Edithvale Primary School's Year 5 & 6 Students amalgamated myriad experiences and understandings with research into Australia's cultural and historical timeline in creating this amazing Jigsaw display. 

Last year when I went to a zartart PD, I was very excited to work with the new giant jigsaw puzzle. I bought one last July and was pondering what to do with it and which grade to use it with. Finally at the beginning of this year, I was chatting with the grade 5/6 teachers working out what they were doing for their Inquiry topic for Term 1.

The topic was Australia which would include history, states, flora and fauna. There are 3 grade 5/6 classes at our school so I decided to divide the topic into 3 sections

1)      History of Australia

2)      Flora and fauna

3)      Iconic places in Australia.

Each grade will be given a topic. They brainstormed their topic and each student with consultation with me, chose their topic: History of Australia

Learning Focus from AusVels Level 5& 6:

Year 5 and 6 students at Edithvale  Primary School were very excited to work on this project,

In their arts works, students communicate ideas incorporating influences from their own and other cultures and times.

As students work towards the achievement of Level 6 standards in the Arts, they investigate a range of traditional and contemporary arts forms, styles, media, and materials.

They experiment with imaginative and innovative ways of generating ideas and manipulating arts elements, principles and/or conventions to explore the potential of ideas, gaining inspiration from a broad range of sources, including arts works from different cultures, styles and historical contexts

Students learn to evaluate their own and other people’s arts works showing some understanding of selected arts forms and their particular techniques and processes as well as an emerging understanding of the qualities of arts elements, principles and/or conventions. They independently and collaboratively explore and experiment with different ways of presenting arts works and consider appropriateness of presentation for intended audience.

Unit Learning Focus:

The aim is to create an impressive art piece using familiar materials and techniques in an innovative way. An appreciation of design process, of art language associated with art principles and of working collaboratively on a project are aims as is developing some deeper understandings of the history of Australia.

Unit Assessment Standards Levels  5/6

Creating and making

At Level 6, students independently and collaboratively experiment with and apply a range of skills, techniques and processes using a range of media, materials, equipment and technologies to plan, develop, refine, make and present arts works. They investigate a range of sources to generate ideas and manipulate arts elements, principles and/or conventions in a range of arts disciplines and forms as they explore the potential of ideas. In their arts works, they communicate ideas and understandings about themselves and others, incorporating influences from their own and other cultures and times. They evaluate the effectiveness of their arts works and make changes to realise intended aims. They consider purpose and suitability when they plan and prepare arts works for presentation to a variety of audiences.

-Students apply a range of skills, techniques and processes through the drawing, painting, tearing and creating of the jigsaw.

-Students manipulate arts elements and principles in combination to covey an idea.

-Students refine their art works during the creative process to realise intended aims

-Students experience creating and making guided by art  teacher who ensures all experience success.

Exploring and responding

At Level 6, students discuss traditional and contemporary arts works using appropriate arts language to describe the content, structure and expressive qualities of their own and other people’s works from a range of arts disciplines and forms. They interpret and compare key features of arts works made in a range of times, places and cultures. They identify and describe influences on their own works and discuss the purposes for which arts works are created in different historical and cultural contexts.

-Students use appropriate arts language to describe art works or techniques

-They compare art works that have been created during a range of times

Teaching & Learning Activities

Week 1:

Introduce the jigsaw puzzle and put it together as a grade. They were very curious as to what we were going to do.Once students saw the size and different shapes, they chose a piece and drew it in their visual diary.  We then brainstormed and wrote on the whiteboard, important historical and significant events in Australian history that could be used.

Creating and Making

They investigate a range of sources to generate ideas and manipulate arts elements, principles and/or conventions in a range of arts disciplines and forms as they explore the potential of ideas.

Responding

Students use appropriate arts language to describe art works or techniques

Week 2:

After making the long list of historical events, students decided what they are interested in doing, and in their visual diary, drew/wrote their ideas, what material they may need and how elements of their art work could be made into 3D. We then started with painting a background. (It says on the box to paint on the “grey” side of jigsaw pieces, but it makes no difference as long as everyone uses same side.)

Creating and Making

Students apply a range of skills, techniques and processes to create and present arts works that explore the potential of ideas.

Responding

Students use appropriate arts language to describe art works or techniques

Week 3:

Everyone worked on their piece as I went around discussing and helping out if needed.

Week 4:

We finished off bits and pieces and put it all together as a class. We moved pieces around so we saw which pieces matched better next to each other.

{We actually did 3 jigsaws –  Australian fauna and flora,Iconic places around Australia and History of Australia. We had a vote with the 90 Grade 5/6 and the History of Australia won the vote.

Cross Curricular Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures