Designing Our Pots

Lesson Overview

Year Level: 9
Subject: Art and Design
Duration: 90 minutes
Class Size: 14 students
Unit: Creating with Hermannsberg Potters
Lesson 3 of 8
Lesson Title: Designing Our Pots

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

We are learning to design a pot inspired by Hermannsberg Potters by incorporating specific design principles to create both functional and artistic works.

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Curriculum Alignment (AU_ACARA)

Relevant Content Descriptions from the Australian Curriculum: The Arts - Visual Arts, Year 9:

• AC9AVA8C02: Select and manipulate visual conventions, visual arts processes and/or materials to create artworks that represent ideas, perspectives and/or meaning.
• AC9AVA8E01: Explore where, why and how visual arts are created and/or presented across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts.
• AC9TDE8P01: Analyse needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate and select materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to create designed solutions.
• AC9TDE8P03: Select, justify and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment, skills and processes to safely make designed solutions.
• AC9TDE8P04: Develop design criteria collaboratively including sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions.

The lesson draws upon understanding cultural art forms (Hermannsberg Potters), learning to communicate design ideas through sketching, and applying design principles to make functional and meaningful artifacts. Sustainability and cultural respect are embedded in knowledge about traditional Indigenous craftwork and its contemporary interpretation .

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will have:

• Created a detailed, labelled sketch of their pot design inspired by Hermannsberg Potters.
• Incorporated key design principles such as balance, pattern, and functionality.
• Shown an understanding of how cultural inspiration influences design decisions.
• Received individualised support via templates or scaffolded resources if needed.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students who struggle with freehand drawing: Provide dyslexia-friendly, clearly labelled sketch templates showing pot shapes and basic patterns inspired by Hermannsberg works.
• For advanced students: Challenge them to innovate by combining traditional elements with their own creative motifs while maintaining pot functionality.
• For all learners: Use group discussions and paired peer feedback to encourage sharing of ideas and confidence building in sketching and design.
• Use dyslexia-friendly font handouts explaining design principles with key vocabulary supported by visual icons.

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Materials and Resources

• Visual references of Hermannsberg Potters artworks (photos, prints).
• Sketching paper and pencils.
• Pre-drawn pot outline templates for those needing support.
• Colour pencils or markers for design detail.
• Design principles reference sheet with simple language and icons.
• Whiteboard and markers for collaborative discussions.
• Display of previous lesson’s exploration work (if applicable).

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Lesson Activities

1. Introduction and Context Setting (15 minutes)

• Begin with an engaging conversation about the Hermannsberg Potters — showing images and discussing the significance of their work in combining culture and craft.
• Ask students to share what makes a pot functional (e.g., shape, size, stability) and artistic (e.g., decorative patterns, symbolism).
• Present the WALT and success criteria clearly on the board.
• Use questioning strategies to activate prior knowledge: "What design elements did you notice in the Hermannsberg pottery?" "How can we make our designs both beautiful and useful?"

2. Mini-Lesson: Design Principles (15 minutes)

• Introduce fundamental design principles relevant to pottery: balance, pattern, proportion, and function.
• Show simple examples and invite students to discuss how these principles are seen in Hermannsberg pottery.
• Use visual aids or a short video clip demonstrating sketching techniques for pot design.
• Distribute dyslexia-friendly design principles sheet with visuals.

3. Sketching Our Pot Designs (40 minutes)

• Students begin by brainstorming ideas inspired by Hermannsberg motifs — patterns, shapes, and cultural meanings.
• Model sketching a pot design on the whiteboard to show how to annotate elements such as materials, colours, and patterns.
• Distribute sketches templates for those needing extra support; others draw freehand.
• Encourage students to label parts of their pots (e.g., lip, body, base) and note intended functions or inspirations.
• Teacher circulates, providing feedback, encouragement, and scaffolded help where needed.
• Facilitate peer conversations for sharing ideas and constructive critique in pairs or small groups.

4. Group Reflection and Sharing (15 minutes)

• Bring students together to share a few sketches voluntarily, highlighting creativity and cultural respect.
• Ask students to explain one design choice and how it relates to Hermannsberg Potters.
• Teacher reinforces key vocabulary and design principles used.
• Record and display some sketches or notes for inspiration in next lessons.

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Assessment for Learning

• Formative Assessment: Observe sketching process and questioning during discussions. Use checklists aligned to success criteria (detailed labelled sketch, use of design principles).
• Provide immediate verbal feedback praising cultural appreciation and creative use of design principles.
• For students with templates, assess understanding of form and pattern via annotation quality.

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Additional Notes for Teaching Style

• The teacher’s preference for conversational and interactive learning fits well with group discussion phases and peer sharing.
• Use stimulating questions to maintain engagement and enjoyment throughout the lesson.
• Encourage humour and positive reinforcement when reviewing sketches.
• Consider pairing students of different abilities to support inclusive learning — highlighting strengths of each student.

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Summary

This highly detailed lesson plan guides students to design their own pots inspired by the Hermannsberg Potters through sketching applications of design principles, supported by cultural understanding and differentiated resources for diverse learners. The lesson is fully aligned with Australian Curriculum standards for Year 9 Visual Arts and Design and Technologies, fostering creative expression, cultural respect, and functional design skills in a 90-minute session.

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If you would like, I can also provide a printable teacher handout or a slide deck outline based on this plan!