The Arts

Achievement Standard
(indicate standards relevant to this unit of study) 1

Year 4 By the end of Year 4, students:

Dance
describe and discuss similarities and differences between dances they make, perform and view
Term: 1 discuss how they and others organise the elements of dance in dances depending upon the purpose.
structure movements into dance sequences and use the elements of dance and choreographic devices to represent a story or mood
Calendar Year: 2021 collaborate to make dances and perform with control, accuracy, projection and focus
Drama
describe and discuss similarities and differences between drama they make, perform and view
discuss how they and others organise the elements of drama in their drama
use relationships, tension, time and place and narrative structure when improvising and performing devised and scripted drama
collaborate to plan, make and perform drama that communicates ideas
Media Arts
describe and discuss similarities and differences between media artworks they make and view
discuss how and why they and others use images, sound and text to make and present media artworks
collaborate to use story principles, time, space and technologies to make and share media artworks that communicate ideas to an audience
Music
describe and discuss similarities and differences between music they listen to, compose and perform
discuss how they and others use the elements of music in performance and composition
collaborate to improvise compose and arrange sound, silence, tempo and volume in music that communicates ideas
demonstrate aural skills by singing playing instruments with accurate pitch, rhythm and expression
Visual Arts
describe and discuss similarities and differences between artworks they make, present and view
discuss how they and others use visual conventions in artworks
collaborate to plan and make artworks that are inspired by artworks they experience
use visual conventions, techniques and processes to communicate their ideas




Content Descriptor - knowledge and skills
Strand – Dance
Improvise and structure movement ideas for dance sequences using the elements of dance and choreographic devices (ACADAM005)
Practise technical skills safely in fundamental movements (ACADAM006)
Perform dances using expressive skills to communicate ideas, including telling cultural or community stories (ACADAM007)
Identify how the elements of dance and production elements express ideas in dance they make, perform and experience as audience, including exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander dance (ACADAR008)

Strand – Drama
Explore ideas and narrative structures through roles and situations and use empathy in their own improvisations and devised drama (ACADRM031)
Use voice, body, movement and language to sustain role and relationships and create dramatic action with a sense of time and place (ACADRM032)
Shape and perform dramatic action using narrative structures and tension in devised and scripted drama, including exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drama (ACADRM033)
Identify intended purposes and meaning of drama, starting with Australian drama, including drama of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, using the elements of drama to make
comparisons (ACADRR034)

Strand – Media Arts
Investigate and devise representations of people in their community, including themselves, through settings, ideas and story structure in images, sounds and text (ACAMAM058)
Use media technologies to create time and space through the manipulation of images, sounds and text to tell stories (ACAMAM059)
Plan, create and present media artworks for specific purposes with awareness of responsible media practice (ACAMAM060)
Identify intended purposes and meanings of media artworks, using media arts key concepts, starting with media artworks in Australia including media artworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples (ACAMAR061)

Strand – Music
Develop aural skills by exploring, imitating and recognising elements of music including dynamics, pitch and rhythm patterns (ACAMUM084)
Practise singing, playing instruments and improvising music, using elements of music including rhythm, pitch, dynamics and form in a range of pieces, including in music from the local
community (ACAMUM085)
Create, perform and record compositions by selecting and organising sounds, silence, tempo and volume (ACAMUM086)
Identify intended purposes and meanings as they listen to music using the elements of music to make comparisons, starting with Australian music, including music of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples (ACAMUR087)

Strand – Visual Arts
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)
Use materials, techniques and processes to explore visual conventions when making artworks (ACAVAM111)
 Present artworks and describe how they have used visual conventions to represent their ideas (ACAVAM112)
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)

General Literacy ICT Critical and Ethical Personal and Inter-cultural
Capabilities Numeracy creative thinking behaviour social competence understanding
“Teachers are Asking questions to Creating patterns Consider the Respecting others Follow procedures Develop open-
expected to teach and
assess general
understand with colours and elements of artists artwork and correctly and mindedness as
capabilities to the different elements textures work to create opinions about efficiently techniques and
extent that they are of artwork individual designs what they like and artwork is explored
incorporated within
each learning area.”
don’t like Develop confidence
ACARA Researching and Identify intended in abilities as an Understanding the
analysing artwork purposes and artist historical and
meanings of cultural significance
artworks in Students explore of Aboriginal and
Australia including ideas and artwork Torres Strait
visual artworks of by Aboriginal and Islander art.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Torres Strait Islander artists, to
Islander Peoples. use as inspiration
for their own
representations.

