Planning Plasticine Art

Lesson Overview

Unit: Exploring Plasticine Artistry (Lesson 6 of 10)
Year Level: Year 6
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Subject: Art (Visual Arts)

Students will plan their own plasticine artwork by sketching and outlining ideas on a planning page in their AT (Art & Technology) Booklet. This lesson aligns with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Visual Arts, focusing on exploring visual arts processes and materials, and communicating ideas through visual conventions.

Learning Objectives (Australian Curriculum Alignment)

By the end of this lesson, students will:

AC9AVA6E01: Explore ways that visual conventions and visual arts processes are combined to communicate ideas and meaning in artworks (Year 5 & 6 Visual Arts)【14:AC9AVA6E01.md】
Plan and develop ideas by sketching preliminary concepts for a plasticine artwork, using artistic language to reflect intentions
Develop planning skills in visual arts by considering composition, materials, and techniques
Reflect on their ideas to prepare for creating their plasticine artworks in upcoming lessons

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Plan a plasticine illustration using a detailed planning page
Sketch and outline ideas to prepare for artwork construction

Success Criteria

Students can:

Complete a detailed planning page that includes sketches, colour choices, and notes about their plasticine artwork
Explain their planned artwork ideas to peers and teachers
Use visual arts language to describe their plans and intentions

Resources Needed

AT Booklets with planning page templates
Pencils, coloured pencils, erasers
Plasticine colour samples
PowerPoint presentation featuring examples of plasticine artworks and planning tips
Video demonstrating planning for plasticine art (2-3 minutes duration)
Planning templates for differentiation
Whiteboard or display to conduct quizzes
Timer for activity pacing

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation/ Extension
0–10 mins	Introduction & Teaching Input	Use a bright, engaging PowerPoint to introduce planning plasticine art. Discuss elements such as composition, colour, and subject matter. Emphasise why planning is essential for success in their final work.	Use dyslexia-friendly fonts in the PowerPoint and provide printed slides with bullet points. Speak clearly and provide examples visually and verbally.
10–15 mins	Video Reinforcement	Show a short video modelling how an artist plans their plasticine artwork, highlighting sketching and idea development.	Ensure captions/subtitles are on for accessibility. Pause for quick Q&A.
15–35 mins	Hands-on Planning Activity	Students use their AT Booklet planning page to sketch and outline their plasticine artwork idea. Include sections for composition, colours, textures, and narrative notes.	Provide simplified or guided templates to students who need support. Encourage advanced students to write a short story to accompany their artwork as an extension activity.
35–45 mins	Quiz & Discussion	Interactive quiz on elements of planning plasticine art (e.g., "Why is planning important?", "Name two visual elements to consider in your plan"). Conduct as a whole class to review understanding.	Use multiple choice and true/false questions for ease of participation. Allow peer support for struggling students.
45–55 mins	Peer Sharing	Students pair up and share their planning sketches and ideas, providing positive feedback to each other. Teachers circulate to support and prompt discussion.	Offer sentence starters for students who need help articulating feedback. Encourage extension students to discuss story ideas with peers.
55–60 mins	Plenary & Next Steps	Recap the importance of planning and what the next lesson will involve: starting the plasticine artwork. Collect planning pages for teacher review.	Provide dyslexia-friendly summary handout outlining steps for next lesson.

Differentiation Strategies

For students who struggle with planning: Provide scaffolds such as partially completed templates with boxes for drawing and prompts for notes. Pair with a peer mentor or support teacher assistant.
For advanced learners: Challenge them to write a short story or descriptive paragraph to accompany their artwork concept, deepening connection to narrative elements.
Dyslexia-Friendly Adjustments: Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and high-contrast colours on all printed materials. Provide oral instructions supplemented by visual aids.
Use oral, visual, and kinaesthetic learning styles through hands-on activities, video, and peer discussion.

Assessment and Feedback

Collect and assess students’ completed planning pages against the success criteria (detailed sketches, use of artistic language, logical development of ideas).
Use observation during peer sharing and quizzes to gauge understanding and engagement.
Provide timely and positive feedback, highlighting strengths and areas for refinement before the next lesson where they create their artwork.

Links to the Australian Curriculum (v9) – Visual Arts

Content Description AC9AVA6E01: Explore ways that visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials are combined to communicate ideas, perspectives and/or meaning in visual arts (Years 5 and 6)【14:AC9AVA6E01.md】
Emphasis on planning as essential to art-making process—connecting to "develop ideas" and "use materials and techniques" strands within the curriculum.
Incorporating reflection and sharing aligns with capabilities including critical and creative thinking and collaboration.

Teacher's Notes

Begin each lesson with a clear WALT and display success criteria for student reference.
Maintain engagement by mixing teaching modes: brief explicit teaching → multimedia → hands-on activity → formative quiz → peer interaction.
Use formative quiz questions to target common misconceptions or gaps (e.g., forgetting to plan colour details or composition).
Use the peer sharing to build communication skills and confidence in artistic justification.

This lesson plan provides a rich, scaffolded, and integrated approach to help Year 6 students develop their planning skills in plasticine art, in full alignment with the Australian Curriculum (v9). It balances teacher input, visual and multimedia learning, reflective practice, and active peer engagement for maximum student success.

If desired, I can generate accompanying PowerPoint slide outlines and quiz questions formatted for classroom use.

Teaching Instructions