Key Learning Area: Lesson 1: Visual Arts

Year Level : 8

Class Size: 25
students

Timing: 55 minutes

Topic: Vikings

Curriculum Connections

The way of life in Viking society (social, cultural, economic and political features) and the roles and relationships
of different groups in society (ACDSEH007)
Present artwork demonstrating consideration of how the artwork is displayed to enhance the artists intention to
an audience (ACAVAM122)
Use a range of software, including word processing programs, to create, edit and publish texts imaginatively
(ACELY1738)

RATIONALE

LEARNING AND
ASSESSMENT
OUTCOMES

This lesson sequence is developed to be delivered as part of a cross-curriculum topic on Vikings

encompassing four KLAs: English, History, Drama and Visuals Arts. The five sequenced lessons
will address the Visual Arts focus building on the knowledge developed through the teaching of
learning of Vikings within the other KLAs. This first lesson (of six) of the Visual Arts component
will involve whole class and small group activity work to introduce students to begin
understanding and analysing how artists use visual conventions in artworks (ACAVAR123).
Activities will involve knowledge building tasks in lead up in preparation for exploration of Viking
artefacts at the museum visit next lesson.

This lesson the students will build on their knowledge through brainstorming activities and
analyse Viking artefacts online gallery image database collections initially researched in class.
The main focus of this lesson revolves around bringing together historical and cultural contexts
with the analysis of form, function, characteristics and purpose of Viking sculptural art.

The tasks outlined in the lesson are designed to challenge student inquiry through multi-level
approaches in group work via listening, engaging, exploring via online research, responding and
presenting their research via a range of options available to them such as digital imagery,
PowerPoint, and design software such as Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Examine online Viking sculptural artefacts and consider the intention in preparation for
museum visit in the next lesson.
Support and develop each others skills through non-formal feedback, discussions and
collaborations of ideas and interpretations in group work activities.
Develop a multimodal storyboard within small groups and present the findings,
connecting cultural context with visual communication and representation in an oral
presentation.
Reflect on the lesson with ideas in their visual diaries.
Teacher Outcomes:
Introduce lesson plan timeline and summative assessment task to be presented at the
end of the unit.
Provide online research support
Develop a set of leading questions for brainstorming
Support and develop peer learning through online research guidance of artefacts, nonformal feedback, discussions and formative assessments. All aspects are an integral
part in the lesson plan to support and develop student learning, with the careful
integration of scaffolding teaching methods (Tomlinson, 2008).

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PRIOR LESSON
PREPARATION

PROCEDURE

5-10mins

Teacher to distribute timeline of what will be covered in the visual arts lessons. Students will be
provided details of museum visit and the final summative assessment sheet. Teacher to outline
the requirements of the assessment whereby students will design and create an object used in a
Vikings daily life that is a work of art as well as a tool (piece of jewellery, decorative object
and/or warrior object), considering form and pattern in the design.
In preparation for the assessment this lesson aims to build on student understanding of cultural
context.

15mins

10-15mins

Prior to the lesson, arrange copies of lesson timeline and summative assessment task for
distribution to each student.
Prepare flash cards of Viking sculpture, jewellery, decorative and practical objects.
Ensure online gallery database collections are accessible to all students
Ensure design software is available to students and assist with technicalities
Provide handouts to all students and link to demonstrational video on the basic functions of
using both InDesign and Photoshop.

Learning Experience:

Introduction
Engage

Teacher to begin with creating an open discussion and a short informal pop quiz game using
flash cards to identify and reaffirm students knowledge of Viking culture in previous lessons of
English and History. Flash cards with images of artefacts will introduce Viking objects in
connection to visual arts component.

Activity 2: Brainstorming key ideas

Explore and explain

Begin with a brainstorming activity with directed questions to gauge prior knowledge and
encourage participation. Once leading questions have be proposed, take direction from class
responses and allow students to discuss themes more freely in line with their interests and
sense of inquiry. Teacher to write down student responses on the whiteboard and take notes in
their visual diaries.

Begin discussion with the following leading statement:

Noble Viking families showed how wealthy and important they were by wearing beautiful
jewellery or by having expensive, decorated weapons. Consider and describe something a Viking
would wear, something a horse would wear, something used at a feast or something used in
battle.
This provides students an opportunity to explain and discuss the purpose and visual aesthetics
of the objects.

Students to sketch ideas in their visual diaries on what they think these objects would look like.

Lead into the second discussion with the following statement:

Often in early times, groups of warriors relied on raids to become wealthy. Later, warriors fought
as soldiers in an army. Viking kings used their armies to invade other kingdoms. Discuss what
they might wear to battle and how they would feel.
What equipment did a Viking warrior need? Why? What materials were used to make these
objects? How did they make them?

