Assignment 2: Integrating the curriculum1: creative exchange Student names: Belinda OBrien, Mary-Ann Murnane, Timothy Phillips EDF3303:

Integrating the curriculum 1: creative exchange Assignment 2: Integrated Unit of Work Student names: Belinda OBrien, Mary-Ann Murnane, Timothy Phillips

The proposed integrated unit of study is titled, Australian Visual Art Through The Ages. The unit is aimed at Grade 6 AusVELS level 6 (ref). In summary the unit will utilise Australian visual art including painting and photography from particular historical eras, as a gateway to expanding student knowledge of socio-historical movements/eras and issues within the Australian context. With visual art as the initial focal point, and source of inspiration and interest, students will build upon previously acquired art history and art appreciation skills (in Year 5, Level 6) to deeply explore complex links between art and societal and political movements including issues of cultural exclusion in relation to Australian Indigenous communities, a key component of history and civics at Grade 6 Level 6. Rationale: deep appreciation and understanding of important art movements throughout history, experienced through the re-creation of an art-work, using dance, media, music and visual art/craft. This unit contains links to history through the study of the time-periods in which the paintings were created and literacy through the writing of a dramatic piece which tells the imagined backstory of the chosen painting. Using the arts in this integrated form as the central vehicle through which students access the create a doorway into the Learning Domains if English and History Evidence has shown: Learning in the Arts allows students to communicate their perceptions, observations and understanding of structures, functions and concepts drawn from other areas of the curriculum vcaa 2011. Contrary to Snyder (2011), who warns of the dangers of diluting specific artsforms, (in her case visuals arts) through integration, the visual art component of this unit remains at the core and the understanding and appreciation of paintings is enhanced by the addition of music, drama, media, literacy and history. The system of integration being applied here is that of syntegration (RussellBowie 2012), which provides opportunities for students with varying preferences and strengths in learning to access and engage with the subject material in the various ways of learning, allows Constructivist (Reys et al 2010) approach to learning the unit. While this unit concludes with a presentation/performance the outcome is far less important, in that we have created a process-orientated unit of work (Rusell-Bowie 2012).

Assignment 2: Integrating the curriculum1: creative exchange Student names: Belinda OBrien, Mary-Ann Murnane, Timothy Phillips

The diagram below is indicates the focal point of the integrated unit, Australian Visual Art Through The Ages, (centre circle) and linkages to discipline based, interdisciplinary based, and Physical Social and Personal Learning. The unit design has been based on the syntegration model as summarized by Russel-Bowie (2012). While The Arts forms the basis of the unit, the topic fosters multiple and meaningful linkages to a range of other key subject areas.

English

Communication Thinking processes

The Arts

Mathematics

Interpersonal Development

History

Visual Art Through The Ages

Civics & Citizenship