Symbols Tell Stories

Overview

Lesson 6 of 9 in Crafting Connections: Art and Friendship. Students investigate visual symbols, patterns, taonga, significant places and stories connected to a chosen whakapapa context. They use appropriate sources respectfully, record meanings, and develop a symbolic portrait composition that could later be adapted into a cray magnet or keyring.

Learning intentions

• WALT research and describe visual elements connected to whakapapa.
• WALT use trustworthy sources and guidance when investigating cultural meanings.
• WALT develop a symbolic portrait idea that communicates identity and connection.
• WALT explain how chosen symbols, patterns and colours support our ideas.

Success criteria

• I can identify and record the meaning and source of at least three visual elements.
• I can explain why my selected elements are appropriate for my chosen whakapapa context.
• I can sketch a clear symbolic portrait composition for a magnet or keyring.
• I can show respect by distinguishing between knowledge that is public to share and knowledge that is private or culturally restricted.

Curriculum links

• Understanding and using visual arts elements, techniques, processes and conventions.
• Developing and communicating ideas through visual art.
• Exploring how artworks express identity, relationships, place and cultural perspectives.
• Responding to and evaluating artworks using appropriate visual arts language.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 minutes – Reconnect and provoke thinking Welcome students and explain that symbols can carry stories about people, places, values and relationships. Open with the opening question and visual hook: “How can one image tell a story about where someone belongs?” Briefly revisit the unit’s focus on friendship, identity and connection. Reinforce that students must not copy or claim sacred, private or restricted knowledge.

2. 7–15 minutes – Model respectful research Use the research guidance slides to model investigating one publicly available symbol or pattern. Think aloud: identify the source, record what it means, note who is connected to it, and separate evidence from personal interpretation. Explain that students may research their own whakapapa, a whānau-approved context, or a local place/community connection. They should ask a trusted adult or teacher if unsure whether an element is appropriate to use.

3. 15–20 minutes – Introduce the research record Distribute the whakapapa symbols research and design worksheet. Read the prompts together. Students choose a context and write their research question, such as “What places, values or stories connect my whānau to this identity?” Demonstrate how to record the source beside each idea rather than copying images without explanation.

4. 20–38 minutes – Guided research and recording Students work independently or in pairs, using teacher-approved books, class resources, printed information or preselected websites. They record at least three possible elements, such as a meaningful place, natural feature, colour, pattern, object, value or story. For each, they note its meaning, source and whether it is suitable for a personal artwork. Circulate to question students: “What evidence supports this meaning?” and “Who has the authority to share this knowledge?” Use the research task and discussion prompts to keep the process visible.

5. 38–50 minutes – Develop a symbolic portrait Students select two to four researched elements and create thumbnail sketches on the worksheet. They plan the placement of a face, profile, silhouette or symbolic portrait, considering shape, line, colour, pattern and negative space. The design should be simple enough to adapt to a cray magnet or keyring. Encourage students to label each element and annotate how it communicates identity or connection.

6. 50–57 minutes – Peer response In pairs, students use the Visual Arts Critique Cards to choose one suitable response prompt, such as Describe, Interpret, Connect or Feedback. Partners first identify what they notice, then ask one respectful question and offer one specific suggestion. Students revise one part of their sketch in response.

7. 57–60 minutes – Share and close Return to the reflection and plenary slide. Invite several students to share one researched element and explain its meaning without disclosing private information. Students hand in their worksheet or photograph their work for the next lesson, when they will refine the design for making.

Resources

• Teacher-prepared slide deck: the complete lesson slide deck
• Student worksheet: the whakapapa symbols research and design worksheet
• the Visual Arts Critique Cards
• Teacher-approved books, image references and printed cultural resources
• Devices, if available, for supervised research
• Pencils, erasers, fine black pens and coloured pencils
• A3 paper or sketch paper for enlarged thumbnails
• Whiteboard and markers
• Access to local or whānau knowledge, where appropriate and approved

Assessment

• Check research records for three relevant elements, clear meanings and named sources.
• Confer with students during research to assess respectful source use, cultural care and ability to distinguish evidence from assumption.
• Review thumbnail designs for purposeful use of visual elements, a clear connection to identity and suitability for a small magnet or keyring.

Differentiation

• Provide a teacher-curated set of age-appropriate sources and a choice of contexts for students who need support with independent research.
• Offer sentence starters: “This element represents…”, “I know this because…”, and “I will use it by…”.
• Allow students to work with a partner, dictate ideas, use speech-to-text, or draw and label rather than write extended explanations. Pre-teach words such as symbol, pattern, taonga, whakapapa, source and meaning.
• Extend confident students by comparing two sources, explaining how context changes meaning, or developing two contrasting compositions for different audiences.
• Ensure students may choose a non-sensitive community or place-based context if personal whakapapa information is private, unknown or not appropriate to share.