Art Lesson Plans A theme based approach to teaching art Reconciliation Workshops Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Histories and Cultures A cross curriculum priority area in the Australian

Curriculum. (National Reconciliation week 27 May to 3rd June)
Key statement: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priority
provides opportunities for al learners to deepen their knowledge of
Australia by engaging with the worlds oldest continuous living cultures.
This Knowledge and understanding will enrich their ability to participate
positively in the ongoing development of Australia.
(http://ausverls.vcaa.au/crosscurriculumpriorities/aboriginal-and-torresstrait-islander-hisotries-and-cultures)
The theme for NRW 2015 is Its time to change up.

recognising culture and developing respect

Interacting and emphasizing with others
Reflecting on intercultural experiences and taking responsibility

Focus: The Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) community consisting of 25

clans that formed part of the Kulin Nation Aboriginal people from
Werribee to Lorne to Ballarat. The Wathaurong people have lived within
these regions for more than 25,000 years.
The Wathaurong people have passed on traditions, values, laws, history
and culture through story, dance, art, craft making and song.
Art lesson plan 1
Level 3 / 4
Topic: Artists technique and cultural differences in art
Focus: Art beyond the classroom a visit to Narana Indigenous
Centre
AusVels: They learn about visual arts in their community. Students also
explore different styles of art made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander artists. Developing understanding of practices. Sharing
artworks through performance, presentation or display. Responding and
interpreting artworks.
Students select, combine and experiment with ways of using a range
of arts elements, principles and/or conventions, skills, techniques
and processes, to explore arts ideas sourced from their imagination
and from their own and other cultures.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2015)
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:

EXTENTION IDEAS:

. This activity relates to cultural comparisons

When students recognise skills, intricacies and rationale of

dot painting they can compare this art form with other
painting genres For example Chinese painting, 19th Century
European art, modern art, Australian.

They may discuss similarities and differences in reasons for

producing each kind of artwork and the skills required to
create each work.

Students can discuss the materials used to paint in different

cultures, brushes, canvas, paint etc.

Students may also note some of the more contemporary

Aboriginal artists who paint in non-traditional styles, too avoid
stereotyping.

RESOURCES:
Examples of art styles from school library and local libraries.
Internet.
Website: Australian Aboriginal Arts www.aboriginearts.com

CD-ROM DUIT Multimedia Moorditj Australian Indigenous Cultural

Expression (features 111 artists from around Australia) DUIT Multi
Media University of Western Australia

Cultural Education Centre Narana Gallery Geelong

www.narana.com
Cultural Education programs are delivered by expert staff that will
fill your mind with the wonders of Australias Indigenous Culture,
connection to the land, spirituality, laws, cultural designs, Dreaming
stories and more.
Programs are developed to suit the interests of the visitors to the
center, whether they are primary school children attending our
popular School Holiday programs or business people on time out
from a conference.

BODY OF THE LESSON

Whole class

Show and discuss with students various dot paintings. From

class collection what kind of painting is this? Who did it? What
kind of other symbols did the artist use?

Examine and discuss symbols and their meaning

Distribute some examples of Indigenous childrens picture

storybooks.

Discuss the purpose of the dot paintings how they express

feelings history and Dreaming stories of their culture.

Discuss symbols and colours used in the paintings and think

about their meaning.
Working in small groups
Distribute a sample dot painting to each group.
Ask students.to:

Discuss the symbols and what they could mean.

Share ideas with other groups.

Working individually
Encourage.students.to:

Think of personal story or event in their lives that they

could create a painting about;

Experiment to create symbols of their own. Consider

particular things they want to show in their story.

Draft their own painting or event idea that shows their

story.
Working with a partner

Ask students to share draft artwork, symbols with a

friend.

Encourage them to discuss personal stories and

whether they are clear for the viewer.

Whole class

Students are then given paper and paint using the end of
their brush and brushes to paint their personal dot painting.

Extension ideas integrating art and literacy

Write a recount of your own story
Prepare a published copy to accompany their painting.
Whole class

Create a class-recording matrix on board or chart with two

columns headed: Artwork and Written record and four rows
headed words, story, and symbols, media used.

Reflect on, and discuss, information needed for artwork and

retelling stories

Enter appropriate responses in each column.

Discuss: recognise that both formats of written, verbal,

painting, photographs all tell a story and record history.
Extension activities

 Base these around comparisons of similarities and differences in

styles of painting. In different cultures. This will link in well with the
Geelong Gallery visit in future sessions.
ASSESSMENT

Create checklist of story elements covered in pictorial

representation.

