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Wet Leaves

WATERING
THE
CIVIC IMAGINATION

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Description of Activity 

We will ask participants to sketch a plant, think through current issues from the plant’s perspective, then share with their group. In the end, we will have a picture of their sketch, a quote from their plant’s perspective, and some keywords about the theme/issue.

 

How does this activate the civic imagination in an engaging way?

  • Better comprehend our shared understanding of the problems that impact our communities.

  • Envision a world in which these problems have been resolved.

  • Facilitate our shared goals and planning for how to get to our desired world. 

 

Participants: group or individual

Duration: 15-20 minutes

Recommended Age Range: 7 and up 

 

Materials Needed and Space Requirements:

  • In Person: pen/pencil, paper, camera to take pictures

  • Asynchronous Option

 

Step-by-step Instructions

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  1. PREPARE [2 minutes]

    1. Walk around the garden or your neighborhood. Choose a plant. OR you can use an existing photo/screenshot of a plant that you took or someone sent to you.

    2. Spend a little examining the plant

  2. THINK [3 minutes]

    1. Imagine the plants’ backstory. For instance, you can think about their perspective from where they are, their experiences, or how they present themselves. 

    2. If you have more time, or if the information is readily available, you can also use their lores or scientific/colloquial names to (re-)imagine.

  3. DRAW & WRITE [8 minutes]

    1. Draw the plant. While drawing, think about an issue the plant might care about. This can be personal or social. Think about what the plant would say and what it might want to be done.

    2. Write a quote for what the plant may say about the issue.

  4. SHARE [4 minutes]

    1. [In group] Share your drawings and discuss what they are about. Is there anything that you can do in your daily life following the plant’s advice? 

    2. Discuss what keywords you might assign to other group members’ plants and quotes.  

    3. Based on your group discussion, name your group’s collection of drawings.

 

Optional

Want to be in conversation? Share your insights and creations with us here!

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Originally conceived by: Isabel Delano, Do Own (Donna) Kim, Ioanna Mischie, Christopher Persaud, Tyler Quick

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