What’s Happening in Visual Arts in Term 2 2026

FOUNDATION:

In Visual Arts lessons throughout Term 3, Foundation students will participate in a series of multi-week units as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. Firstly, they will study the use of colour and pattern used in Ancient Egyptian collars to create their own, using a range of materials and processes including painting, stamping and gluing. The students will then be taught about a traditional craft in Mexico called Papel Picado. They will continue to develop their fine motor skills by using scissors to cut shapes out of folded paper, revealing symmetrical patterns when the paper is opened up and displayed in the form of a celebratory banner. Lastly, the students will complete a unit where they will sculpt and mould a frame using foil and plasticine. They will then draw a picture of themselves to feature inside their handmade photo frame.

GRADE 1:

In Visual Arts lessons throughout Term 3, Grade 1 students will participate in two multi-week units as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. They will study the prevalence of the sun and moon in Mexican art, using the process of layering to create an eye-catching paper collage artwork. The students will use their knowledge of colour and pattern to create their own painted collage papers using a range of texture tools. Secondly, they will begin their textiles unit, focusing on the skill of weaving. Utilising colour and pattern demonstrated throughout traditional Bolga baskets made by the people of Ghana, the students will use coloured wool to weave a small bowl-shaped basket. They will use a plain weave technique, with the opportunity to experiment with more challenging weaving methods.

GRADE 2:

In Visual Arts lessons throughout Term 3, Grade 2 students will participate in a multi-week unit as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. Making links to their English Core Knowledge units, ‘Culture of Japan’ and ‘Ancient China’, the students will study the intricate cultural illustrations on ancient Chinese and Japanese fans. They will use reference images to support them during the drawing process before adding colour using watercolour paints. The students will then further develop their fine motor skills by using a ‘concertina fold’ method to construct their fan. After this unit, they will begin a textiles unit where they will create an eye-catching artwork by layering felt and using other embellishments such as buttons and beads.

GRADE 3:

In Visual Arts lessons throughout Term 3, Grade 3 students will participate in two multi-week units as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. They will begin with a clay unit, using the skills of slab-rolling, cutting and shaping clay to create a Mexican sun wall hanging. The students will develop their skill in attaching clay by using the ‘score and slip’ method, creating a strong bond when building upon their clay piece in order to prevent cracking in the kiln firing process. They will apply bright and bold colours, typical of Mexican ceramics, by using underglaze before applying a gloss top coat. The students will then look at the widespread use of dragons in folk art around our world, creating their own dragon eye by modelling plasticine. They will use their knowledge from their clay unit to assist them when shaping and attaching the plasticine, using a variety of tools to add realistic texture to their art piece.

GRADE 4:

In Visual Arts lessons throughout Term 3, Grade 4 students will participate in two multi-week units as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. Firstly, they will draw upon their knowledge of Chinese art, explored throughout their Core Knowledge unit on Ancient Chinese Dynasties last term, to illustrate their own ancient Chinese porcelain plate inspired by Ming Dynasty artistry. Finally, the students will explore the history behind African tribal masks and their influence on art movements around the world, including Cubism and Modernism. Using reference images to support them, they will design an abstract mask wall hanging. The students will construct their mask by cutting, layering and pasting cardboard together to show form before applying a thin layer of mod podge. Focusing on the element of colour, they will finally mix and apply acrylic paint according to their reference images.

GRADE 5:

In Visual Arts lessons throughout Term 3, Grade 5 students will participate in an extensive unit as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. They will study the importance of alpacas to the people of Peru how they hold significant cultural and economic importance for the country. In celebration of this, the students will create their own hand-sewn alpaca, using a range of skills and techniques required to complete the multi-step textiles unit. Firstly, they will use templates to transfer the outlined shape onto two pieces of fabric before cutting and sewing the two pieces together using an overstitch. Throughout the unit, they will be exposed to a variety of stitches to add detail. After stuffing their alpaca, they will attach a colourful and patterned blanket to adorn their Peruvian alpaca.

GRADE 6:

In Visual Arts lessons during Term 3, Grade 6 students will firstly participate in a unit as part of our ‘Cultural Art from Around the World’ focus. They will explore a form of Mexican folk art called Hojalata, also known as Mexican tin art. Looking at reference images to support the design process, the students will incorporate traditional Mexican symbols to create their own unique picture frame for their Term 1 self-portrait drawing. They will use a range of processes such as using a wooden tool to emboss detailed designs into pieces of aluminium foil, collaging mixed media materials and painting. Towards the end of term, the students will explore the artform of block printing. They will carve their illustration into a piece of foam and then use coloured printing ink, a brayer (roller) and consistent pressure to cleanly transfer their designs onto a piece of fabric.