Green Text indicates focus questions and dialogue for intentional teaching.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE PLAN: Visual Arts

Educator: Mrs Bleakley
Time: 3 lessons / Time of sessions – 30 mins TBD by Mentor
Year Level: Stage 1 – Years 1 - 2 Date: TBD by Mentor
Topic/Experience Title:
Let’s go for swim!
Rationale: What is the purpose? What concepts are being targeted? What is the inquiry
question?
On my initial visit to the classroom the children were talking about the fish tank and pet
fish that they have.
Connecting to this interest I aim to have the children think about places they like to swim
or would like to swim.
 How can you use different materials in artworks to convey meaning?
 Why do people make art?

Curriculum Links: Specific to your local Curriculum Documents

EYLF – Early Years Learning Framework
Outcome 4.1 – Children express wonder and interest in their environments.
Outcome 5.2 – Use artworks to share their swimming spot and what it means to them.
Outcome 5.3 – Experiment with a range of materials to express ideas and make meaning
NESA – NSW Curriculum.
MAKING
Vas 1.1 – Make an artwork to reflect real experiences.
VAS 1.2 – Use a variety of form/materials to represent or that reflect their swimming spot.
APPRECIATING
Vas 1.3 – Children discuss their choices in creating artwork and compare differences and
similarities with peers.
Learning Goals/Objectives: By the end of the experience the children will be able to
(knowledge, skills, attitudes):
 Create an artwork that relates to their own swimming experience.
 Use a variety of materials to represent/reflect their swimming spot.
 Explain their artwork. Including choice of materials and meaning and compare
choices with peers.
 Identify the different reasons art can be made.
Assessment: List the data you will collect and how will you collect it?
INTRODUCTION
Formative – Mind Map and Student list of possible materials to use.
Check: Children’s understanding and experience relating to topic.
Ensure: All children contribute to discussion to formulate mind map.
Review: Children’s lists to ensure materials are provided for next stage.

BODY
Formative – Observations
Check: Children are engaging in designing and creating artworks, language use.
Support: Children who may be struggling with concept by re-directing them to the mind
map and artworks. Children who may need assistance in using scissors/tapes/materials.
Summative – Annotate Artwork
Check: Students understanding of how they used materials to convey the meaning they
intended.
CLOSURE
Formative and Summative – Finished artwork, explanation of artwork and class
discussion with peers.
Check: Children’s understanding of choice and how this supports their artwork.
Review: children’s understanding how people can use different materials to represent
different things in artworks and an emerging understanding of why people create different
artworks. See Appendix A (still to be completed).

Environment/Preparation/Resources/Clean up:
INTRODUCTION
Environment:
 Set up pictures featuring different places to swim.
 Set up desks with lists, pencils and books featuring different swimming places.
Preparation:
 Dress up in swimming gear, costumes over clothes – floaty ring.
 Print out list paper with students’ names.
 Set up blank paper for mind map.
Resources:
 Book to read and others for desks – Currently researching appropriate books.
 Large A3 paper for mind map.
 Blue marker.
 Scrap paper for lists.
 Pencils.
Clean up:
 Lists handed into teacher, pencils put away and books put back to book area.
 Mind Map saved for next session.

BODY
Environment:
 Mind Map put up for reference.
 Lists laid back onto children’s desks.
 Set up examples of water/underwater artworks.
 Art stations – painting, drawing, collage - with all suggestions possible from
children’s lists as well as different backgrounds.
 Space to hang or place artworks out of the way
Preparation:
 Create artworks using different materials and mediums for students to view for
inspiration/ideas.
Resources:
 T-shirts to protect school uniforms? – Ask mentor.
 Consult mentor about availability of paint/paper/s. And collect resources required.
Clean up:
 Adequate time for clean-up, done by desk at a time. Desks will be picked according
to progress.
CLOSURE
Environment:
 Front of classroom.
 Paper for Mind Map put up.
Preparation:
 Ensure that all children’s artwork are completed.
 Checklist for learning.
Resources
Clean up:
 Either display or folders/tubs. TBC by mentor.

Procedure
Lesson Beginning: How will you orientate the children to the learning? State links to past
experiences, children’s interests, and current events in the community/centre/school.
1st Session:
Preferred time: Begin session following from break to allow teacher to change into their
“swim costume”

Whole Group.
 Teacher greets the class with rubber swim donut and with swimmers on over
clothes. (Or whatever they wear when they swim)
“I’ve been watching your fish swim around very happily in their tank and I it got me
thinking about the places that I like to visit to swim. I found this really interesting book I’d
like to read you about different places you can swim”.
 Class group together and read book.
“Let’s create a mind map about places we like to swim” (consult mentor teacher for
terminology they use for this process)
“Who here has somewhere that they like to swim?”
 List suggestions.
“What were some of the places in the book?”
 List suggestions.
“What are some of the features of these places, what does water feel/look like?”
 List and connect them to the places identified.
Following on from mind map, teachers asks students to go back to their desks.
“Next lesson we are going to create an artwork of your favourite swimming spot, I’d like
you all to think about the types of material you could use to create your artwork?”
 Teacher instructs children to write their suggestions onto list paper (using the mind
map and each other for help)
“Think about the art materials we have or other materials you could use”
 Teacher walks around and offers assistance to children with writing, can refer to
mind map for descriptions and colours of water - wet, shiny, cold, bubbly, clear,
blue, brown, aqua.

