Visual Arts

 

"Visual arts can open up imagination, spark creativity, and bring stories in colorful ways!"

- Lovena Rawoo

NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts)

The Purpose of the Website
The NAVA website is a great resource to further and promote visual arts education in Australian schools. The agency's major aim is to advocate for the significance of arts in the curriculum to ensure visual arts are valued and recognized as an important part of a quality education. NAVA provides vital, high quality information, resources and support to enhance visual arts education for teachers, students and the community. Teachers can use NAVA's resources to create vibrant lesson, keep up with curriculum developments, and connect to a community of visual arts educators.

Strengths:

1. Advocacy: NAVA is supportive of advocacy for visual arts education in the school context.
2. Curriculum resources: Provides information that relates to the Australian Curriculum: The Arts.
3. Research: Undertakes or supports research into visual arts education.

 

Weaknesses:

1. Not enough classroom resources: NAVA's website does not have resources that can be used directly in a classroom context and is primarily focused on advocacy and policy.
2. Some of the updates could be outdated: Some of the information and updates might be out of date.

 

Teacher-Relevant Elements:

1. Australian Curriculum information: Provides information on the Australian Curriculum: The Arts.
2. Advocacy efforts: Insights about NAVA's advocacy work for visual arts education.

 

 

Classroom Activity

"Shape Collage"

Age Group: 4-5 years old

Objective:

1. To introduce young children to shapes and composition.
2. To use cutting and gluing to develop fine motor skills
3. To promote creativity and self-expression

Instructions:

1. Give the children a selection of shapes (e.g., squares, circles, triangles) in a variety of colors.
2. Have the children make a collage using the shapes.
3. Encourage them to explore different ways to place the shapes.

Resources:
- Shape cutouts
- Glue
- Paper
- Scissors

 

Assessment:

1. Student participation and engagement
2. Students ability to identify and name shapes

 

This activity allows for problem-solving, creativity, and development of fine motor skills.

Art Education Australia (AEA)

The Purpose of the Website

The Art Education Australia website serves as a national body for visual art education that offers a number of resources, research, and advocacy for art educators. Educators can make use of and draw upon the website's resources in order to inform and support their teaching, develop engaging and exciting lesson plans or, to motivate students to study in visual arts. Educators can use AEA's resources and support creativity, critical thinking, and enjoyment of the arts!

 

Strengths

1. Research-based resources: The website provides access to a journal, Australian Art Education, which publishes research in art education and related topics.
2. Free education resources: AEA provides free resources, such as the Wedge Tailed Eagle education package, which is aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
3. Community engagement: The website looks for members to be engaged and involved via events, initiatives, and in social media.

Weaknesses

1. Limited resources for teachers to use in classroom: The website has some resources, but does not appear to have copious lesson plans or activities to provide teachers.
2. Membership-based: Some resources and benefits are only available for AEA member.

Teacher-Relevant Elements:

1. Curriculum-aligned resources: AEA has resources that are aligned with the Australian Curriculum.
2. Research-based articles: The journal Australian Art Education includes valuable research and insights relevant to art educators.

 

Classroom Activity: "Nature Art"

 

Age Group: 4-5 years old

Objective:

1. Promote creativity and connectedness to nature.
2. Foster creativity and self-expression
3. Develop fine motor skills
4. Foster appreciation for nature

Instructions:

1. Gather natural materials (e.g., leaves, sticks, rocks).
2. Allow children to create an art piece with the materials they have collected.
3. Encourage exploration and creativity.

Resources:
- Natural materials
- Glue
- Paper
- Scissors

Assessment:
1. Student participation and engagement
2. Student creativity and self-expression

 

This activity encourages creativity, fine motor development, and an appreciation of nature.

National Gallery of Australia

The Purpose of the Website
The National Gallery of Australia website supports and encourages teachers and assistants in providing professional learning opportunities and connections to the gallery collections and exhibitions. The website provides professional development programs, workshops, and online resources to support the teaching practices or learning of students.

 

Strengths

1. Curriculum partnerships: The website provides resources designed understanding of the Australian Curriculum.
2. Professional development opportunities: Teachers are welcomed to access workshops, exhibitions viewing, and tours.
3. Collaboration and networking: Opportunities for teachers to connect to other teachers and the gallery's education team.

 

Weaknesses

1. Limited online resources: The website does not provide many online resources or lesson plans.
2. Geographic restrictions: Some opportunities and resources could be limited to those that can travel to the  gallery.

 

Teacher-Relevant Elements:
1. Curriculum-aligned resources: Supports teachers with teaching practices that aligns with the Australian Curriculum.
2. Professional development opportunities: Provide opportunities to develop teachers' knowledge and skills.

 

Classroom Activity: "Australian Art Exploration"

Activity Title: "Artist Friends"
Age Group:
4-5 years old

Objective:

1.To expose young children to Australian artists and their artworks.
2. To encourage creativity and self-expression
3. To practice fine motor skills.

 

Activities:

1. Art Appreciation: Have children looks at artworks by Australian artists.
2. Art Creation: Have children create a work of art inspired by the artist's work.
3. Exploration: Encourage children to explore all the materials in any creative way.

 

Resources:
- Prints or digital images of artwork by Australian artists
- Crayons
- Paints
- Paper

 

Assessment:
1. Student participation and engagement
2. Creativity and self-expression

 

This activity encourages creativity, color recognition, and promotes the appreciation of art.

LiveAbout

 

The Purpose of the Website

LiveAbout is an entertainment and information website that includes articles, guides, and resources about art, culture, and education, and a wide range of other topics. While not art education specific, much of the website's content could be useful for students and educators searching for information about creative fields, such as animation.

 

Strengths:
1. Variety of topics: LiveAbout discusses a variety of subjects (including art, film, and entertainment, etc.).
2. Expert contributors: The articles are written by professionals and experts in the industry.
3. Provide useful materials: The website provides useful and interesting information and insights for students and educators.

 

Weaknesses:
1. Limited educational resources: LiveAbout is not primarily an educational website, so resources may not be directly applicable to classroom settings.
2. No curriculum focus: The website's content is not designed to tie in with educational curricula.

 

Teacher-Relevant Elements:
1. Animation resources: The articles addressing animation experiences can provide students more valuable insights into the discipline.
2. Career resources: Information about careers in animation and related fields can be useful for students exploring future career options.

 

Classroom Activity:

Lesson Plan: Exploring Animation
Age Group:
4-5 years old

 

Objectives:

1. Introduce basic concepts of animation
2. Promote creativity and expression of ideas.
3. Develop fine motor skills.

 

Activities:

1. Flipbooks Creation: Have children create their own simple flipbook animations.
2. Drawing and Coloring: Encourage children to draw and color characters or objects.
3. Animation Exploration: Show children examples of animations and have discussions about animations and how they work.

 

Resources:
1. Paper
2. Crayons or markers
3. Flipbook templates (optional)

 

Assessment:
1. Student Participation and Engagement
2. Creativity and Self-Expression

 

This lesson plan promotes creativity, development of fine motor skills, and introduces the basic concepts of animation to young learners.