Creating the Collage

Year Level

Year 8 (ages 12-13)

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

Approximately 30 students

Unit Context

This is Lesson 4 of 5 in the unit titled "Art of Self-Discovery". Students have already explored personal identity through discussion and prior art activities and collected materials and symbols that express who they are.

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, students will begin creating their mixed-media collage artworks. They will bring together collected materials alongside personal symbols to express their individuality and unique stories visually. The focus is on exploring identity through art-making, nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression.

Curriculum Links: New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

Learning Area: The Arts (Visual Arts) – Levels 4-5 (approx Year 8)

The Arts Learning Objectives:

Developing ideas in response to issues and community concerns Students will "explore and express ideas relating to identity and personal experience" through their collage creation.
Communicating and interpreting meanings Students will "select and use visual conventions, techniques, and technologies to express and communicate personal meaning".
Using the arts to explore and make sense of the world Students connect their responses to self and culture, developing critical awareness of how their identity and stories can be told visually.

Key Competencies Developed:

Managing Self: Students plan their progress, organise materials, and make decisions independently.
Relating to Others: Sharing symbolic meanings with peers, giving and receiving feedback.
Thinking: Engaging in creative thinking, making connections between personal experience and artistic expression.
Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Interpreting and expressing ideas visually and symbolically through collage.
Participating and Contributing: Respecting diverse identities and stories through shared artwork reflections.

Learning Outcomes

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

Confidently select and combine mixed-media materials (e.g., paper, fabric, found objects) to create a collage that symbolically represents aspects of their identity.
Demonstrate understanding of personal symbols drawn from their life experiences and cultural background.
Show development of a unique visual narrative that tells their personal story.
Reflect on their artistic choices and share the significance of the elements included in their collage.

Resources and Materials:

A3 or A4 sized sturdy base paper or board for collage
Collected materials from previous lessons (magazines, photographs, fabric scraps, textured paper, natural materials, etc.)
Glue sticks, PVA glue, scissors
Markers, pens for writing or drawing details
Optional: paint, coloured pencils
Personal symbols or sketches from prior planning

Lesson Structure and Timings

1. Introduction and Set-up (10 minutes)

Recap briefly the unit theme of identity and self-expression in art.
Invite students to share one key symbol or item they are excited to use in their collage.
Reiterate the purpose: "Today, you will start to bring your story to life by creating a mixed-media collage that represents who you are."
Set clear expectations for care with materials, movement in the space, and respecting peers’ work.
Remind students about managing their time and making deliberate artistic decisions to best express themselves.

2. Practical Activity: Creating the Collage (40 minutes)

Students arrange and adhere their collected materials and personal symbols on the base.
Encourage experimentation with layering, texture, colour contrast, and composition.
Teachers circulate to support decision-making, prompt reflection ("What does this element mean to you? How does it tell part of your story?"), and assist with techniques.
Encourage students to add small written or drawn details if desired to enhance meaning (e.g., words, dates, cultural motifs).
Promote independent working while allowing for peer-sharing of ideas where relevant.

3. Reflection and Sharing (10 minutes)

Gather students to share their progress with a partner or small group.
Suggested prompts for students:
"What does your collage say about you?"
"How did you choose which materials or symbols to include?"
"What is one thing you want others to understand about you from your artwork?"
Teacher facilitates a brief whole-class reflection connecting the artworks to the themes of identity and self-discovery.
Highlight the value of diverse identities and the power of expressing personal stories through art.

Assessment and Feedback

Formative assessment during the activity: observing students’ ability to select and combine materials thoughtfully to communicate identity.
Use questioning to encourage metacognitive thinking about artistic choices.
Students' artworks will be assessed at the end of the unit for use of personal symbolism, creativity in mixed-media techniques, and depth of expression aligned with the achievement objectives.
Provide constructive feedback focused on the strength of visual storytelling and the effectiveness of symbolic communication.

Teaching Tips for Engagement and Inclusivity

Encourage students to bring in objects or symbols from their own cultural background or family history, fostering bicultural and multicultural inclusiveness as valued in the New Zealand Curriculum principles.
Support students needing additional help with cutting, adhering, or organising materials by pairing them with a buddy or providing adapted tools.
Celebrate risk-taking in artistic decisions and diverse expressions of identity.
Use positive language to affirm each student’s story and creative process.

By integrating the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum’s emphasis on identity, community, and authentic personal expression through the Arts learning area and key competencies, this lesson offers Year 8 students a robust, meaningful, and engaging experience of self-discovery through art.

If you would like, I can also generate supporting student reflection worksheets or digital presentation ideas for this lesson to complement the artwork and sharing process.

Teaching Instructions