Cross-curricular priorities Integration with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Asia and Australia’s Sustainability
curriculum areas Islander histories and culture engagement with Asia
Are embedded in the curriculum and HaSS – study the nature and Know and understand the
will have a strong but varying
presence depending on their experiences of Aboriginal and historical and cultural art of
relevance Torres Strait Islander people’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait
first contact with European Islander peoples.
settlers.


Supporting and extending students
Different ending places Different time expectations Peer mentoring Assistance from support staff Extra assistance from class teacher Scribed work
Graded worksheets Separate task on same topic Template given
Other (specify)


Assessment tasks
Summative assessment Demonstrate learning using materials ICT Presentation Demonstrate learning through explanation Poster Report Class
discussion Participation Model Moderated assessment task Other (specify)


WK Visual Arts Preparations
Lesson 1: An Introduction to Aboriginal Art • Aboriginal Art BTN video:
https://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2994518.htm
• Poster paper
Tuning In
• Markers
Students watch and listen to the Aboriginal Art video the BTN website. At the end
of the video, ask the students: • Learning Goal Poster
https://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2994518.htm • An-Introduction-to-Aboriginal-Art-PowerPoint

• What types of Aboriginal art did you see in the video?
• Do you think the pieces of Aboriginal art in the video were traditional? Why or why
not?
• Are there any other types of Aboriginal artworks that you've seen in the past that
weren't in the video? What were they?

1 Teacher Instruction
Introduce the students to the Aboriginal art techniques that will be covered in the
unit:
• rock art
sand drawings
• bark paintings
• body painting
• Wandjina artworks
• x-ray art
• cross-hatching
• dot painting.

Invite the students to share what they already know about each technique and
record their answers on the board.

Guided/Independent Learning
 1. Place the students into eight groups. Provide each group with a sheet of poster paper
and some markers and assign each group an Aboriginal art technique.
2. Ask each group to brainstorm what they already know about their allocated art
technique and what they would like to find out. Encourage the students to draw
pictures and write the names of any relevant people and places (if known). Monitor
and support the students as they record their ideas.
3. Once each group has finished recording their ideas, gather as a class and invite each
group to present their work. Create a class display of the ideas for each art technique
so that they can be added to throughout the unit.

Wrapping Up
As a class, use the Learning Goal Poster to set a visual arts goal to achieve by the
end of the unit. Display the agreed goal in the classroom and refer to the goal
throughout the unit.

Lesson 2: Aboriginal Rock Art • Rock Art Research video on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPeLIDIKFPk
• An Introduction to Aboriginal Art PowerPoint
Tuning In
• Paint / stencil
Students watch and listen to the Rock Art Research video on YouTube. At the end
of the video, ask the students: • Large brown paper

2 • Why is Aboriginal rock art an important part of Australian history?

• Where can most of Australia's Aboriginal rock art be found?
• What is being done to help Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples learn more
about rock art?

Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 5-9 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art PowerPoint.
Ensure that the students understand:
 • the significance of rock art to the Australian Aboriginal peoples how it was
traditionally created and its common features
how we can help protect it today.
2. Use the content from the PowerPoint to record any new information on the rock art
poster from the previous lesson.
3. Display slide 10. As a class, discuss some of the reasons why protecting sacred rock art
sites across Australia is important to the Aboriginal peoples. Brainstorm and list the
ways in which we can help protect Aboriginal rock art sites.

Guided/Independent Learning
1. Display slide 11 and explain the rock art activity to the students. Before commencing
the artwork, ask the students:
• What story will our final picture tell?
What method will we use to paint our hands?
• How will we present our rock art mural to the principal and/or community?
2. As a class, create a rock art mural that tells a story of the class. Monitor and support
the students as they complete the activity.
3. Once the rock art mural has been completed, gather together as a class to record the
explanation of the story that the artwork represents.

Wrapping Up
4. As a class, present the rock art mural to other classes.

