Session 2 Indigenous Perspective

AusVELS
Curriculum foci: Students will explore a new area of art of which is
Indigenous Perspective. They will explore a range of Indigenous Artworks
and compare them to art of which they are already familiar with. They will
the paint their own responses following the telling of a Dream Time Story
by an Aboriginal Elder. It is important to note that Dreamtime stories are
unable to be painted or reinterpreted without permission.
Standard: Exploring and Responding
Dimension: The Arts
ACARA
Strand: Visual Arts Years 5 & 6
Band Description:
-

Involves students making and responding to visual arts independently,

and with their classmates, teachers and communities.
Students test and innovate with properties and qualities of available
materials, techniques, technologies and processes.
As they make and respond to visual artworks as artists and audiences,
students explore a diversity of ideas, concepts and viewpoints.
They draw ideas from other artists, artworks, symbol systems, and visual
arts practices in other cultures, societies and times.
Content Description:
6.1 Experiment with ideas and practices, including practices of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent different viewpoints.
Content Elaboration:
6.1.1 Selecting and manipulating combinations of materials and
techniques.
6.1.4 Making aesthetic choices about representation and being able to
explain their choices describing the visual conventions and processes.
Achievement Standard:
By the end of year 6, students explain how ideas are represented in
artworks they make and view. They describe the influences of artworks
and practise from different cultures, times and places in their art making.
Students manipulate representational elements and visual arts practices
to express a personal view in their artworks. They demonstrate and
document different perceptual and practical skills in the design,
construction and display of artworks.

Key Equipment / resources:

-

Indigenous Artworks both traditional and contemporary

Canvas to paint on with paints
Focus questions:

1. What do you notice about Indigenous Art?

2. What is different about this art compared to art you are familiar with?
3. How does this relate to The Wonderment of the World?
Cross curricular:
Exploring history and meaning behind Indigenous Art work which can
relate to the first settlement usually leant through Inquiry or Australian
History subjects.
Key arts-related vocabulary to be developed:
Storytelling, texture, colours, visual representation, contours, symbols.
Underpinning theory:
8 Ways of Aboriginal Learning
Visual Thinking Strategies
Visual arts focus:
Students will compare Indigenous Artwork with artwork they are familiar
with such as contemporary western pieces and recognise Indigenous
Artwork was used to educate and tell stories while also hiding information
and from white people during their settlement.
Tuning in:
Students will be shown three different Indigenous Artworks and will be
asked to brainstorm what they see and discuss how the art makes them
feel. Can they see a story? What is similar about the pieces? What is
different?
Demonstration:
Show Johnny Warangkulas painting Mala and the Bad Uncles at Tjikarri (I
and II) 1974 and explain story behind it. Elder will tell Dreamtime story of
The Origin of Water. Discuss 8 Ways of Aboriginal Learning.
Investigations:
Students will respond with their own painting of the Dreamtime story
reflecting techniques used by artists mentioned in introduction and using
8 ways of Aboriginal Learning.
Reflection and Making connections:

Students will share completed artwork with other students explaining the
ways of Aboriginal Thinking in which they used. This should include shapes
and symbols they used, colours they used, and the reasons behind these
choices.
Adaptations:
Students create their own painting telling a story of their past.
Assessment strategies:
Students will be assessed on their ability to make connections between
their artwork and what they have learnt about Indigenous Art, including
the 8 ways of Aboriginal Thinking.
Supporting material:
8 Ways of Aboriginal Learning: Students will observe, analyse and discuss
various pieces of Indigenous Artwork provided and are encouraged to
think critically as to what Aboriginal Thinking has occurred. In doing this,
an appreciation is gained for the quality and effort within Indigenous
Artwork. It also encourages a deeper and more meaningful connection to
the piece while broadening their understanding of artworks from various
cultures of which can be used in their own work.

We
We
We
We
We
We
We
We

connect through stories we share

picture our pathways of knowledge
see, think, act, make and share without words
keep and share knowledge with art
work with lessons from land and nature
put ideas together to make new ideas
work from wholes to parts, watching and then doing
bring new knowledge home from our mob.

Contemporary Aboriginal Artwork Roger

Saunders

3 Lizards Dreaming Joan Johnston

Mala and the Bad Uncles at Tjikarri (I and II) 197, Johnny
Warangkula
Visual Thinking Strategies:

What's going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

What more can we find?

http://www.didjshop.com/shop1/canvas_art.php?type=Medium Canvas Art

The Origin of Water

Once upon a time the land had no water, or so all the animals were led to believe, because the
only way to get a drink or quench their thirst was to chew "Gulbirra", kangaroo grass, or lick the
dew from the leaves.
One day the short nosed bandicoot Gudjilla saw Bangarra the blue tongued lizard drying himself
behind a rock, and when all the other animals heard this, they were very angry, and said to
Bangarra "You must have some water hidden away! Where have you hidden it?" Bangarra would
not tell because he wanted the water for himself.
The animals called a meeting and chose Gudjilla the bandicoot to follow Bangarra wherever he
went. But Bangarra was very clever and could see Gudjilla out of the corner of his eye and never
revealed where the water was hidden.
The animals called another meeting and chose Jiggirrjiggirr, the little willy wagtail because he
was smaller than Gudjilla and could move a lot faster in case he had to hide when Bangarra
looked around when he heard someone was following. But when Jiggirrjiggirr did hide, he could
not keep his black and white tail from flicking about. Bangarra still had the water hidden.
The animals did not know what to do. Bangarra was too smart. Then Gula, the rat, the smallest
of all the animals said he could follow Bangarra but all the other animals laughed at him, and
Midin, the ring tailed possum pushed his way in and told Gula that he was too small and should
not be heard.
Gula very hurt, went his own way and crept up very close behind Bangarra, the blue tongue
lizard. Now when Bangarra thought someone was following, and looked to the left, Gula the little
rat would jump to the right, and when Bangarra looked to the right, Gula would jump to the left,
and so it was that the little rat Gula followed the blue tongue lizard Bangarra to the spring that
was hidden under a big flat rock, and when Bangarra lifted the rock to let the spring flow, Gula