Create for student self-assessment rubric of story elements to

complete for both painting and written (similar to the class
recording matrix on board) or chart with two columns headed:
Artwork and Written record; and four row headed: words,
story, symbols, media used

Were students able to identify different ways of representing

aspects of stories?

How did students participate in-group work and contribute to

group recordings.

Lesson Plan 2
Duration 2 x 45 minute sessions
Topic: A visit to the Geelong Gallery and Geelong Regional Library

Portrait Drawing
AusVels Links:
make visual arts works that express and communicate experiences,
observations, ideas and feelings about themselves and their world.

With guidance, they make arts works in traditional and contemporary arts
forms in response to stimuli drawn from sources such as play, problem
solving, imagination, and observation.
As part of their arts making, students talk about ways in which the Arts are
part of their personal experience, as well as cultural and social events in their
community. They discuss and express opinions about arts ideas they are
exploring and works they are creating. They learn about ways of making
personal responses to arts works based on sensory perception, and consider
ways that they and others can be both makers and audience.
(Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2015)
The Self-Portrait Grade 2 / 3 Duration: 2 x 4 minutes
Resources:
Smooth white drawing paper or Bristol board Colored markers,Oil
pastelsCrayons
Handheld mirrors, Tibetan bowl music, eye bags
Geelong Regional Library Sate Government Offices: Students visit
the historical mural designed by Harold Freeman (1915-1999) They
build knowledge from the image on past and present culture.
Discuss the images represented in the mural making note of the
Wathaurong family group of men, women and children.

Geelong Gallery: Link in with workshops presented by Lianne Gough.

Visit Gallery for the Whos Who portrait prize exhibition 2015.
Term 3. Students to engage is a tour with Geelong Gallery
education officer Gail Frost paying particular attention to the
galleries portrait collection.
Introductory lesson Back at school
Discuss the following: presented orally and in written text on the
board and/or handouts: What is a self-portrait? A self-portrait is a
work of art that depicts an image of an artist, made by the artist.
When you create a self-portrait, you are creating a likeness of
yourself and conveying a message, feeling, idea or statements
about yourself at that time.
Show students images of various self-portraits created throughout
history and today, such as those by Rembrandt, Brett Whitley,
Vincent Van Gogh, Mary Cassatt, Frida Kahlo, and Chuck Close.
When visiting the gallery look at current exhibitions and notice any
self-portraits from local artists and the gallery collection. Discuss the
elements in the portraits. Some portraits will be of just the face of

the artist, and other portraits will be of the whole body. The artist
decides how he wants to portray himself. Discuss portraits that have
been created by an artist for someone else. Discuss: The Archibald
competition, famous people, comics, sketches, politicians, how has
the artist interpreted them.
How does an artist know what she looks like? What can an artist use
to help her see what she looks like? Answer: a mirror, photographs.
Students take a mirror and look at themselves. What color are their
eyes and hair? Is their hair long or short, curly or straight? What is
the shape of their nose and their mouth? Are there any freckles,
lines, and scratches, individual marks?
Activity 1: Reflection / Self discovery
The teacher plays some Tibetan bowl music in the background, to
calm the children and create an atmosphere for full focus. The
students are also given and eye bag with rice and lavender to place
over their eyes.
Lie on the floor and put one hand on the belly and one hand on the
heart with eyes closed. Ask children several questions as they
breathe in and out noticing their breath and thinking about their
true self. These questions are to be answered from their own heart,
not what their parents think, friends, teachers, etc.
The teacher asks: What are the clothes you wear? What music do
you like? Where do you live? What makes you laugh, and cry? What
makes you angry, excited, and frightened? Where is your favorite
place? What do you look like as a superhero? What would your
powers be? What do you think you will do when you grow up? What
is really important to you? See yourself as the best person you want
to be. What do you look like? Once they have answered the
questions, they can use some of the answers to help them think
about what is important to them.
Children sit up without speaking. A piece of paper is in front of them
and some coloured pencils. They then draw, write; reflect on all the
questions for 5 minutes, to the music. This becomes a first draft of
ideas.
Creating the Self-portrait and manipulating the images
Direct the students to create several observational portrait sketches
from mirrors on newsprint or drawing paper. Direct each student to
pick a favorite drawing and photocopy it 5 times. Then, have each
student make 5 different manipulations on the photocopied images.
Students can manipulate the images using whatever materials they
choose. Encourage manipulation as opposed to decoration; discuss
with students why they have selected a color or texture to add.

