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Zart Extra Term 1 2011

Arrays & Aboriginal Art in the Classroom

Sebastopol Primary School

Desert Art, Multiplication and Division Fact Families and the Wathaurung Culture

During Term 3, the Grade ¾ Sebastopol Primary School students were responding well to all the areas they were studying. They were especially fascinated by Aboriginal Art and I could see a really strong learning link between the dot paintings of the central desert artists and our exploration of rectangular arrays during numeracy and our study of the Wathaurung people as part of our “What is an Australian?” theme. It made sense to develop a project to create one piece of work that would demonstrate all of their learning. The students were presented with the learning intentions and the success criteria for each learning area. They were also given a checklist to keep them on track and to help them monitor their performance during the project.

Aboriginal Art Learning Intention: We will develop an understanding of Aboriginal Culture by looking at Aboriginal Art. Success Indicators: We will create artworks that will tell a story of the Wathaurung people.

Multiplication and Division Learning Intention: We will use arrays to represent multiplication. We will use fact families to solve division problems. Success Indicators: Artwork created will show rectangular arrays and written multiplication and division stories.

Reading Learning Intentions: We will read the resources that are available to learn about the Wathaurung people and to find multiplication and division stories. Success Indicators: The artwork created and the labels created will show factual information.

Story Writing Learning Intentions: We will write stories to explain our artwork to an audience. Success Indicators: The stories have facts about the Wathaurung people and multiplication and division problems.

Spelling Learning Intentions: We will develop a list of words for the grade to refer to when writing. Success Indicators: All writing will be correctly spelt.
History Learning Intention: To research the people of Ballarat before European Settlement. Success Indicators: The artwork created and the labels created will show factual information about the Wathaurung people and their culture.

We looked at and discussed the artwork from the Central Desert. We discussed the stories the artwork carried and the layers of stories the work holds. The depth of the stories is not for everyone to know. We explored and made rectangular arrays on the floor using round counters. We named the arrays and identified multiplication and division facts for each array.

A 7 by 3 array.
There are 7 rows of 3 or 3 columns of 7 3+3+3+3+3+3+3=21 7+7+7=21 7x3=21 3x7=21 21÷7=3 21÷ 3=7

Using paint, cover paper and Cotton Filters the students created rectangular arrays by printing. The students wrote multiplication and division stories about each array using the knowledge they had gained from the research the class had done about the Wathaurung people. For example, 3 sheep were brought to Lake Wendouree by the white settlers. Each sheep ate 7 Daisy Yam plants each. That meant there were 21 less Daisy Yams for the Wathaurung people to eat. The stories needed to be hidden so the students used the Zart Perspex Geometric Shapes and cover paper to cut and fold 3D shapes. The stories were edited and written inside the shapes and paper stripping was used to connect the stories to the arrays on the artwork during the display process. The students were responsible for the display of their work. The class all worked on the Project Title Banner when they had finished their projects, during the many wet day timetables we had during term 3.

Di Olsson
Grade 3—4 Teacher
Sebastopol Primary School

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Key words: Zart Extra, newsletter, article, teacher resource, School Projects, Primary