Activity 3: Explain and elaborate what we know

In preparation for the museum visit and the summative design assessment task students will
continue to explore themes, explain their ideas and visual artefacts in a small group activity.
Divide the class into small groups of 4-6. Students will be encouraged to think, research,
discuss, explain and present a number of key themes of Viking life.

Each group will be allocated one theme from the following. Each group to address a set of
guided questions. The questions below are to assist those who may find it difficult to find a
starting point and are not mandatory. Students are encouraged to create their own guiding
questions.

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1. Vikings as sailors
What did Viking ships look like? How did the Vikings build their ships? Where did
they sail? What did their ships help them to achieve?

2. Vikings as traders
Who did the Vikings trade with? What equipment did they use to help them trade?
What items did they trade?

3. Vikings as warriors
What equipment did a Viking warrior need? What happened on a Viking raid? How
were Viking warriors organized?

4. Vikings as rulers
How did rich Vikings show they were wealthy? How did rulers make powerful
friends?

5. Vikings as believers
What different gods and goddesses did the early Vikings worship? How did the
Vikings ensure good luck? What other faiths did the Vikings encounter? Which
objects show that the Vikings became Christians?

25mins

Within groups students will be asked to research images according to their allocated theme and
create an A3 multimodal storyboard. Characterized by the presence of text, pictures, sound,
animation and video; a storyboard can consist of all or some of these elements organized into
some coherent program (Phillips, 1997). Groups will have the option of handmade or digital
presentation. Those choosing to create a digital storyboard will have access to Adobe InDesign,
Photoshop and PowerPoint available to them in the design room. This option allows for students
to engage in interactive media controlling 'what' and 'when' and 'how' the elements are

delivered and presented. This encourages increased levels of engagement through the
integration and variety of text and visual stimulus allowing for greater creative output and
opportunity. Students to research image bank guided by the teacher provided online:
http://www.anmm.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/past/vikings
www.britishmuseum.org/Vikings
The online image collections include a range of objects from across the different sections of the
exhibition that students will see next lesson.

Evaluate:

The students will then be asked to present their storyboard back to the class at the end of the
lesson.
Encourage students to ask questions following each presentation to encourage engagement and
critique.

Teacher to provide feedback to each group and summarise the class discussion and findings.

Conclude with homework task (formative assessment)

Drawing exercise:
If you were a Viking god, what would be your symbol? Why? What does this image symbol
mean to you? Ask students to begin sketching ideas, encourage online research to support the
development of their ideas and describe why they chose specific imagery.

REFLECTION

Allow 5 minutes for final questions and student reflective journal time (Australian Curriculum,
2015).

This lesson plan can be accommodated for students with specific learning needs.
Barrier games can also be introduced in the beginning during the introductory flash
card exercise. The inclusion of barrier games can be ideal for students with learning
difficulties whereby students are instructed to discuss and analyse visual cues in pairs.

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Barrier games encourage students to use precise language when communicating by

describing, the use of adjectives, speaking and active listening, responding and in turn
develop oral language all in a non-threatening, informal environment (Tes Australia,
2013).
As mentioned in the unit plan, Sam diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, and Emma
diagnosed with Expressive Language Disorder can at times feel stressed in large groups
and rowdy situations where they are likely to feel intimidated, overwhelmed and shut
down. Quiet partner activities such as the use of barrier games is ideal in situations
where he is under stress. This may also be ideal for ESL students to provide a nonthreatening introductory exercise.
Other factors to consider:
Provide constant feedback and guidance throughout group work and encouragement.
Ensure written instructions are clear and concise in plain English.
Allow the use of assistive technology In accordance with student learning management
plans, the students with Aspergers Syndrome and Expressive Language Disorder can
benefit from the use of smartphones/ipads/ipods. Both students can feel overwhelmed,
tense and distracted by a disruptive loud classroom and are unable to concentrate.
Specific apps are available for mindfulness, meditation and calming music that students
can utilise during difficult times. Allowances are made for these students to listen to the
apps with their headphones in order to continue productive work, and also without
distracting other students.

RESOURCES/
MATERIALS

Visual art diaries

Images of artefacts for flip cards
Art equipment supplied by art room
Drawing equipment
Laptops for research and development of storyboard
Presentation and design software available in design room (PowerPoint, InDesign, Photoshop).
Online museum image collections:
www.britishmuseum.org/Vikings
http://www.anmm.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/past/vikings
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vikg/hd_vikg.htm

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