Main Body of the Experience: Include teaching strategies, focus questions and content
specific language, grouping and transitions.
2nd Session:
Preferred time: Possibly before a break or end of day to allow students using paints –
artworks time to dry on desks?
TBC by mentor.

Children in table groups work on individual artworks.

“Does everyone remember our last lesson when we were talking about swimming spots, I
created an artwork of my favourite place to swim for you to see and collected some other
examples”
 Teacher refer children to their lists prior lesson, and they talk about different types
of artworks around room.
“We are now going to put our artist hats on, and I want you guys to think about your lists
and decide the materials you would like to use to create your artwork of your swimming
spot”.
 Class begin their artworks.
 Teacher walks around and reminds children to think about.
“How does water look?”
“How does water feel?”
“Are you going to be looking at the water? In the water? On the water?”
 Teacher offers help to any students with cutting or pasting as may be required, for
students struggling to begin or looking lost the educator can go over their lists with
them and direct them to the mind map or the other artworks.
“What are you trying to tell your audience?”
 Teacher can ask children about their choices as they are producing artworks and
offer constructive feedback about choices, layout or representation. Using language
referring to technique’s children are using - drawing, painting, composing,
designing, collage. Texture and colour, rough, smooth, shiny, vivid, bright, dull.

***As this process is going to be messy at least 10 minutes before session end, tables
according to progress – start clearing up.

Mentor teacher and prac teacher decide if another BODY session is required for children to
complete their artworks.
 As children complete artworks teacher works to annotate.
 Teacher can begin to complete checklist, Appendix A.
*** Important that closure session is not began until every student has completed
their artworks and teacher has had a chance to annotate for later assessment.
Closure: Consider how you will assist the children to review, reflect on and share their
learning.
3rd Session:
Preferred time: Next available session that can work into anywhere in the day, to give
artworks time to dry. TBC by mentor.
Whole Class.
 Teacher gathers children for group floor time.
“Now I know everyone has been working very hard on their artworks and I cannot wait to
see and hear about them”
 Teacher asks volunteers or selects children that are wanting to present their art to
the class.
“We are going to be in the role of audience and artist, the speaker is the artist and if you are
sitting you are the audience”
“Can you tell us about your swimming spot?”
 Children are invited to take turns to talk about their artworks and teacher
encourages children to ask questions
 Teacher guides the conversation
“What did you want the audience/class to know about your swimming spot?”
“How did this influence the materials you chose to use?”
 Teachers completes checklists of student’s contributions.

***Possible use of recorder with teacher making sure to name children by name when
engaging in conversations to track learning. Teacher can use post-it notes to track
children’s contributions for later assessment when completing checklist.
“Were there things that are similar in the artworks?”
 Educator can use words or phrases that bring attention to the artwork
“Look like”, “Feel like”, “Sound like”
“In the water” “Looking at the water”
“What message or story was it trying to tell?”
“With this in mind, why do you think people make art?”
 Teacher and children start another mind map for use for future lessons aimed at
developing children’s understandings further that audiences influence the way that
art is made and viewed – Appreciation VAS1.4.
Lesson Differentiation: Include grouping; considerations for learning diversity and
extension activities
***To be revised after first two days on prac after further observations of students is
undertaken and any additional needs are identified.
 Children in desk groups work independently to create their own lists – however can
support each other if necessary, with words or to develop ideas.
 Children that may be struggling with concept or to complete artwork can be re-
directed by the teacher to the mind map and example artworks and are encouraged
to talk to a peer that has started their own artwork. Teacher can support and
encourage children that require help with cutting/gluing/fastening/fixing.
 For children that may not have experience swimming they can be encouraged to
think about movies, photographs or tv shows they have seen and contemplate
somewhere they would like to swim.
 Children that finish early are invited to write a sentence about their artwork, using
mind map for any unfamiliar words. Teacher can work with these children to
annotate regarding artwork and material choice.
 Children are invited to talk about their finished artworks to their peers.

Evaluation, Review and Reflect in terms of: space, time, people, learning experiences
and resources: To what extent were the outcomes/objectives achieved? How effective
were the teaching strategies? How effective were the resources? Next time I will/Next
time I will not:
 Questions to ask
- Did the children produce artworks that depicted their experiences of swimming?
- Did they engage with and use a variety of material, Yes or No – Why?
- Could the children explain their artwork and justify their choice of materials.
- Was their evidence children related their choices to what they were trying to
convey.
- Were they able to make comparisons and connect the similarities of the artworks to
what they were trying to convey?
- Were they able to suggest different reasons art is made?
- Create an artwork that relates to their own swimming experience.
- Use a variety of materials to represent/reflect their swimming spot.
- What worked well? What didn’t?
- What could I do different next time?

 Other areas to connect to learning

English EN1- 8B – Texts that accompany artwork/illustrations/pictures – Explore how

different texts are created for particular purposes.
Science – What are the plants/animals that are live in your swimming spots?
History HT1-2 – Identifying a significant natural environment in the local community.
Drama DRAS1.1 – Children grouped according to preferences to do a small play about
their swimming spot.
Math MA1-18SP – Could do a tally and report what swimming spots were most/least
preferred?