Unity Mural Celebration

Overview

In this final lesson of Art Through Culture: Matariki & Commonwealth Games, students work in seven small teams to create one collaborative mural celebrating unity, belonging and achievement. They combine crayon, paint and dye techniques while applying colour, pattern, symbol, balance and composition skills developed throughout the unit.

Learning intentions

• WALT combine Matariki and Commonwealth Games ideas in a collaborative artwork.
• WALT use colour, pattern, shape and symbols to communicate unity and celebration.
• WALT apply crayon, paint and dye techniques safely and purposefully.
• WALT contribute positively to a shared artistic process and discuss artistic choices.

Success criteria

• I can contribute an idea that respectfully connects to Matariki or the Commonwealth Games.
• I can use at least two learned art techniques with care.
• I can arrange shapes, colours and symbols so the mural feels balanced and connected.
• I can listen, share materials and explain how my part supports the whole mural.

Curriculum links

• The Arts: Developing Practical Knowledge — use art tools, materials, processes and techniques safely and skilfully.
• The Arts: Developing Ideas — generate, select and develop visual ideas from cultural themes and prior learning.
• The Arts: Communicating and Interpreting — communicate meaning through visual art and respond to classmates’ ideas.
• Key competencies — managing self, participating and contributing, relating to others, and thinking.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min — Reconnect and introduce the challenge Display the finished examples and revisit the unit’s key techniques using the mural introduction and technique slides. Ask: “How can one mural show many people working together?” Briefly discuss respectful representation: use ideas studied in the unit, avoid copying sacred or culturally specific designs without permission, and explain that Matariki and the Commonwealth Games are connected here through shared themes such as community, hope, achievement and inclusion.

2. 7–15 min — Plan the mural composition Place students in seven groups of two or three. Open the mural planning and composition slides and demonstrate a simple layout: a central connecting shape or pathway, repeated stars or circles, movement lines, and areas of positive and negative space. Each group completes the Unity Mural team planning sheet by choosing a small section, sketching its main shapes and colours, and identifying whether it will use crayon, paint or dye.

3. 15–22 min — Demonstrate techniques and organise roles Model controlled crayon texture, diluted dye washes and paint application, including how to keep colours from becoming muddy. Explain that dye should be used in small amounts and that groups must protect tables and wait for wet areas. Students choose roles such as sketcher, colour organiser, painter or materials manager, while ensuring everyone contributes to the artwork.

4. 22–47 min — Create the collaborative mural Tape the large mural paper securely to tables or the floor. Groups lightly sketch their agreed section, then build layers using crayons, paint and dye. Circulate with the making-process reminders and prompt students to check: “Does your section connect visually to its neighbours?” “Where is your strongest focal point?” “Which colours or repeated shapes help show unity?” Pause briefly at the halfway point for groups to view the whole mural and adjust edges, scale or colour balance.

5. 47–54 min — Refine and connect Ask students to add connecting details such as repeated colours, linking lines, shared shapes or small symbols. Groups check that their section is clear, balanced and not overcrowded. Students help tidy brushes, lids and dye containers while the mural remains safely flat to dry.

6. 54–60 min — Gallery response and reflection Display the mural for a quiet gallery walk. Students use the Reflection Prompts Poster to discuss one successful technique, one way their group showed unity, and one contribution they noticed from another team. Complete the final questions on the Unity Mural team planning sheet and invite two or three students to share how separate sections became one artwork.

Resources

• One large sheet of mural paper or several joined sheets
• Crayons, paint, brushes, water containers and palettes
• Child-safe liquid dye, droppers or small containers
• Aprons or old shirts, table coverings and drying space
• Pencils, erasers, masking tape and scissors if required
• Teacher-prepared examples or photographs from earlier unit activities
• the Unity Mural teaching deck
• the Unity Mural team planning sheet
• the Reflection Prompts Poster

Assessment

• Observe whether students use tools safely, apply techniques intentionally and contribute cooperatively.
• Confer with groups during making, checking their use of composition, visual connections and respectful cultural ideas.
• Collect or photograph the planning sheets and use the final discussion to assess students’ ability to explain artistic choices and reflect on collaboration.

Differentiation

• Provide a visual technique card, pre-drawn section boundaries, limited colour choices and a clearly assigned role for students needing support with planning or executive functioning.
• Offer thick-handled brushes, larger tools, table-level access and a seated or non-wet-material role for students with motor, sensory or physical needs.
• Use dyslexia-friendly instructions: short steps, clear sans-serif text, strong contrast, icons, oral repetition and the option to respond verbally or through labelled sketches.
• Extend confident artists by asking them to manage visual transitions between sections, create a deliberate focal point, or justify how colour and scale guide the viewer’s eye.