Duration: 90 minutes.

Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

• Valuing people and nature
• Curiosity, sense of wonder, and openness
• Creativity

Brief description

• Museum Education Session / Classroom “Walk” Introducing the Paintings.
• Exploring the works of Pál Szinyei Merse, observing and analysing selected paintings

How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills?

The aim of the session is for students to develop resilience and flexibility through observing and interpreting the paintings of Pál Szinyei Merse. By closely examining the artworks and discussing various interpretations, students experience that understanding is not always immediate but can be achieved through perseverance and thoughtful reflection. Resilience is strengthened by cultivating patience and acceptance of uncertainty, while flexibility is demonstrated through embracing different viewpoints, openness, and responsiveness to new perspectives.

What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

Students learn to observe visual details persistently and consciously, even if they do not understand their meaning at first. They accept that making mistakes or not knowing something is not a failure, but part of the learning process. They become capable of listening to and accepting different interpretations and confidently expressing their own thoughts. Their openness, emotional awareness, and ability to adapt flexibly to different viewpoints improve.

Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

• Developing observation skills, analytical abilities, and memory
• Improving reading comprehension and expanding vocabulary
• Enhancing opinion formation and visual communication
• Interpreting the themes and motifs of artworks (e.g., nature, hot air balloon, relationship between humans and the environment)

Materials and tools needed for implementation

Pál Szinyei Merse’s paintings in some form (original paintings in the museum; projected images or printed images displayed on the wall in the classroom).

Preparation notes

High-quality reproductions of the paintings need to be prepared for projection or in printed form. It is important to provide a basic, age-appropriate overview of the artist’s life and work—avoiding overly complex biographical details.

It is advisable to give a brief, storytelling-style context beforehand to support the reception of the artworks, and to allow time for silent observation as well. Planning the questions in advance helps guide the observation process (see appendix).

The educator should also be prepared to activate the students’ imagination and prior experiences (e.g., have they ever seen a hot air balloon, visited a museum, or what “old painting” means to them).

Guided Questions

• What was the first thing you noticed in the painting? And now, if you look again, do you see anything else?
• What do you think was the artist’s intention? Why do you think they painted this particular scene?
• What would you do if you didn’t understand what is happening in the painting? What could help in such a situation?
• Was there any detail in the painting that you found difficult to understand? What do you think about it now?

Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

• Was there a moment when you weren’t sure what you were seeing? What did you do then?
• Did your opinion about the painting change as you looked at it more? Why?
• How did it feel when others saw the same painting differently from you did?
• What was the most difficult part of this task, and how did you solve it?

Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

• For hesitant students, it is helpful to use simple, open-ended questions, such as “What do you notice first?” and to reinforce that every answer is valuable. When answers are quick and superficial, asking about other senses, for example, “What sounds might you hear there?” can deepen observation.
• In cases of differing opinions, it is important to emphasize that art can be interpreted in many ways, which helps develop flexibility.
• Shy students can be engaged through small group or pair discussions.
• For those with attention difficulties, giving specific search tasks, like “Find a unique shape!”, helps them focus better.
• To foster resilience, praise students who try again or seek alternative solutions after making mistakes.

Duration: 90 minutes

Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

• Creativity
• Problem-solving

Brief description

Making a Hot Air Balloon:

• Cut out the part of the egg carton where the eggs sit—this will serve as the basket of the hot air balloon.
• Attach 4 to 6 equal-length toothpicks to the inside of the basket using painter’s tape. The number of toothpicks can be freely chosen by the students (4, 5, or 6 are all acceptable).
• Place a styrofoam ball on top of the toothpicks and secure it with a small amount of liquid glue.
• The hot air balloon can be decorated as desired.
• If the diameter of the styrofoam ball is larger than the width of the basket, it can be placed onto the toothpicks without glue by piercing it onto them. However, to ensure stability, it is recommended to use a little glue even in this case.

How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills?

During the creative activity, students encounter situations where their initial plans may not work out at first, or they need to adjust while using materials and tools. This supports the development of resilience, as they learn to experience and accept failures and seek new solutions. The competency of flexibility is demonstrated when students adapt to changing conditions, think creatively, and find alternatives to emerging problems. Throughout the activity, students actively engage in problem-solving, communicate, and reflect on their work, which also supports the competencies of self-regulation and collaboration.

What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

The aim of the activity is for students to learn to accept failure and be able to restart the task, thereby strengthening their resilience. It is important that students develop flexibility in adapting to emerging problems and become capable of seeking alternative solutions. The activity also aims for students to recognize and express their own feelings and thoughts during the creative process, supporting their ability for self-reflection. Part of the development is to boost the children’s self-confidence and encourage them to embrace challenges with perseverance in completing the task. Finally, the goal is for students to improve their collaboration skills and be able to listen to others’ ideas in order to find solutions together with flexibility.

Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

• Development of memory
• Improvement of reading comprehension and vocabulary expansion
• Interpretation of the themes and motifs of artworks (e.g., nature, hot-air balloon, the relationship between humans and the environment)
• Basic understanding of the function and role of the hot-air balloon as a means of transportation
• Material knowledge: recognizing the properties of the materials used (Styrofoam, paper, plastic)
• Model-making through simple technical steps
• Understanding the role of basic structural elements (e.g., how a model hot-air balloon can stay in the air)
• Practical knowledge of how to work with and use materials

Materials and tools needed for implementation

• scissors
• glue
• wooden skewers
• egg carton
• Styrofoam ball
• paint, coloured paper, glitter, etc. (for decoration)
• painter’s tape

Preparation notes

To successfully carry out the activity, it is essential to prepare all necessary materials in advance. It is helpful to demonstrate the steps of building the hot-air balloon beforehand and show examples to support students’ visual understanding. Clear and simple instructions should be provided, and students should be given enough time to experiment and start over if needed. It is important to consider students’ varying abilities and offer flexible support throughout the creative process. Safety guidelines should also be explained in advance, with special attention to the use of glue and small parts.

Guided Questions

• What is your plan if something doesn’t work out the way you imagined?
• What can you do if the glue doesn’t hold well enough? Do you have another idea?
• How would you change your original idea if it doesn’t work as planned?
• What other materials could you use if this one isn’t available?

Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

• Was there a part you had to start over? How did you feel during that?
• What was something you found difficult at first but managed to solve in the end?
• If you could make it again, what would you do differently?
• What are you most proud of in your finished hot-air balloon?

Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

• If students feel uncertain or are afraid of making mistakes, encourage them to try without fear and emphasize that mistakes are valuable opportunities for learning.
• If the glue does not hold properly, help them find alternative solutions or allow more time for drying.
• When different ideas arise, highlight the value of creativity and multiple solutions, thus developing their flexibility and ability to collaborate.