Teaching notes
MOVE primary: Art in motion is a teaching and learning package containing five resources, each focused on the video artwork of a different Australian artist: Shaun Gladwell, Jess MacNeil, Joan Ross, Grant Stevens and Daniel von Sturmer.
Each resource contains:
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a video artwork for study
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a video introduction by the artist
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an artist statement
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appreciating and artmaking activities.
Each artist resource focuses on a particular education stage, but can be adapted to meet the needs of students at other stages. Some students might be able to work through the resource independently but generally students will require significant teacher input. Resource components could be projected onto a whiteboard for study as a whole class or by groups, or they can be used independently on personal computers. Videos can be viewed in full screen mode.
While the resources address students, teachers will be active participants, leading students through the activities including reading and discussing instructions. For early stages of learning, the resource might serve as a teaching guide, with each activity becoming a lesson plan interpreted appropriately for the age group. The video might be the only element that young students access directly.
Each artist resource will require a number of lessons to complete and could be the focus for visual arts learning over a term. Completion time for each artist resource will vary according to student experience and interest.
MOVE video art in schools, a video art resource with a secondary focus, includes video works by Shaun Gladwell, Jess MacNeil, Daniel von Sturmer and Grant Stevens. This resource provides students with information about the artists and a wider experience of video artwork. It also contains material useful for primary teachers including articles about video as an art form and critical reviews of the artists.
| Artist | Stage | Visual art form | Curriculum links |
|---|---|---|---|
Shaun Gladwell |
Stage 3 |
Performance art Video art (4D) |
English: Learning to write (review) Talking and listening (discussing and exploring ideas, listening to others) Learning to read (written and visual text) |
Jess MacNeil |
Stages 2 and 3 |
Drawing (2D) Animation (4D) Photography (2D) |
English: Talking and listening (discussing and exploring ideas, listening to others) Learning to read (written and visual text) |
Joan Ross |
Stages 1 and 2 |
Digital art (4D) Photography (2D) |
English: Talking and listening (discussing ideas, listening to others, exploring ideas, collaborating) Learning to read (written and visual text) Creative Arts: Music (creating a soundscape) Drama (improvising around emotions) |
Grant Stevens |
Stages 2 and 3 |
Digital art (4D) Digital art (2D): Word cloud Shape poem |
English: Talking and listening (discussing and listening to others, exploring ideas, collaborating) Learning to read (written and visual text) Learning to write (Acrostic poems) Creative arts: Music (creating an ostinato) |
Daniel von Sturmer |
Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 |
Fibre art (2D) Class mural (2D or 3D) Performance art Digital art (4D) |
English: Talking and listening (describing, responding, listening and taking turns in conversations, sharing ideas, following instructions) Mathematics: Two dimensional shapes (exploring and manipulating 2D shapes, naming 2D shapes) Creative arts: Music (moving, listening and responding to music) |
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Watch the video artwork.
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Watch the artist-talks video and ask students to read, or listen to the teacher read, the Artist’s statement (click on the image of the artist in the top left corner to access these in Artist’s introduction).
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Discuss the Artist’s introduction in terms appropriate to the student group.
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Complete the activities below the video player on the front page of each artist resource before beginning the numbered sequence of activities listed to the right.
When working in the activities:
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click on linked text with a plus icon to reveal additional instructions and information
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click on highlighted words to access the glossary which explains terms.
Teachers will need to access YouTube videos for students where necessary and set up blogs and determine who will have access.
The Jess MacNeil resource focuses on MacNeil's The Swimmers video artwork. It addresses Stages 2 and 3 NSW Board of Studies Visual Arts outcomes. The following information will assist you to use this resource in your classroom.
This resource focuses on the following Stages 2 and 3 NSW Board of Studies Visual Arts outcomes:
| Stage 2 outcomes | Indicators | |
|---|---|---|
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Artmaking |
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VA2.1 |
Represents the qualities of experiences and things that are interesting or beautiful by choosing among aspects of subject matter. |
Students:
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VAS2.2 |
Uses the forms to suggest the qualities of subject matter. |
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VAS2.3 |
Acknowledges that artists make artworks for different reasons and that various interpretations are possible. |
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VAS2.4 |
Identifies connections between subject matter in artworks and what they refer to, and appreciates the use of particular techniques. |
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| Stage 3 outcomes | Indicators | |
|---|---|---|
|
Artmaking |
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VA3.1 |
Investigates subject matter in an attempt to represent likenesses of things in the world. |
Students:
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VAS3.2 |
Makes artworks for different audiences, assembling materials in a variety of ways. |
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Appreciating |
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VAS3.3 |
Acknowledges that audiences respond in different ways to artworks and that there are different opinions about artworks. |
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VAS3.4 |
Communicates about the ways in which subject matter is represented in artworks. |
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| Activity | Teaching and learning focus | Ideas for implementation |
|---|---|---|
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Taking away |
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The activity could be completed by a whole class or by small groups who answer the included questions. |
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Noticing other things |
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The activity could be completed as a discussion with the whole class or small groups using the points and questions. |
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Activity 1 Rub out and reveal |
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Students follow written instructions or instructions read by the teacher to produce their works. Before students begin they might take turns to pose in a position for the activities suggested. Students could make quick pencil drawings. Direct their attention to what they can and can't see from their viewing position and other details such as the angles, lines and shapes that they see. These drawings can be used as a guide for their 'rub out and reveal' artwork. |
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Activity 2 Animate to invisibility |
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The drawing can be digitised by photographing the work or by scanning. For scanning, the paper size should be no larger than A4. Show students the sample artwork included and discuss where the drawing begins to disappear and what disappears last. Encourage students to erase only very small sections of their work at a time. They should plan what they want to rub out first and what will be left till last. |
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Activity 3 Blur the lines |
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Students experiment with the speed of movement of the subject as a photo is taken. Students can use a digital snap shot or SLR camera or a camera in a mobile phone or other device. Encourage students to think carefully about the setting and to experiment with the speed of the movement. When students have taken a number of photos they evaluate their results and choose the photo they think best reflects their intention. Students can discuss the reasons for their choice. |
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Activity 4 Leave a clue |
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Encourage students to try new things while at the same time considering their intention as an artist: what they are trying to communicate to the viewer and how they will achieve this. Discuss with students how clues they include might influence the reading of the work. |
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Activity 5 Exhibit your work |
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The student exhibition could be on a small or large scale. Students might invite viewers to the exhibition or exhibit on the school website or a class blog. The teacher will need to set up a class blog and decide who will have access. Students could discuss the tasks to be completed to organise an exhibition. Tasks could be allocated to individual students and/or groups of students. |
About Jess MacNeil
Technology tutorials and support
The Learning tools selector is a web application that supports teachers to make informed decisions about the technologies they use with their students.
Links
- http://jessmacneil.com/
- https://app.education.nsw.gov.au/learning-tools-selector/