Creating Our Stories

Year Level

Foundation (Years P-1)

Duration

60 minutes

Unit Context

This is Lesson 4 of 4 in the unit "Exploring Family Stories in Art". In this culminating session, students produce their own media artworks by drawing on storyboards developed in previous lessons. They will collect and combine images, sounds, and text to create a simple narrative media artwork that reflects their family story. The lesson concludes with a sharing and reflection time, fostering pride and communication skills.

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Australian Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: The Arts — Media Arts

Year Level: Foundation (Prep-Year 1)

Content Descriptions

• AC9AMAFC01: Create arts works that communicate ideas.
• AC9AMAFE01: Explore how and why the arts are important for people and communities.
• AC9AMUFP01: Share their arts works with audiences.

General Capabilities and Cross-Curriculum Priorities

• Literacy: Using text and narrative to communicate meaning.
• ICT Capability: Using digital devices to create and combine media elements.
• Personal and Social Capability: Collaborating, sharing ideas, and responding to feedback.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: Planning and assembling media works to tell a story.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Use their storyboards as a guide to gather and arrange images, sounds, and text to create a media artwork that tells a family story.
• Demonstrate basic skills in using digital tools or media materials to compose artworks.
• Share their completed artwork with peers, articulating simple ideas about the story and media elements used.
• Reflect on how multimedia elements (images, sounds, text) help convey meaning in their stories.

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Materials and Resources

• Storyboards developed by students in previous lessons
• Tablets or computers with simple media creation apps (e.g., image collage makers, drawing apps, simple sound recorders) OR classroom art supplies for analogue collage (paper, magazines, glue, scissors, markers)
• Speakers/headphones for sound playback
• Whiteboard or chart paper for sharing and reflection prompts
• Camera (optional) to document artworks
• Headphones and microphones (optional) for simple sound recording

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Lesson Structure and Timing

1. Introduction and Review (10 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle or meeting area.
• Briefly revisit their storyboards and remind them that these are plans for their family story artworks.
• Discuss the idea that media artworks use pictures, sounds, and words together to tell stories—ask: "What pictures, sounds, and words will help tell your story best?"
• Encourage students to think about how these elements show what is important in their family story.

2. Creating Media Artworks (35 minutes)

• Distribute devices or art materials and ensure storyboards are accessible.
• Guide students to:
• Find or create images (photographs, drawings, magazine cutouts) that represent parts of their family story.
• Record or select sounds if possible (e.g., voices saying family member names, favourite sounds or music).
• Add text labels or simple sentences if appropriate to clarify the story elements.
• Circulate and support students with digital or physical media skills, encouraging creativity and problem-solving.
• Encourage students to follow their storyboard sequence to organise elements in a way that makes sense to them.

3. Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

• Arrange students in a circle or mini "gallery" space.
• Invite each student to present their media artwork to the group:
• Prompt with questions such as "Can you tell us about your story?" and "How did your pictures, sounds, or words help tell your story?"
• Encourage peers to respond with positive comments and questions.
• Facilitate a brief reflection on how combining different media elements helps tell stories in interesting ways.

4. Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Recap the learning: acknowledge the effort and creativity involved in making their stories come alive with images, sounds, and words.
• Connect back to the importance of sharing family stories through art and media.
• Briefly discuss with students what kind of art activities they might enjoy next.
• Arrange for artworks to be displayed in the classroom or digitally shared for others to see.

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Differentiation and Support

• Provide extra assistance by pairing students for peer support or offering step-by-step guidance with media tools.
• Allow analogue media options for students who might find digital tools challenging.
• Use simple, accessible language and one-on-one support for students with additional needs.
• Encourage students to use voice recordings instead of text if literacy is still developing.

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Assessment and Evidence of Learning

• Observation of students’ engagement and ability to use media elements to communicate ideas based on storyboards.
• Informal assessment through student presentations and shared reflections demonstrating understanding of narrative and media concepts.
• Teacher notes on individual student use of images, sounds, text, and storytelling sequence.
• Collection or documentation of final media artworks for portfolio evidence.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Reflect on how students managed combining media elements and storytelling.
• Note any challenges with technology or materials for future planning.
• Consider how well students could articulate their story ideas through sharing.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the storyboard as a planning tool for young learners’ media creation.

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This lesson ensures alignment with the Australian Curriculum by focusing on students creating and sharing arts works that communicate ideas, developing foundational skills in media arts with a strong emphasis on personal and familial narratives. The approach is age-appropriate, balances digital and physical media options, and encourages creative expression and communication for young learners in Years P-1.