Authors: Dr Jo Raphael, Dr Danielle Hradsky & Dr Meg Upton



Jo, Danielle, and Meg are passionate about the power of the arts to create change, particularly in the areas of environmental sustainability, climate change education, and de/colonising education. This unit was developed for the Time to Act Professional Learning Workshops, and has been adapted for school settings.
Year Level
Primary 3-6
Secondary 7-10
Learning Areas
Drama
Science
Geography
Sustainability areas
Climate change
Futuring
Human impact
Workshop description
This unit, adapted for both Primary and Secondary contexts, provides opportunities for young people to express their thoughts and feelings regarding human-induced climate change and envision possibilities for more sustainable futures. The unit uses drama conventions and strategies such as transformation of time and whole-class role-play to explore and share ideas, investigate problems, and suggest possible solutions. Students create and use time machines, embody dystopic and utopic futures, and reflect on ways to create the sustainable futures of their visions. This unit enables students to engage playfully and safely with challenging and complex issues.
Timeframe
1.5 hours (minimum). Can be divided over several sessions (suggestions are made for suitable places to pause). Could be further extended.
Resources
- Time to Act video featuring Dr Al Fricker
- Images of past visions of the future
- Brainstorming supplies (recycled Post-It notes, pieces of paper, textas, pens)