Using words from the brainstorming session on the introduction day around UNITY and combining this with the man-made and natural word list that the children had produced with Tony (see artwork page), the pupils worked initially in groups with Sola to create acrostic poems like the one below.

Universe, umbrella
Nature, nail
Ink
Technology
Young, yo-yo

Bringing together their ideas of UNITY with the environment, the world as a whole and with each other, the groups had also to unite the two concepts of the living world and the manmade world which were linked via symbols and patterns to their key object the BWA plank mask.

Each child was then asked why it might be important to live in UNITY with the environment and each other.

"I want to live in UNITY for love!

Over the project each child then worked on their individual acrostic UNITY poems and poems beginning with "I want to live in UNITY .. " developing them into longer pieces giving an insight into issues and sensibilities that are important to them as children.

Once completed the pupils word-processed them and they were added to individual webpages along with their digitised symbols. A line from their poem was later written on cloth to be made part of the wind sculpture.

Throughout the project there were discussions around the theme of UNITY - personal, environmental and institutional. For example one poem reflects the importance of UNITY between parent and chlid and the ability to be safe and another (Grace) looks at as many meanings of the word as possible (both poems shown below).

People chuck rubbish on the floor
Strangers take little girls away from where they were waiting for their mummies
People take the mickey out of people at schoool
Little children cross the road and they get run over
People say swear words to their mums and dads and school teachers
That is not unity
UNITY is when people hold hands and kiss
They play together and they go in the swimming pool and they go home

Umbrellas protect you from the sun, the sun gives you warmth and light
Nature is life from plants, plants give us food
Ice cools your drink
Trees shade you from the sun
Yoyos are fun for summer

Read all of the poems on the webpages

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