Composing Connections

Overview

Lesson 13 of 14 in Art Through Culture: Matariki & Commonwealth Games. Students apply balance, focal point and visual flow to plan a cohesive collaborative mural that connects ideas from Matariki and the Commonwealth Games. They work in groups, give constructive feedback and revise a composition sketch before the final artwork lesson.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify balance, focal point and visual flow in large artworks.
• WALT organise images, colour and space to create unity in a collaborative mural.
• WALT explain how our composition choices communicate ideas respectfully.
• WALT give and use helpful peer feedback.

Success criteria

• I can identify the focal point and visual pathway in a mural design.
• I can use balance, repetition, connecting shapes or colour to create unity.
• I can explain how my group’s design connects to Matariki or the Commonwealth Games.
• I can give specific feedback and improve our composition sketch.

Curriculum links

• Developing practical knowledge in the arts: exploring how visual elements and principles communicate ideas.
• Developing ideas in the arts: generating, selecting and refining ideas for a collaborative artwork.
• Communicating and interpreting in the arts: discussing how artworks convey meaning and respond to contexts.
• Participating and contributing: collaborating, listening to different viewpoints and making shared decisions.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and connect Open with the opening comparison and learning intentions. Show two contrasting mural layouts: one where images compete for attention and one where the eye travels clearly across the design. Ask: “Where does your eye go first? What helps you look around the whole artwork?” Briefly connect responses to the class mural from previous lessons.

2. 5–15 minutes – Teach the composition principles Use the composition teaching slides to introduce:

• Balance: distributing visual weight across the artwork.
• Focal point: an area that attracts attention first.
• Visual flow: lines, shapes, repeated colours or images that guide the eye.
• Unity: details that make separate parts feel like one artwork. Model a quick thumbnail sketch, thinking aloud about scale, empty space, colour links and how Matariki or sporting movement might be represented without copying culturally significant designs inappropriately.

3. 15–23 minutes – Individual planning thumbnails Distribute the mural composition planning sheet. Students create two or three small thumbnail plans for the final collaborative mural. They mark a possible focal point with a star, draw arrows to show visual flow, and label one balance or unity decision. Encourage simple shapes rather than detailed drawings.

4. 23–38 minutes – Group composition sketch Place students in groups of four or five, making four groups in total. Each group selects or combines ideas and creates one larger composition sketch. Groups must include a clear focal point, a pathway through the artwork, repeated visual features and space for each student’s contribution. Refer back to the group planning instructions and composition checklist while circulating. Ask: “What will viewers notice first?” and “How will this part connect to the next?”

5. 38–48 minutes – Peer feedback gallery walk Display sketches around the room. Students move quietly in their groups and use the prompts on the peer feedback section to respond to two other designs: “I notice…”, “My eye travels…”, “A strong unity idea is…” and “One suggestion is…”. Feedback must describe the artwork, not judge the artist. Students may use sticky notes or write directly on the worksheet.

6. 48–56 minutes – Revise and explain Groups return to their sketch, read the feedback and make at least two visible improvements. They prepare a 30-second explanation naming their focal point, visual flow and one feature that creates unity. Invite each group to share briefly, using the sharing prompts and final checklist.

7. 56–60 minutes – Individual reflection and tidy-up Finish with the reflection prompts poster displayed as a visual reference. Students complete the final reflection on the worksheet: “Our strongest composition choice is…” and “Before the final artwork, we need to…”. Collect sketches and worksheets, then tidy materials and leave designs visible for the next lesson.

Resources

• the composition and unity lesson deck
• the mural composition planning sheet
• the reflection prompts poster
• A3 or large paper for each group
• Pencils, erasers and black felt-tip pens
• Coloured pencils or markers
• Sticky notes
• Blu Tack or clips for displaying sketches
• Existing class references, approved imagery and previous mural ideas
• Timer and clear table or wall space

Assessment

• Observe group planning and question students about balance, focal point, visual flow and unity.
• Check each group sketch for a focal point, a visible pathway, balanced placement and repeated or connecting features.
• Use the individual worksheet reflection and peer feedback to assess students’ ability to explain choices, respond respectfully and identify a next step.

Differentiation

• Provide a visual vocabulary strip with icons and examples for balance, focal point, flow and unity. Offer dyslexia-friendly options: read instructions aloud, use a clear sans-serif font, minimise written copying and allow students to dictate or record responses.
• Give students who need support a partially framed thumbnail layout, pre-drawn connecting pathways or a choice of two focal-point placements. Pair them with a supportive peer and assign clear roles such as idea recorder, sketcher or feedback reader.
• Allow EAL learners to use sentence frames: “My eye goes to…”, “The repeated colour connects…”, and “We could improve…”. Accept labelled drawings, oral explanations or key words instead of extended writing.
• Extend confident learners by asking them to test asymmetrical balance, design a stronger transition between Matariki and sporting imagery, or explain how scale and colour might affect viewers standing far from the mural.