Exploring Media Arts

Overview

Year Level: Year 4
Subject: Arts (Media Arts)
Australian Curriculum Link:

• Media Arts: Years 3 and 4
  • ACAMAM059: Explore ideas and narrative structures through roles and design elements to create characters, settings, and situations
  • ACAMAM060: Use media technologies to create time and space through the manipulation of images, sounds, and text

Duration: 40 minutes
Unit Title: Media Arts Exploration
Lesson: 1 of 5
Lesson Title: Introduction to Media Arts

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand what media arts are and identify different forms (photography, video, digital art).
• Discuss how media technologies are used to tell stories and share ideas.
• Start to think critically about the media they see every day.

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Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Name at least three different forms of media arts.
• Describe simple ways media can be used to create meaning.
• Actively participate in class discussions and the brainstorm activity.

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Materials Needed

• Interactive whiteboard/projector
• Printed photo examples (e.g., news photographs, movie stills, artwork)
• iPads/tablets (optional, if available)
• Blu-Tack or magnets for board activities
• Large sheets of paper and markers
• Sticky notes

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Lesson Preparation

• Prepare a short slideshow with diverse examples of media arts.
• Print A4-size examples of different media artworks.
• Set up an 'Ideas Wall' using a section of the classroom whiteboard or a large poster paper.

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Lesson Sequence

1. Welcome & Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Greet students enthusiastically.
• Pose the question: "When you think about 'art', what do you picture?"
• Quick popcorn-style answers — students call out words like "paintings", "sculptures", "drawing", etc. Teacher scribes briefly on the board.

2. Introducing Media Arts (8 minutes)

• Transition by saying:
  "Art isn't just paintings and drawings — it's about telling stories and sharing ideas, and today we're exploring how this happens using different media!"
• Briefly define media arts in simple terms:
  "Media arts involve taking pictures, filming videos, making digital images, adding sounds or words — all to tell a story or show an idea."
• Present 6–8 examples via slideshow: snapshots from films, famous photographs, digital collages, student projects.
• After showing each example, ask:
  • "What do you think this is telling us?"
  • "What technology do you think was used to create it?"

3. Brainstorm Activity – Spotting Media Art (10 minutes)

• Students sit in small groups (4–5 students each).
• On large paper, groups brainstorm and write/draw examples of media arts they’ve seen — movies, Instagram posts, documentaries, comic strips, memes, cartoons, etc.
• Encourage thinking outside the classroom: things they see at home, on public transport, on devices.
• After 5 minutes, each group shares 1-2 favourite ideas with the class.
• Teacher adds these to the 'Ideas Wall' — building a visible map of what media arts surrounds students daily.

4. Interactive Media Languages Discussion (10 minutes)

• Introduce very simply:
  "Media languages are the way we use images, sound, and words to create meaning — like choosing bright colours to make something feel exciting, or slow music to make a scene feel sad."
• Show two still images side-by-side:
  • One vibrant, energetic advertisement shot.
  • One soft, emotional photograph.
• Facilitate whole-class discussion:
  • "What do you notice about the colours?"
  • "How does each image make you feel?"
  • "What kind of story do you think each one is telling?"

5. Exit Ticket – Quick Reflection (5 minutes)

• Hand out sticky notes.
• Students answer:
  "One media art form I see often is ______."
  and
  "One thing I learnt today about media arts is ______."
• Students post their sticky notes on the 'Ideas Wall' as they leave.
• Quick informal teacher read-over to gauge learning for next lesson planning.

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Differentiation

• Adjusting for diverse learners: Support EAL/D students or students needing extra help by providing additional visuals or pairing verbal instructions with hand gestures or pictorial clues.
• Extension Opportunities: Challenge early finishers by asking:
  "Can you think of a new way we could combine two media arts forms?"
  e.g., "A photo that moves to tell a story."

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Assessment

Formative Assessment:

• Observations during discussion and group work.
• Review of sticky note reflections (Exit Tickets) to assess understanding of media forms and concepts.

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Teacher Notes

• Keep pace lively! Best to inject humour and surprise with the slideshow examples.
• Let students freely express themselves — media arts are meant to feel immediate, relevant, and fun.
• Remind students no idea is too small or silly — creativity is celebrated in media arts.

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Thinking Ahead

In Lesson 2, students will start hands-on experimentation with basic media technologies, creating a simple digital collage or photo story!

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Would you like a sample display for the 'Ideas Wall' or a printable template for group brainstorms? 🎨✨