Curriculum and Lesson Sequence
Where Visual Arts Sits Within the Arts Curriculum
This diagram demonstrates where visual arts sits within the arts curriculum.
Sourced from: Wang, DA 2015, Delsey's Arts Advocacy Statement, retrieved 10 Feburary 2016, <https://sites.google.com/site/delseysartsadvocacystatement/australian-curriculum--the-arts
The Arts is classified as a discipline- based learning domain. Within the arts domain, there are two dimensions: creating and making, exploring and responding. The arts encompasses 5 key learning areas. These are Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts. Within the visual arts curriculum, students 'make and respond to artworks...'
In visual arts, students learn a variety of knowledge and skills. These include:
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Practices (as artists and audience)
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Representation
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Visual conventions
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Viewpoints
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Skills, techniques and processes
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Materials
The visual arts curriculum also makes links to a number of the Australian Curriculum's general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities. These are outlined below.
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
• Critical and Creative Thinking
• Personal and Social Capability
• Ethical Understanding
• Intercultural Understanding
Cross-Curriculum Priorities:
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
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Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia
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Sustainability
The lesson sequence has been developed for students in Year 4. Accordingly, direct links have been made to the visual arts Australian Curriculum for Years 3 and 4. Links have been made to the following content descriptions:
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Explore ideas and artworks from different cultures and times, including artwork by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to use as inspiration for their own representations (ACAVAM110)
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Use materials, techniques and processes to explore visual conventions when making artworks (ACAVAM111)
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Present artworks and describe how they have used visual conventions to represent their ideas (ACAVAM112)
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Identify intended purposes and meanings of artworks using visual arts terminology to compare artworks, starting with visual artworks in Australia including visual artworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACAVAR113)
Sourced from: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2015, F-10 Curriculum: Visual Arts, Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority, retrieved 20 January 2016 <http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-arts/visual-arts/curriculum/f-10?layout=1>
Links to the 3 visual arts lesson plans and how they support my philosophy are outlined below.
The second lesson supports my philosophy by providing optimal opportunities for students to make and create their own artworks. During this lesson, students utilize the arts elements and principles to communicate their understanding of Aboriginal culture and traditions. By creating a symbol story, students learn to communicate their views and highlight their knowledge and skills. Consequently, this supports my philosophy of teaching the visual arts in conjunction with other areas of the curriculum. Importantly, through the development of symbol stories, students explore a world outside of their own. Simultaneously, this learning activity addresses the development of student’s fine motor skills, which I believe is a significant skill to develop within the visual arts curriculum.
The first lesson informs and supports my philosophy of teaching the arts by providing students with a variety of learning experiences. These learning experiences support my beliefs of teaching and learning, by encouraging students to use their knowledge of the art elements and principles to create and respond to artwork. For example, students use the arts language to describe and interpret Aboriginal symbol stories. Simultaneously, students use this language to discuss their own artwork and their peer’s artwork. I believe that it is important to support children's visual arts learning through the cross-curriculum priority, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. This allows children to not only develop their knowledge and skills within visual arts, but to increase their understanding of Aboriginal art forms and its cultural significance.
The third lesson reinforces my philosophy of visual arts teaching as it makes links to the Australian Curriculums general capabilities. This is apparent as students have the opportunity to write a story that will accompany their artwork. The story is written on a laptop, which encourages students to develop their computer literacy skills. Similarly within this lesson, students develop ways to present and display their symbol story and artworks. I believe that this is a crucial element of the ‘creating’ phase, as it encourages students to produce a finished product that is of a high standard. Consequently, it is likely that students will be more motivated to produce a piece of artwork that reflects their true potential.