St Patricks Primary School, Stawell, were inspired by the Grampians to explore landscapes with a strong focus on the background, middleground and foreground.

Unit: Layered landscape
Year Levels: Grade 1,2,3
AusVELS level: 2 and 3
Duration of Unit: 5 weeks
Term: 2
Year: 2013
Lynette Cox Hayward
Visual Arts Teacher

Learning Focus from AusVels Level 2 & 3:

Level 2

As students work towards the achievement of Level 2 standards in the Arts, they learn about a range of ways arts elements can be used in the Performing and Visual Arts to communicate experiences, observations and things imagined. They begin to select, arrange and make choices about ways of using arts elements, principles and/or conventions from individual arts disciplines as they investigate the use of skills, techniques, processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies relevant to the arts disciplines in which they are working. They explore and, with guidance, maintain a record of ways of creating arts works that use a range of contemporary and traditional arts forms, media, materials, equipment and technologies; for example, they plan and explore ideas in a visual diary or keep an electronic journal with digital records of presentations. Using ideas and concepts taken from themes, scenarios, narratives and visual stimuli, they experiment with ways of expressing and communicating ideas and feelings to particular audiences or for particular purposes. Students could present arts works that combine arts disciplines such as a shadow puppet play featuring puppets and a soundtrack the students have designed and created or arts works from individual arts disciplines.

Students respond to arts works to gain experience in identifying personal preferences, reflecting on features that might influence their own arts works, and recognising similarities and differences between works from different cultures and times. In discussions about and responses to their own and other people’s arts works, they begin to use arts language to identify characteristics such as similarities and differences. They learn about places where arts works can be found and how arts works can be designed and made to fulfil particular individual and community needs.

Level 3

As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in the Arts, they apply and develop their arts knowledge by exploring arts processes and ways to communicate concepts arising from their personal experiences and from the world around them.

Students select, combine and experiment with ways of using a range of arts elements, principles and/or conventions, skills, techniques and processes, to explore arts ideas sourced from their imagination and from their own and other cultures. With guidance they record the development of ideas; for example, in a visual diary or a digital (audio or screen) journal with records of rehearsals and conversations about the ideas/work they are developing. Students consider the purpose and audience of their arts works as they experiment with various ways of presenting works in a range of arts forms, and begin to evaluate and refine their work in response to feedback

As they explore and respond to their own and others’ arts works, students develop skills, techniques and processes for expressing emotions and ideas, and signifying purpose. Using appropriate arts language they begin to identify and describe ways they and others use specific elements, principles and/or conventions, skills, techniques and processes and discuss how ideas, feelings and purpose are conveyed. They reflect on their own and other people’s arts works and ideas, identifying key features of works and performances from their own and other cultures, and discuss the function of the Arts in their community.

Unit Learning Focus:

Landscape with foreground, middle and background

Focus on the Grampians

Unit Assessment Standards Level 2 and 4:

Creating and making 

At Level 2, students create and present performing and visual arts works that show emerging arts knowledge and an ability to plan arts works that communicate ideas, concepts, observations feelings and/or experiences. They demonstrate an emerging ability to select, arrange and make choices about expressive ways of using arts elements, principles and/or conventions. They use skills, techniques, processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies in a range of arts forms. They identify, describe and discuss characteristics of their own and others’ arts works.

At Level 4, students create and present works in a range of arts forms that communicate experiences, ideas, concepts, observations and feelings. They select and combine a range of arts elements, principles and/or conventions, and use a range of skills, techniques and processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies. They show evidence of arts knowledge when planning arts works for different purposes and audiences and identify techniques and features of other people’s works that inform their own arts making. They refine their work in response to feedback and self-evaluation.

Exploring and responding 

At Level 4, students comment on the exploration, development and presentation of their arts works, including the use of specific arts elements, principles and/or conventions, skills, techniques and processes. They identify and describe key features of arts works from their own and other cultures, and use arts language to describe and discuss the communication of ideas, feelings and purpose in their own and other people’s arts works.