Lesson 3: Aboriginal Sand Drawings • Mirlpatjunku: Talking About Telling Leaf Stories in
the Past video on the ICTV website:
https://ictv.com.au/video/item/3761
Tuning In
3 • Slides 12-17 An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
Students watch and listen to the Mirlpatjunku: Talking About Telling Leaf Stories
PowerPoint
in the Past video on the ICTV website.
Prior to playing the video, explain to the students that the Aboriginal person in the • Borrowed sand from the sand pit in basins (at least
video, Nancy Jackson, is telling a story in her own language and that they may not 5).
understand what she is saying. Ask the students to focus their attention on what
Nancy is doing on the sand with her hands as she tells her story.
https://ictv.com.au/video/item/3761

At the end of the video, ask the students:

• Where was Nancy sitting when she told her story?
What did Nancy use to help tell her story?
Why do you think Aboriginal people tell stories on the sand?

Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 12-15 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art PowerPoint.
Ensure that the students understand:
• the significance of sand drawings to the Australian Aboriginal peoples
• how sand drawings were traditionally created and their common features
• how Colin Walangari Karnthawaarra McCormack's contemporary sand paintings
differ from traditional Aboriginal sand drawings.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the sand
drawings poster from the earlier lesson.
3. Display slide 16. As a class, discuss why Aboriginal peoples traditionally used sand as a
way to create maps and share their stories. Brainstorm and list some of the advantages
and disadvantages of using sand as a canvas when drawing maps and telling stories.

Guided/Independent Learning
4. Display slide 17 and explain the sand drawings activity to the students. Provide the
students with the necessary materials to complete the task.
5. In groups, ask the students to create a map of their bedroom using sand drawings.
Monitor and support the students as they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
6. Once the students have finished, gather together as a class. Discuss the different
symbols that were used by the students to map their bedrooms.
 Lesson 4: Aboriginal Bark Paintings
Tuning In
Students watch and listen to the Australia's Biggest Exhibition of Bark Painting
video on the ABC Lateline website. At the end of the video, ask the students:
https://www.abc.net.au/lateline/australias-biggest-exhibition-of-bark-
painting/5135630
• Why do you think Aboriginal bark paintings are sometimes referred to as one of
the great art movements of Australia?
• Why do you think Aboriginal bark paintings need restoring?
• How did Yirawala, one of the Old Masters, represent his 'clan' in his bark
paintings?
• Australia's Biggest Exhibition of Bark Painting video
on the ABC Lateline website:
https://www.abc.net.au/lateline/australias-biggest-
exhibition-of-bark-painting/5135630
• Slides 18-21 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint
• As a class, go to the school playground or local park
and ask the students to collect their own piece of
bark or a stick.

Teacher Instruction
4 1. Display and discuss slides 18-21 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art PowerPoint.
Ensure that the students understand:
• the significance of bark paintings to the Australian Aboriginal peoples
• how bark paintings were traditionally created and their common features
• where you can see traditional and contemporary bark paintings today.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the bark
paintings poster from the earlier lesson.
3. Display slide 22. As a class, discuss why Aboriginal peoples traditionally used bark as a
way to tell stories of their history and cultural rituals. Brainstorm and list some of the
benefits of using bark as a canvas when creating art and/or telling a story.

Guided/Independent Learning
4. Display slide 23 and explain the bark painting activity to the students.
5. As a class, go to the school playground or local park and ask the students to collect
their own piece of bark or a stick.
 6. Upon returning to the classroom, ask the students to paint a pattern on their piece of
bark or stick that represents their own identity. Monitor and support the students as
they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
1. Once the students have finished, gather together as a class to share artworks. Discuss
the challenges of painting on bark or sticks.

Lesson 5: Aboriginal Body Painting • Aboriginal Dance Festival video on YouTube:

Tuning In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCBHQU9UVWA
Students watch and listen to the Aboriginal Dance Festival video on YouTube. At • Slides 24–29 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
the end of the video, ask the students: PowerPoint
• What is the importance of the Laura Dance Festival to the Aboriginal • Blank sheet of paper / Generic template of outline of
peoples? a body
• Why do you think the Aboriginal peoples paint their bodies for cultural
dances and festivals?
• What types of symbols did you see painted on the Aboriginal peoples at the
Laura Dance Festival?

