Visual Arts (Version 8.4)

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Rationale

This rationale complements and extends the rationale for The Arts learning area.
Visual arts includes the fields of art, craft and design. Learning in and through these fields, students create visual representations that communicate, challenge and express their own and others’ ideas as artist and audience.

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Aims

In addition to the overarching aims of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts, visual arts knowledge, understanding and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students develop:

conceptual and perceptual ideas and representations through design and inquiry processes

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Structure

Learning in Visual Arts
Learning in Visual Arts involves students making and responding to artworks, drawing on the world as a source of ideas. Students engage with the knowledge of visual arts, develop skills, techniques and processes, and use materials as they explore a range of forms, styles and contexts.

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Example of knowledge and skills

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Years 3 and 4

Years 3 and 4 Band Description

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Visual Arts, students:

  • extend their awareness of visual conventions, and observe closely visual detail as they use materials, techniques and technologies and processes in visual arts forms
  • explore and experiment with visual conventions such as line, shape, colour and texture to develop an individual approach to a theme or subject matter
  • explore, observe and identify ideas and symbols used and adapted by artists in their artworks as they make and respond to visual arts
  • consider how and why artists, craftspeople and designers realise their ideas through different visual representations, practices, processes and viewpoints.

Years 3 and 4 Content Descriptions

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 - Scootle )
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Organise and process information
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas

Reflecting on thinking and processes
  • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Consider alternatives
  • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
  • Apply logic and reasoning

Intercultural Understanding

Recognising culture and developing respect
  • Investigate culture and cultural identity

Interacting and empathising with others
  • Consider and develop multiple perspectives

  • researching artworks of different styles and artists from different times and cultures to inspire their own representations in forms such as printmaking and drawing, and styles such as realistic or expressive
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – What is this painting telling us about the past? How does the artwork use visual conventions to convey meaning? How did the artist work within a space, and at this time? How and why did they innovate their practice?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • exploring ways to represent their ideas using visual conventions from different historical, social or cultural contexts
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • experimenting with visual conventions to create particular visual effects in representations
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Consider alternatives

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

  • identifying and explaining choices in art making, including forms, styles and visual conventions in their artworks, and influences of other artists on their artworks
    Literacy

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Use language to interact with others
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Consider alternatives

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Think about thinking (metacognition)

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

Use materials, techniques and processes to explore visual conventions when making artworks (ACAVAM111 - Scootle )
Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas
  • Organise and process information

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Consider alternatives
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
  • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas

  • selecting and experimenting with forms, styles, materials and technologies to explore symbolic use of visual conventions used by various cultures and times, for example, how colour and pattern are perceived as symbolic in different cultures
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Select and use hardware and software

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Investigate culture and cultural identity
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity

  • Considering viewpoints – societies and cultures: For example – What clues in the artwork tell you where it was made, who made it, and why? What artworks are you familiar with? Which style of artworks represents your community?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • experimenting with alternative styles of representation from different cultures and times in their artworks, for example, realistic, symbolic, narrative, abstract
    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Investigate culture and cultural identity
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

  • Considering viewpoints – materials and technologies: For example – What is the artwork made of? How does the choice of material enhance the audience’s understanding of the artist’s intention? Can you develop your ideas using different materials?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • practising a variety of techniques and use various technologies to find different ways of interpreting a theme and/or subject matter, for example, making a simple animation or storybook
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Select and use hardware and software

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

    Self-awareness
    • Understand themselves as learners
    • Develop reflective practice

  • manipulating and experimenting with combinations of various materials and technologies to create predictable effects, for example, using crosshatching to create tone or design elements to focus attention in a composition
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Select and use hardware and software

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

  • applying art and design techniques effectively and safely, such as modelling and joining clay, marbling on paper, designing and printing a pattern
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

Present artworks and describe how they have used visual conventions to represent their ideas (ACAVAM112 - Scootle )
Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Use language to interact with others
  • Compose texts
  • Deliver presentations

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Text knowledge
  • Use knowledge of text structures

Visual Knowledge
  • Understand how visual elements create meaning

Critical and Creative Thinking

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas
  • Organise and process information

Reflecting on thinking and processes
  • Reflect on processes
  • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

Personal and Social Capability

Self-management
  • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

Self-awareness
  • Recognise personal qualities and achievements

  • making decisions about how their artwork could be displayed, for example, mounted and framed, in public spaces, on the internet, and in the media
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

  • Considering viewpoints – materials and technologies: For example – What is the artwork made of? How does the choice of material enhance the audience’s understanding of the artist’s intention? Can you develop your ideas using different materials?
  • exploring different ways of presenting artworks in different locations, for example, in folios, digitally, in a public space in the school
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Select and use hardware and software

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • comparing the visual conventions in artworks made for specific purposes, for example, how the artist represents an idea to show the audience a particular viewpoint
    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

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 - Scootle )
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Literacy

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
  • Comprehend texts

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Compose texts

Visual Knowledge
  • Understand how visual elements create meaning

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas
  • Organise and process information

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
  • Consider alternatives

Reflecting on thinking and processes
  • Reflect on processes
  • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

Intercultural Understanding

Interacting and empathising with others
  • Consider and develop multiple perspectives
  • Communicate across cultures

Recognising culture and developing respect
  • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
  • Develop respect for cultural diversity

Personal and Social Capability

Social awareness
  • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • identifying meaning and describing subject matter and form in artworks from different social, cultural or historical contexts
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

  • Considering viewpoints – societies, cultures and histories: For example – What clues in the artwork tell us where it was made, who made it, and why? What artworks are you familiar with? Which style of artwork represents your community? What are the people in the painting doing? Can you draw what you did on Australia Day?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • comparing artworks made for different reasons, using appropriate visual conventions, and identifying possible differences in interpretations, for example, comparing contemporary representations of locations in their community with representations by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
    Ethical Understanding

    Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
    • Consider points of view

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Communicate across cultures
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • examining public art in their community and comparing it to other artwork commemorating different people, times and cultures
    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
    • Investigate culture and cultural identity
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • writing about and discussing with others the meaning of their own artworks
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively
    • Communicate effectively

    Social awareness
    • Contribute to civil society

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
    • Use language to interact with others

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • Considering viewpoints – evaluations: For example – Did you enjoy looking at the artwork? Why? Which artwork do you like the most? Explain why you like it. What artworks do you like to make, and why? Compare these buildings and their relationship with the environment, e.g. the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

Years 3 and 4 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between artworks they make and those to which they respond. They discuss how they and others organise the elements and processes in artworks.

Students collaborate to plan and make artworks that communicate ideas.

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between artworks they make, present and view. They discuss how they and others use visual conventions in artworks.

Students collaborate to plan and make artworks that are inspired by artworks they experience. They use visual conventions, techniques and processes to communicate their ideas.


Years 3 and 4 Work Sample Portfolios