I have always had a strong emphasis on Visual Art in my classroom, using the lessons to allow the students
to express themselves whilst learning new techniques.

I find that Visual Art allows all students to succeed. Art is also an important part of my teaching because
I believe that it creates a bright and engaging learning environment for the students.

While I had always taught Visual Art and integrated it into Inquiry Based Learning Units I haven’t
applied it as well into other areas. At the ‘Presentation of Work’ workshop I saw how Art
can be applied in areas such as Literacy and Numeracy. 

My Year 5/6 class had worked hard in Term 1 writing narratives and I was trying to find a way to display
their finished product so the class could enjoy them.  I decided that the mini book idea I learnt
at the workshop would be a perfect way to display their writing.

The students selected the paper for the cover, gluing it on thick cardboard to create the covers. They
folded A3 black paper to create the inner pages.

Once they had finished publishing their narratives in Word I transferred it into another document to create
the individual pages. The students illustrated their narratives and together we jointly constructed
them.

I found that the students were more motivated to complete and write a narrative of a high standard as it
was being published into a ‘book’. The mini books are the most sought after item to read
during silent reading time. It gives the students great pleasure to see their writing being enjoyed by
others.

“I enjoyed the constructing the pieces of the book because it was fun.” Jake

“It was a good feeling when we finished the books because it made you feel like you had published
your own book.” Oscar

“I enjoyed seeing people read my book because it made me feel like I had done a good job.”
Hanna-Lee

“The mini book made me feel proud at the end of the enormous process because of the time and effort I
had put into it.” Michael

The mini books were such a success that I decided to use the same technique to present their information
report in our Inquiry Based Unit ‘Murder under the Microscope’. The students were given a
choice of creating a mini book; publish a brochure or a PowerPoint presentation. The majority of the
students chose to create a mini book as they had enjoyed the process earlier.

The students researched a victim from the Murder under the Microscope website and wrote an information
report. Once this had been finished they began work on their mini books. As the students had previously
made a book they worked on this task independently.

They had access to A4 pages with environmental designs for the covers and a variety of coloured A3 paper
for the inside pages.

Once they had made the covers and pages they got onto designing the layout of the pages. This was first
done on scrap paper. When they were happy with their design they began their finished product.

The students were encouraged to be creative and make their books bright, colourful and interactive. The
students used pop-out pictures, folded maps, strips of paper to show length, café menus and
envelopes to enhance their information.

We ended Term 2 with a successful ‘Book Fair’ between the other 5/6 classes in which the
students proudly shared their quality work and enjoyed their peers work.

“I found the mini books fun because of all the decorating and putting them together.” Bree

“I think that it was a unique way to present information.” Alex

“I enjoyed constructing the pop-out pictures and gluing the information on.” Grace

“I enjoyed it because it was really creative and it was fun.” John

Tricia Butters 
Year 5/6 Class Teacher
Aranda Primary School
ACT
Suitable
Level 3