5 Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 24-27 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand:
• the significance of body painting to the Australian Aboriginal peoples
• the traditional meaning of body painting and some of its common features
• how body painting is used today in Aboriginal cultures for special festivals,
dances and ceremonies.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the body
painting poster from the earlier lesson.
3. Display slide 28. As a class, discuss why Aboriginal peoples traditionally painted
their bodies for cultural ceremonies. Brainstorm and list special occasions or
times when you might get your face or body painted.
 Guided/Independent Learning
1. Display slide 29 and explain the body painting activity to the students.
2. Provide each student with a blank sheet of paper and ask the students to draw
an outline of a body (alternatively, provide each student with a generic
template of the outline of a body). On their body outlines, ask the students to
draw a design that they would paint onto their own bodies for a special event.
Monitor and support the students as they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
3. Once the students have finished, gather together as a class to share artworks.
Discuss the significance of cultural dress at special events and/or ceremonies

Lesson 6: Aboriginal Wandjina Artworks • Who Paintin’ Dis Wandjina? & Director Interview
Tuning In with Taryne Laffar video on YouTube:
Students watch and listen to the Who Paintin’ Dis Wandjina? & Director Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXTuwPDsvDM
with Taryne Laffar video on YouTube. At the end of the video, ask the students: • Slides 30-35 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
• What is the importance of the Wandjina to the Worowa, Wunumbal, and PowerPoint.
Ngarinyin peoples? What do they represent? • Blank sheet of art paper
• Who is allowed to paint the Wandjina? • Charcoal / crayons
• Do you think the graffiti artist was wrong to paint the Wandjina? Why?
6
Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 30-33 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand:
• the significance of Wandjina artworks to the Australian Aboriginal peoples
• the traditional meaning of Wandjina artworks and some of their common
features
• who is allowed to paint Wandjina artworks today.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the
Wandjina artworks poster from the earlier lesson.
 3. Display slide 34. As a class, discuss why the Aboriginal peoples traditionally
referred to the Wandjina artworks as ‘gods of falling water’. Brainstorm and list
any other known ancient cultures who had ‘gods’ to explain natural
phenomenon.

Guided/Independent Learning
4. Display slide 35 and explain the Wandjina artworks activity to the students.
5. Ask the students to think of a natural phenomenon that they appreciate and
imagine a ‘god’ that may have created it. On a blank sheet of art paper, ask the
students to create a silhouette artwork using paint, charcoal or crayons of their
imaginary ‘god’ in a similar style to the Wandjina artworks. It is important to
use the style of art only, the students should not reproduce a Wandjina for
cultural and spiritual reasons. Monitor and support the students as they
complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
1. Once the students have finished, gather together as a class to share artworks. Provide
the students with an opportunity to explain their imaginary ‘god’ and what it
represents.
Lesson 7: Aboriginal X-Ray Art • Slides 36-41 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint.
• Paint / pencils / crayons
Tuning In
• Art paper
Introduce the term ‘Aboriginal x-ray art’ to the students. As a class, brainstorm:
• what the students already know about Aboriginal x-ray art
7 • what the students think Aboriginal x-ray art looks like
• what techniques and features Aboriginal peoples might use to create x-ray
art.

Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 36-39 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand:
 • the significance of x-ray art to Australian Aboriginal peoples and their
culture
• the traditional techniques and common features used to create Aboriginal
x-ray art
• the types of objects that are commonly painted in the x-ray art style.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the x-ray
art poster from the earlier lesson.
3. Display slide 40. As a class, discuss reasons why it traditionally might have been
important for Aboriginal people to paint the anatomical features of animals in
their x-ray art. Brainstorm and list the native Australian animals that could be
painted in the Aboriginal x-ray style.
4.
Guided/Independent Learning
• Display slide 41 and explain the x-ray art activity to the students.
• Provide each student with a blank sheet of art paper. Ask the students to
create an x-ray artwork using paint, pencils or crayons of a native Australian
animal. Monitor and support the students as they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
• Once the students have finished, gather together as a class to share
artworks. Encourage the students to explain their chosen animal, as well as
the bone structure and organs they have included in their design.

Lesson 8: Aboriginal Cross-Hatching • Peter Marralwanga ‘Ngal-Kunburriyaymi’ video

on YouTube
• Slides 42-47 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal
Tuning In
Art PowerPoint
Students watch and listen to the Peter Marralwanga ‘Ngal-Kunburriyaymi’ video on
8 • Blank sheet of A4 paper
YouTube. At the end of the video, ask the students:
• Paint / crayons / pencils
• What style of art was seen in the video?
• Who was Peter Marralwanga?
• What techniques did Peter use to create his cross-hatching artworks?
 Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 42-45 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand:
• the significance of cross-hatching to Australian Aboriginal peoples and their
culture
• the techniques and common features used to create Aboriginal cross-
hatching
• the traditional terminology used to describe Aboriginal cross-hatching.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the cross
hatching poster from the earlier lesson.
3. Display slide 46. As a class, discuss reasons why it may take an Aboriginal artist
a whole year to complete a large cross-hatching painting. Brainstorm and list
the traditional techniques and colours seen in Aboriginal cross-hatching
artworks.

Guided/Independent Learning
1. Display slide 47 and explain the cross-hatching activity to the students.
2. Provide each student with a blank sheet of art paper. Ask the students to create
a cross-hatching artwork using paint, pencils or crayons of their hand. Monitor
and support the students as they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
3. Once the students have finished, gather together as a class to share artworks.
Encourage the students to explain the personal significance of their designs.

Lesson 9: Aboriginal Dot Painting • Aboriginal Art Dot Painting video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JQkinXVd1s
9
• Discuss slides 48-53 of the An Introduction to
Tuning In
Aboriginal Art PowerPoint
Students watch and listen to the Aboriginal Art Dot Painting video on YouTube. At • Blank sheet of art paper
the end of the video, ask the students: • A range of paints and brushes
• What do the dots in Brownyn’s platypus painting represent? • Cotton buds
• How does Brownyn apply the dots to her dot paintings?
• What colours does Brownyn usually use in her dot paintings? Why did she
use blue tones in her platypus painting?

Teacher Instruction
1. Display and discuss slides 48-51 of the An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand:
• the significance of dot painting to Australian Aboriginal peoples and their
culture
• the techniques and common features used to create Aboriginal
dot paintings
• that dot painting is a modern style of art used in Aboriginal cultures.
2. Use the content of the PowerPoint to record any new information on the dot
painting poster from the earlier lesson.
3. Display slide 52. As a class, discuss reasons why the students at Geoffery
Bardon’s school might have used dots to conceal the sacred meaning of The
Dreaming. Brainstorm and list the techniques used in Aboriginal dot paintings.

Guided/Independent Learning
1. Display slide 53 and explain the dot painting activity to the students.
2. Provide each student with a blank sheet of art paper and a range of paints and
paint brushes. Ask the students to create a dot painting artwork of their foot.
Monitor and support the students as they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up
3. Once the students have finished, gather together as a class to share artworks.
Make a class foot display of the dot painting artworks under the heading ‘We
Walk Together as One’.
 Lesson 10: Applying Aboriginal Art Techniques – Assessment • Display a copy of the Snakes and Ladders Game
Board Template on the board
Task • Paint
• Pencils
Tuning In • Crayons
Revise the content of the unit. Provide the students with opportunities to explain • Oil pastels
their knowledge and understanding of the different Aboriginal art techniques: • Cotton buds
• rock art
• sand drawings
• bark paintings
• body painting
• Wandjina artworks
• x-ray art
• cross-hatching
• dot painting.
2.
10
Teacher Instruction
3. Display a copy of the Snakes and Ladders Game Board Template on the board.
Explain to the students that they are going to use the template to create their
own Snakes and Ladders game board using a variety of Aboriginal art
techniques.
4. Inform the students that they must create a pattern and design for:
• each square of the large snake
• the three smaller down snakes
• the page border
• the game heading.
5. Clarify the task with the class and answer any questions the students may have.
Guided/Independent Learning
1. Provide each student with an enlarged copy of the game board template and a
variety of art and craft supplies to complete the task.
2. Allocate an appropriate amount of time for the students to complete their
artworks. While the students are working on their designs, ask them:
 • What Aboriginal art techniques are you using to complete your game
board?
• What colours are you going to use for your designs?
• Do any of the symbols in your designs have significant meanings?

Wrapping Up
1. Once the students have completed their game board, allow them to share their
designs with their peers. Encourage the class to provide positive feedback.
2. Collect the students’ game boards in order to assess their understanding of the
unit objectives. Afterwards, laminate the game boards and hand them back to
the students so that they can play a game of Snakes and Ladders with their
peers.