hidden Stories (A lesson to support the Du Noyer Junior Competition)
What do your phone, an electric car and a wind turbine have in common?
They all depend on materials that come from the Earth.
Our latest Get into Geoscience classroom resource supports our new Du Noyer Junior Geoscience and Art Competition by inviting second-level students to explore the hidden world of critical raw materials, and then turn their ideas into art.
The classroom resource is a fully planned 40 minute introductory lesson that connects geoscience, sustainability and creativity. It uses the EU Critical Raw Materials Act as a starting point for exploring where the materials we rely on come from, why they matter, and how we might see them differently.
Once the lesson is over, students can take their ideas further by entering the Du Noyer Junior Geoscience and Art Competition.
What are critical raw materials?
Critical raw materials are materials that are particularly important to the EU economy and face risks around their supply. They are used in many of the technologies that shape our lives, from smartphones and batteries to renewable energy technologies. The EU Critical Raw Materials Act aims to strengthen Europe's access to these materials.
But what does this have to do with art?
Looking at geology through a creative lens
The lesson encourages students to look beyond the technology itself and consider the materials, landscapes and stories behind the objects we use every day.
Students explore questions such as:
Where do the materials in our everyday technologies come from?
Why are some raw materials considered 'critical'?
How are geology and the transition to renewable energy connected?
Can something be both beautiful and environmentally challenging?
How can artists help us explore complex environmental issues?
Rather than simply learning about critical raw materials, students are encouraged to think about the geology hiding in plain sight.
From classroom discussion to creative response
The lesson provides a stepping stone into the creative challenge of the Du Noyer Junior Geoscience and Art Competition, that they can complete after the session using photography or watercolour. There is no single 'right' way to respond. The aim is to encourage students to look closely, ask questions and find the geology around them.
They are encouraged to explore the science, find their creative perspective and then get out and look at geology through a different lens.
A lesson that connects subjects
This resource provides an opportunity to bring together subjects and ideas that students might not normally encounter together.
It can support learning across Art, Geography, Science, Sustainability and Climate Action, while introducing students to the role that geoscience plays in some of the major challenges facing society.
For Art teachers, it provides a real-world stimulus for developing photography and watercolour work. For Geography and Science teachers, it provides an accessible introduction to critical raw materials and the geology underpinning the technologies of the future.
Most importantly, it gives students an opportunity to ask questions, make connections and communicate their ideas creatively.
Ready to get started?
Use the Hidden Materials: Hidden Stories lesson with your students, then encourage them to take their ideas outside the classroom and explore the geology around them.
