Collecting Personal Stories

Unit Context

This lesson is Lesson 2 in the 5-lesson unit titled Art of Self-Discovery designed for Year 8 students in New Zealand. The focus is on gathering and organising personal and cultural narratives visually, helping students develop a deeper sense of identity and connection through art.

Learning Objectives

Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for The Arts (specifically Visual Arts strand) for Year 7–8 students:

Develop ideas in response to personal experiences and cultural heritage by selecting and collecting visual and material resources that represent identity and stories (Achievement Objective: Develop ideas in response to imagination, observation, and inquiry).
Use visual language elements and principles to communicate meaning through visual storytelling (Achievement Objective: Communicate ideas by making artworks that represent their own and others' stories, experiences, and culture).
Develop critical thinking and reflective skills by planning and evaluating their intentions and choices when composing a storyboard for a collage.
Engage collaboratively and independently in gathering and organising visual resources, fostering self-management and thinking key competencies.

Key Competencies Emphasised

Managing Self: planning and organising resources and time.
Thinking: generating ideas, making plans, and reflecting on learning.
Using Language, Symbols and Texts: understanding and communicating meaning through images and artefacts.
Relating to Others: sharing ideas and respecting diverse cultural narratives.

Curriculum Links

The Arts > Visual Arts (Levels 3-4, Year 7-8)
Develop ideas through exploration and imagination using the properties and expressive qualities of materials, processes and techniques.
Recognise and describe how people use visual language in artworks and everyday life to communicate ideas, feelings, and stories.
Social Sciences > Identity, Culture and Organisation
Recognising that personal and cultural identity can be expressed through storytelling and symbols.
Values
Whānaungatanga (Relationships) - acknowledging students' cultural identities and personal stories.
Manaakitanga (Respect) - respect for each other's stories and cultural heritage.

Materials Needed

Personal photos, postcards, printed images, magazine clippings.
Paper or cardboard for storyboarding (A3 size recommended).
Glue sticks, scissors.
Drawing materials (pencils, markers).
Optional: digital devices for searching images.
Visual organiser templates for storyboarding (e.g., grids or sections for different story elements).

Lesson Sequence (60 minutes)

1. Introduction and Context (10 minutes)

Engage students in a brief discussion on “What is a personal story?” and “How do we represent who we are visually?”
Show examples of visual storyboards or collages that combine images and materials connected to personal and cultural identity.
Highlight the importance of cultural heritage and personal stories in art, reflecting principles of the New Zealand Curriculum values of Whānaungatanga and Manaakitanga.
Set the learning intention: Today, we will collect the images and items that tell our story and plan a visual storyboard to map out our collage.

2. Activity Part 1: Collecting Materials and Images (15 minutes)

Students will gather materials brought from home or provided by the teacher that connect to their personal story or cultural background.
Encourage students to consider important symbols, family stories, memories, or cultural motifs.
For those who did not bring materials, provide magazines and assist with digital image searches reflecting diverse cultures and personal experiences.
Support students to reflect silently or through quick jot notes on why they chose each item/image.

3. Activity Part 2: Creating Visual Storyboards (25 minutes)

Distribute visual organiser templates (storyboarding grids or sections).
Guide students to arrange their chosen images and materials on their storyboard surface, considering how they flow or connect to their story.
Encourage experimentation—different layouts, grouping related images, thinking about balance and narrative sequence visually.
Prompt them to label or make small annotations near some images to describe their significance if needed.
Teachers circulate and provide feedback—asking open questions to deepen thinking, e.g., “Why did you place this image here?”, “How does this represent your culture or story?”

4. Reflection and Sharing (10 minutes)

Invite volunteers to briefly share their storyboard and explain one or two key elements of their personal story.
Facilitate a respectful and supportive group dialogue, emphasising valuing difference and each other’s unique stories.
Highlight how these storyboards will underpin the collage-making in upcoming lessons, asking students to think about how to translate these ideas visually.

Assessment and Feedback

Formative assessment through observation and questioning during the activities.
Students demonstrate their ability to select meaningful personal and cultural materials.
Evaluate how students organise their storyboard to communicate their intended story clearly.
Check for engagement with the ideas of personal identity and cultural heritage.
Provide feedback to encourage reflection on the visual choices and narrative clarity.

Differentiation and Inclusion

Provide extra scaffolding for students who struggle to identify meaningful images, through one-on-one discussion or buddy support.
Allow use of digital tools or oral explanation for those with writing challenges.
Incorporate te reo Māori and Pacific motifs or images to support cultural inclusivity and affirm diverse identities.
Use flexible grouping during sharing to support confidence.

Extension

As homework or an ongoing task, students could bring in more items or photographs over the unit to deepen their visual storytelling resource pool.
Encourage students to start thinking about how they might turn this storyboard into a physical collage in upcoming lessons.

Teacher Notes

Connect lesson themes with the New Zealand Curriculum Vision and Principles by fostering learners who are confident, connected, and actively involved.
Reinforce key competencies and values through a safe and respectful classroom culture.
Use this lesson as a foundation to support students’ metacognitive skills by encouraging planning and reflection on their storytelling choices.

This comprehensive, curriculum-aligned lesson plan provides both structure and creative space, catering specifically to Year 8 learners in New Zealand and fostering cultural identity exploration through the arts.

Teaching Instructions