TASK two:
curriculum-aligned resource selection
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO, n.d) emphasizes that lessons and tasks should align with curriculum objectives and be responsive to student needs, as evidence-based practices positively impact student learning when planned coherently.
This selection of resources are designed for educators teaching Visual Arts Year 7-8 band with alignment to the Australian Curriculum’s content descriptors and elaborations. Standards 6 & 7 of Professional Standards for Teachers highlight the importance of applying professional learning to improve teaching practice and student outcomes (AITSL, 2018), therefore this task is to be utilised as a pedagogical tool to support further professional development for other teachers in this Arts strand.
Overall, these resources offer an insightful professional learning experience for teachers to integrate the four Visual Arts strands, and meets the following AITSL standards:
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Know the content and how to teach it
(6.1) Engage in professional learning
(7.4) Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
“One of the decisions teachers make is whether to use various elements in the resources and how to use them because such decisions can influence lesson enactment significantly” (Kim, 2018)
RESOURCE 1: YAYOI KASUMA ONLINE
The online course, run by the National Gallery of Victoria, offers an in-depth exploration of Yayoi Kusama’s artistic journey that can be utilised as a resource for both teachers and students. As an internationally renowned contemporary artist- Kusama has a career spanning more than eight decades (NGV, 2023) thus providing a large breadth of artwork and influences that are ideal for a diverse range of students to study. Teachers will learn about the evolution of major themes in Kusama’s works to support students in analysing and interpreting meanings and messages to present an informed opinion to meet the content descriptor ACAVAR123: “analyse how artists use visual conventions in artworks” (ACARA, n.d). It is important to note that the subject matter of Kusama’s work can be controversial and inappropriate for Year 7-8 students in a school setting, therefore teachers must sensitively use examples of her work that considers this. ACARA’s (n.d.) Visual Arts 7-8 Achievement Standards highlight that by the end of Year 8, students should be able to “evaluate how they and others are influenced by artworks from different cultures, times, and places.”
Week 1 aligns with this objective by exploring the formative influences on Kusama’s childhood - nature, societal expectations, and personal hardships - while tracing her artistic journey, relocation to America, and the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY:
Students engage in a theoretical ‘pair and share’ activity in class- using a Venn diagram to examine similarities and differences between two chosen cultures and reflecting on how their own personal experiences and belief systems shape these perceptions and practice. This also introduces students to the skill of comparing and contrasting works to develop building blocks towards meeting key criteria in VCE Art Creative Practice units if continuing in the future.
Week 2 builds on her impact in the New York art scene with Infinity Net paintings, Accumulation sculptures, and immersive installations.
Week 3 furthermore explores Kusama’s transition into performance art, fashion, and activism, analysing her countercultural ‘happenings’ and their artistic and social significance.
Kasuma’s ‘Narcisuss Garden’ (1966) installation featured 500 shiny balls to reflect on America’s militaristic past. Image sourced from Dazed Digital (2018).
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY:
Students design, develop and present a short immersive art installation or art performance inspired by Kusama’s work highlighted in this online course. Teachers can employ an inclusive pedagogical approach by encouraging collaborative work. Teachers may divide students up into small groups and provide them with a creative brief inspired by the main themes of Kasuma’s work to respond to. This aligns with the content descriptor ACAVAM122: “present artwork demonstrating consideration of how the artwork is displayed to enhance the artist’s intention to an audience” (ACARA, n.d) Furthermore, the elaboration of this emphasises that through continuous critical evaluation, students reflect, modify, and improve their artwork, shaping their intentions and perspectives in both creation and display processes (ACARA, n.d)
Weeks 4 and 5 explore Kusama’s artistic evolution following her return to Japan in 1973, examining how personal and professional challenges shaped her distinct visual style. They also highlight her global success from the 1990s onward, emphasizing her influence on contemporary art, popular culture, and enduring themes of resilience and self-expression (NGV, 2023). These sessions can help students build a strong foundation in visual literacy by incorporating ACARA’s (n.d.) elaboration that students confidently “critically analyse an artist’s intention for an artwork.” Additionally, the sessions align with the Year 7-8 band description and achievement standards, ensuring that students “acknowledge that artists and audiences hold different views about selected artworks, given contexts of time and place, and established ideologies” (ACARA, n.d.).
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY:
Students create their own self-portrait collage as a visual narrative of their challenges and influences. For example, students can draw from the stylistic features of Kusama’s series of anit-war collages in which she used images from news magazines overlaid with pastel and watercolour to convey her political agenda (Tate, 2025).
Student artwork examples sourced from Sagastegui, 2020
RESOURCE 2: "stories without words"
“Stories without words” is a student visual arts resource developed by @The Arts Unit that explores how emotive illustrations can communicate a story and prompts students to analyse how and why an artwork is created (NSW Department of Education, 2020). It aligns with the Visual Arts 7-8 syllabus by guiding students to experiment with various artmaking conventions, explore the connections between artist, artwork, world, and audience, and develop meaning in their own creations (ACARA, n.d). The scaffolded website supports independent learning while engaging with the ICT General Capability. It accommodates different learning styles by providing instructional videos and transcripts to support audio-visual learners.
Pekrun (2014) stressed the importance of teachers recognising students’ emotions, given the strong effects they have on learning. “Stories without words” is inspired by analysing the artwork of Australian story-teller, artist and academy award winner, Shaun Tan. Students are then asked to create their own character and tell a story using illustration. This aligns with ACARA’s (n.d.) Personal and Social General Capability, enabling teachers to help students understand and regulate their emotions through this activity. Drawing on theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy, which highlight the impact of social and emotional needs on learning, educators are encouraged to develop these skills alongside cross-curricular academic skills to support the whole child (Elias, 2003, 2006).
This resource is beneficial as it introduces students to the Conceptual Framework that examines the interconnected relationship between the artist, the world, the audience, and the artwork. It helps students examine artistic practice in a holistic context, allowing them to explore, investigate, and articulate their understanding of different perspectives (NSW Department of Education, 2024).
Lastly, the resource also suggests how digital tools can be used for assessment by allowing students to submit responses, complete activities, and upload files (NSW Department of Education 2024). For example, Google Forms and Google Classroom can generate quizzes to consolidate knowledge, track progress and assignment submissions. Flipgrid facilitates video-based discussions, while Jamboard serves as an interactive whiteboard for class feedback and collaboration.
SUGGESTED LEARNING PROMPTS:
The resource aligns well with the two content descriptors below. I have provided some potential learning prompts for teachers to ask and engage students to support them in meeting these criteria.
(ACAVAM119)- Develop ways to enhance their intentions as artists through exploration of how artists use materials, techniques, technologies and processes
Some key questions to prompt discussion based on ACAVAM119 elaborations:
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How do different artists approach the same theme or subject in unique ways?
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How do an artist’s cultural and historical contexts influence their artistic choices?
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What are some universal symbols in contemporary youth culture?
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How do cultural differences impact the interpretation of symbols in art?
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How can composition, materials, and techniques enhance your intended meaning?
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What explicit and implicit meanings can be found in your own artwork?
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How might different audiences interpret your artwork based on their perspectives?
(ACAVAM120)-Develop planning skills for artmaking by exploring techniques and processes used by different artists
Some key questions to prompt discussion based on ACAVAM120 elaborations:
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How can you use different technologies to visually and spatially represent your perspective of the world? What examples can you find from other artists to support this?
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Why is planning and annotation important for the creative process?
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How do time, place, culture, and ideology shape the meaning of artworks?
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What role does art play in reflecting or challenging societal values and beliefs?
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How do material choices and construction methods impact the sustainability of your work?
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What safety considerations should be considered when designing and fabricating an artwork?
RESOURCE 3: australian collection
The aim of Visual Arts band for Years 7-8 levels is to enhance students’ awareness of how artists, craftspeople, and designers convey ideas through diverse visual approaches, techniques, and perspectives (ACARA,n.d). They further develop their perceptual and conceptual skills, apply visual language and conventions, and consider the sustainability of materials, methods, and technologies to create innovative artworks.
The Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art’s online resource is a database that features a selection of Australian artworks from QAGOMA. The searchable database provides artwork images, background information about the artist and the artwork, classroom activities, a glossary of key terms and curriculum alignment information for teachers (QAGOMA, 2025).
Search results can be refined by theme, period, art form and genre, with specific resources for Year 7-8 levels HERE
SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN RESOURCE:
This resource (click PDF button or download from aforementioned site) was prepared as part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures: Focus on the Australian Collection’ Teacher Professional Development program (QAGOMA, 2018). The learning experience is derived from the concept that traditional indigenous practices, land management, and bush survival knowledge are passed down through cultural stories that makes it ideal for meeting the content descriptor ACAVAM118: “Experiment with visual arts conventions and techniques, including exploration of techniques used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent a theme, concept or idea in their artwork” (ACARA, n.d). It suggests that students explore preliminary and secondary colour themes and theory, whilst demonstrating ACAVAM118’s elaboration to consider the psychology behind the choice of materiality or technique (eg. “why and how does the artwork convey emotions through its use of colour?”)
PDF TEACHING GUIDE
ARTISTS DATABASE
The online database features an artwork by Yvonne Koolmatrie- Burial basket (2018)-https://learning.qagoma.qld.gov.au/artworks/burial-basket/ that is a great example of a technique that students can explore that originate from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Koolmatrie uses a coil bundle technique using rushes from the River Murray and Coorong (QAGOMA, 2025) which teachers can draw from to engage students with by asking them to experiment with natural, found materials to weave into a functional and visual object. This task develops critical and creative thinking and intercultural understanding; two of the Arts General Capabilities (ACARA, n.d).
The artworks within this database can be used to meet the aims of content descriptor ACAVAR124: “Identify and connect specific features and purposes of visual artworks from contemporary and past times to explore viewpoints and enrich their artmaking, starting with Australian artworks including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples” (ACARA, n.d).
Need more of an idea of where your students are at?
ACARA provides work samples https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/work-samples/ to assist teachers in considering the student’s progress and outcomes against the Achievement Standards criteria for 7-8 levels.
Satisfactory example:
Above satisfactory example:
Below satisfactory example: