1. A different perspective
The ‘Through the eye of’ resource has been developed to promote innovative and imaginative thinking by encouraging children to see things differently, initially from a different angle, but ultimately from another perspective.
Teacher notes
Use this activity as a creative tool to release big thoughts using a series of visual images to stimulate discussion and imagination.
Remind pupils that in our imaginations anything is possible, so there are no right or wrong answers – they can say whatever comes in to their heads.
Show each image and allow ‘think, pair share’ time to discuss their creative responses to the visual stimulus, using prompt questions provided, where required.
Choose pupils to share their ideas as you work through the slides and encourage them to elaborate and add elements through questioning and curiosity.
At the end of the exercise, recap that thinking big and imagining everything is possible is a skill used by innovators. It allows them to approach a problem from a different perspective or consider new ways of doing things.
Extension
Allow pupils to select their favourite view or perspective to use as stimulus to explore and expand their big ideas using creative writing and/or artwork.
‘Through the eye of’
A different perspective

2. Bird’s eye Teacher notes
Display and allow time to absorb the image. Ask pupils to share their thoughts with the person sitting next to them.
Encourage pupil pairs to describe how they could see this view. Use prompt questions, if required:
What can you see, feel, hear and/or taste?
Where do you think you are?
How did you get there?
Who/what else could see this view?
If necessary suggest other ideas to move pupils beyond reality and into their imaginations e.g. what if you could fly, ride on a dragon, a flying carpet, or even a glass elevator? How could you fly without wings?
Choose some pupils to share their ideas with the group/class.
Bird’s eye

3. Outer space Teacher notes
Display and allow time to absorb the image. Ask pupils to share their thoughts with the person sitting next to them.
Encourage pupil pairs to describe how they could see this view. Use prompt questions, if required:
What can you see, feel, hear and/or taste?
Where do you think you are?
How did you get there?
Who/what else could see this view?
If necessary suggest other ideas to move pupils beyond reality and into their imaginations e.g. what if you had super powers, were an alien, an angel or a shooting star, what sort of spaceship or rocket would you have?
Choose some pupils to share their ideas with the group/class.
Outer space

4. Teacher notes
Display and allow time to absorb the image. Ask pupils to share their thoughts with the person sitting next to them.
Encourage pupil pairs to describe how they could see this view. Use prompt questions, if required:
What can you see, feel, hear and/or taste?
Where do you think you are?
How did you get there?
Who/what else could see this view?
If necessary suggest other ideas to move pupils beyond reality and into their imaginations e.g. what if you were a mermaid/man, an octopus, or a dolphin or even a deep sea cave monster?
Imagine your very own submarine, what would it look like, where would you go?
Choose some pupils to share their ideas with the group/class.
Deep sea

5. From beneath Teacher notes
This image helps pupils to consider alternative perspectives and introduces the idea of seeing things in a different way or as if you were someone or something else e.g. Moz The Monster under the bed or the fairy on top of the Christmas tree.
Display and allow time to absorb the image. Ask pupils to share their thoughts with the person sitting next to them.
Encourage pupil pairs to describe how they could see this view. Where space allows get pupils to lie on their front and look up around the room. What can they see? How about with just one eye? Does the view change if they swap to their other eye (get pupils to try the same exercise whilst pointing at something and watch their finger)?
Extension
If time and space allow, encourage them to look at the classroom, school or playground from different perspectives e.g. from low down, up above, close-up or from an unusual angle. They could even collect digital images of their views for a display which could invite others to guess where the picture was taken!
From beneath

6. Through the eyes of another
Teacher notes
This image continues the idea of seeing things in a different way or as if you were someone else and can be used in conjunction with the Barnardo’s Young Carer’s Fact Card to incorporate PHSE themes such as developing empathy, the role of the charity and understanding that play and imagination are important for health and well-being.
Display and allow time to absorb the image. Ask pupils to share their thoughts with the person sitting next to them. Encourage pupil pairs to think of a time when they have thought of others before themselves, or tried to see life from someone else’s perspective.
Differentiation
For younger pupils the eye of another could be that of Moz The Monster. Encourage pupils to imagine what it would be like if they lived in a world of monsters and lived beneath Moz The Monster’s bed.
Through the eyes of another