Encourage meaning purpose. Encourage expressions of their

thoughts and feelings and add objects of personal interest. They
may use magazine pictures or word cut outs to reinforce their
interests, true self.
Have students choose the materials they want to use to express
themselves in a self-portrait. For example, they can use various
kinds of paints, collage, drawing, markers, fabric, wool, and crayons.
By allowing choice students will use the media that work best for
them. Each child has a hand held mirror (from the Geelong Gallery
teacher resource box) Allow students time to create a draft image or
sketch if they choose, using newsprint or other drawing paper. The
teacher instructs the students to remember what they are feeling
when creating their self-portrait. It can be abstract or realistic. It
may have exaggerated features or colors that reflect personality,
textures that reflect personality or feelings. The teacher will put out
a box of recycled materials that can also be used, plastics, and
strings, and buttons, wood chips.

Then have each student make 5 copies of each of the

manipulations, and have them make changes to each of those
copies. Encourage the students to try something unusual, unique, in
contrast to their other copies. Have each student place all of the
images on the floor for reflection and analysis. The discussion will
focus on whether the images focus on what students are thinking
and want to convey about themselves. Have each student then
choose 1 to 3 images that they like the best for an exhibition and
take home.
Lesson Plan 3
Duration 2 x 45 minutes
Topic: A visit to the Geelong Gallery with a focus on Aboriginal art work
Level 3 / 4
AusVels Links: Students extend their awareness of how and why artists,
craftspeople and designers realize their ideas through different visual
representations. They explore and experiment with a greater diversity of
materials, techniques and technologies. They enhance their perceptual skills
by observing the world around them and representing these observations
through different practical applications of art
Geelong Gallery: A guided tour with Gail Frost paying attention to the art work
of Gavin Couzens and other indigenous artists to build understanding of the
culture and diversity of Australia.

Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices of the

Wathaurong people. Explore dreamtime stories as a starting point. Listen to
the story of the Bunjil Eagle.
Using the Bunjil Eagle as the stimulus students will create artworks using
symbols and designs from the first nation people.
Etching an Eagle

Materials Needed:
Paper (bristol board - poster board)
Crayons
Paperclip, stick or nail
black India ink
Instructions:

Fill the paper with crayon shapes and patterns, making sure to press
hard. It is best to use light colors.

Once you have filled the paper with crayons patterns, color heavily
over the whole paper using black crayon or black ink.

3
4

Plan out a your Eagle picture with grey lead pencil and paper.
Paper clip, scratch the design into the black crayon. The light colors
will show through where you scrape away the black.

Polish the picture by rubbing wax paper on it -- to give it a shine. You

can also use a chamois cloth or even a plastic bag.

The Dreamtime story of Bunjil

Every young Aboriginal girl and boy has a personal Dreaming and
belongs to a social grouping called a moiety (one half of society).
Bunjil ,who is the most significant ancestor came from The
Dreaming. He took the form of the Wedge-tailed Eagle and created
the Kulin people. Bunjil has two wives and a son Brinbeal, the

rainbow. Brinbeals wife is the second rainbow you sometimes see

as a reflection. Bunjil also is accompanied by Djurt-djurt the Kestrel
and Thara the Swamp Hawk; Yokope the Great Parakeet and Dantun
the Blue Mountain Parrot; Tadjuri the Brush tailed Possum and
Turnong the Gliding Possum. All of these pairs of ancestors watch
over the people as stars in the sky.

Show images of the Bunjil Geoglyph. The You Yangs are the home of
a Geoglyph constructed by the Australian artist Andrew Rogers in
recognition of the indigenous people of the area. This geoglyph has
a wing span of 100 metres and 1500 tonnes of rock was used to
construct it, and was unveiled in March 2006.
Literacy extension idea: Create your own story using the
Wathaurong language.
Mathematics extension idea: Crete a map of your region in western
language and Wathaurong language.
Dance: Check out Move it Mobstyle
http://www.moveitmobstyle.com.au and create a group
reconciliation dance
Music: research and learn traditional aboriginal songs. Use a
creative medium to share them for example photography, film, cd
recording.

Drama: Explore other dreamtime stories as a stimulus fro making

dance or plays.

References
https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/approach/indigenous_res01
0_0802.pdf
Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative http://www.wathaurang.org.au/
Wathaurong country
https://sites.google.com/site/didvoukgeelong/wathaurong-c
Bunjil the Eagle https://vimeo.com/97185996
Bunjil http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/aboriginal-culture/meerreengan-here-is-my-country/bunjil/bunjil/
National Reconciliation Week http://www.reconcilliation.org.au/nrw/
Intercultural understanding across the curriculum
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/intercult
ural-understanding/ introduction/intercultural-understanding-acrossthe-curriculum
Geelonggallery.org.au
www.geelonglibraries.vic.gov.au
www.narana.com.au