Your Fantasy World

Objectives

• To look at fairy tales and heroic characters in connection to children's rights.  
• To practise self-expression through fairy tales and heroic characters.  

Intructions

Watch the opening theme of the Moominvalley TV show on YLE Areena. What can you deduce based on it about a place called Moominvalley? Study the music, the images and the atmosphere.  

• Who lives there? 
• What is it like to live there? 
• What kind of creatures live there? 
• What is its atmosphere like? 
• Which things are important to its residents? 

2. Next, learn about children's rights.

The purpose of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is to ensure that the rights of the child are implemented. The Convention applies to all children in the world, but it is not implemented everywhere. The Convention was created in order to ensure that children's rights are honoured everywhere. The Convention is a joint agreement between the countries of the world and must be followed by all adults. 

3. Design your world of fairy tales. Create a world where the rights of the child are honoured. Create illustrations of your world in the style of the opening theme, describing who lives there, what kind of creatures there are and what it is like to live there. You can also describe the atmosphere in the fantasy world with colours, for example. The pupils' instructions for this exercise can also be handed out to be used at home or utilised as support at school.  

Everyone can create their own fantasy world or a group can create one together. Finished creations are displayed on the wall, for example. You can use watercolours, coloured pencils or similar when designing your fairy tale worlds. 

Discuss the type of fantasy creatures that live in your fairy tale world. What kind of strengths do your fantasy creatures have? How do they behave and live together, using their strengths? In what sort of things do the creatures need help and support from others?  

If you want, you can complete this exercise more briefly: Imagine and draw fantasy creatures inspired by the opening theme. This can also be done as homework. Hang the drawings up on the board or a wall, for example.  

4. Once the fantasy world illustrations are complete, draw up a constitution or an agreement for its residents, explaining which matters are important to the residents. How do the residents and creatures behave in order to make the fairy tale world an equal and good place for everyone to be and live in? What would a good world where everyone's rights are respected look like?  

5. If you want, continue by creating stories about the inhabitants and creatures of your fantasy world. The stories can be either oral or written.