Kaiela Dhungala First Peoples Curriculum – Unit Plan

Relevant Victorian Curriculum Content Descriptors
Foundation - Visual Arts
●Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination to create visual artworks (VCAVAE017)
●Experiment with different materials and techniques to make artworks (VCAVAV018)
●Create and display artworks (VCAVAP019)
●Respond to visual artworks and consider where and why people make visual artworks (VCAVAR020)
Years 1-2 - Visual Arts
●Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination and express them through subject matter in visual artworks they create (VCAVAE021)
●Experiment with different materials, techniques and processes to make artworks in a range of art forms(VCAVAV022)
●Create and display artworks to express ideas to an audience (VCAVAP023)
●Respond to visual artworks by describing subject matter and ideas (VCAVAR024)
Intercultural Capability
●Describe their experiences of intercultural encounters in which they have been involved (VCICCB002)
●Imagine and explain what their responses might be if they were placed in a different cultural situation or setting (VCICCD004)
Key Questions / Key Objectives (knowledge and skills) / Suggested Assessment
●Our natural environment, how, when and where do we feel connected?
●How do our local Indigenous people connect to the land?
●Through what medium do our local Indigenous people represent their strong connection to land? – Music / Art / Performance / ●Respond to what they are seeing, hearing and feeling through creating artwork using a range of mediums.
●Reflecting on their and others connection to land, through art.
●Knowledge of local Indigenous artists who use nature and connection to land in their artwork, e.g., Ronald Atkinson,
Eva Ponting – Ceramic Artist, Rebecca Atkinson – Photographer. / ●Anecdotal Notes through conversation with children about their understanding of local land.
●Artwork Series created by children
based on Victorian Curriculum and aesthetic quality.

Lessons

# / Focus / Objectives / Resources / Activities
1 / Introduction to the term ‘Connection to land’ and the word ‘Indigenous’. Talk about what our local bushland looks like. / ●To gauge what the children know about the land we live on.
●What trees and landscape they draw and associate with our area. / ●Students to draw what the Shepparton bushland looks like through their eyes using grey lead pencil and two colours.
2 / Physically feel ‘connection to land’ and discuss how we feel in our hearts about being connected to land. / ●For the students to experience local bushland, and to reflect/analyse this experience
●For the students to have a ‘sense’ of how the environment filters through all areas of Indigenous culture. / There are a range of local pieces of bushland (e.g. along the Goulburn River, The Flats, Lincoln Drive).
If possible, it would be good for an Indigenous community member to accompany you on the walk. Your KESO may like to do this, or may know of other community members who would like to. / ●Nature Walk to local bushland and touch, smell and be immersed in the bush.
●Students to draw small items they see in the bush, e.g., gum leaf, gum nuts.
●Students to lie under a large gum tree and see the span of its branches, touch and talk about the smoothness and roughness of different trees.
3 / Study the artwork of local artists (e.g. Rebecca Atkinson and Eva Ponting) and how they show their connection to land through art. / ●To learn about our local artist’s skills and practices.
●To learn how to layer watercolour paint to create texture in bark and leaves. / To access local artwork, schools are encouraged to get in touch with Kaiela Arts and/or SAM.
Contact details for Kaiela Arts -
137-139 High St, Shepparton VIC 3630
(03) 5821 9842

Note: in addition to connecting with Kaiela Arts for the purpose of this unit, they are an excellent resource for incursions/excursions for Visual Arts classes generally. / ●Students to sketch one of the Gum Trees they saw on our walk using previous drawings.
●Student will paint their picture using water colour paints.
4 / Local artists (cont.) / ●Teach tone when using watercolour for background. / ●Students to finish off their ‘Watercolour – Connection to Land’ picture.