Visual Arts

In this unit, students will learn how accurate observation is essential for creating meaningful drawings through techniques like contour line drawing. They will take charge of their creative processes while exploring contour lines, shading, and negative space. The unit will culminate in a detailed contour drawing of people in motion and a final drawing exhibition.

Unit 1A: Drawing Years 5 and 6 is a Visual Arts unit for Years 5 and 6 students. 

It aligns with the Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

• Explore ideas and practices used by artists, including practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent different views, beliefs and opinions (ACAVAM114).  
• Develop and apply techniques and processes when making their artworks (ACAVAM115). 
• Plan the display of artworks to enhance their meaning for an audience (ACAVAM116).  
• Explain how visual arts conventions communicate meaning by comparing artworks from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks (ACAVAR117).

In Weeks 1–8, students learn:  

• to identify and apply their understanding of contour lines and edges 
• to identify and draw spaces and forms using both positive and negative space 
• how artists communicate their ideas using specific practices in the development of their artworks 
• how to compare and respond to different artworks from a range of cultural contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 
• to document and refine their creative process in their Process Journals

• Develop an understanding of how edges and spaces make up a drawing (Week 1–8). 
• Apply drawing skills to produce a contour line drawing. (Weeks 9). 
• Identify and compare the practices, ideas and meaning behind artworks from different cultural contexts (Weeks 1–8). 
• Demonstrate an understanding of artworks studied in the creation of a response artwork (Weeks 1–8). 
• Identify, evaluate, and compare the creative process and decision-making behind developing their artworks (Weeks 1–8).

Continuous assessments 

Continuous assessments are used to ascertain whether the knowledge recently taught has been understood by the student. These include oral tasks administered to individual students or written tasks administered to the whole class for an entire lesson. Written tasks are completed in the Student Workbook.

Final assessment 

The final assessment occurs at the end of the unit in Week 10 and consists of a Final Self Portrait, a revised Process Journal with annotated drawing exercises and art analysis tasks, and a final reflection task and art display.

In this unit, students will build on their knowledge and understanding from Unit 1A. They will practice accurate observation skills and begin an introduction to tonal drawing. They will learn how to create shadows and highlights in tonal drawings and develop proportion and relationships between forms. The unit will culminate in a tonal self-portrait, and a final drawing exhibition.

Unit 1B: Drawing Years 5 and 6 is a Visual Arts unit for Years 5 and 6 students. It aligns with the Australian Curriculum content descriptions:  

• Explore ideas and practices used by artists, including practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent different views, beliefs and opinions (ACAVAM114).  

• Develop and apply techniques and processes when making their artworks (ACAVAM115). 

• Plan the display of artworks to enhance their meaning for an audience (ACAVAM116).  

• Explain how visual arts conventions communicate meaning by comparing artworks from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks (ACAVAR117). 

In Weeks 1–8, students learn:  

• to identify and apply their understanding of space and value 

• to identify and draw spaces and forms using both positive and negative space 

• how artists communicate their ideas using specific practices in the development of their artworks 

• how to compare and respond to different artworks from a range of cultural contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 

• to document and refine their creative process in their Process Journals. 

• Develop an understanding of how to draw relationships between forms (Week 1–4). 

• Apply drawing skills to produce a tonal drawing. (Weeks 9). 

• Identify and compare the practices, ideas and meaning behind artworks from different cultural contexts (Weeks 1–8). 

• Demonstrate an understanding of artworks studied in the creation of a response artwork (Weeks 1–8). 

• Identify, evaluate, and compare the creative process and decision-making behind developing their artworks (Weeks 1–8). 

Continuous assessments 

Continuous assessments are used to ascertain whether the knowledge recently taught has been understood by the student. These include oral tasks administered to individual students or written tasks administered to the whole class for an entire lesson. Written tasks are completed in the Student Workbook.  

Final assessment 

The final assessment occurs at the end of the unit in Week 9 and consists of a Final Self Portrait, a revised Process Journal with annotated drawing exercises and art analysis tasks, and a final reflection task and art display.