A Collaborative Cross-Curricular Project

Lucie Dickens, Year 6 French Teacher and Academic Dean of Languages 

Inspired by the current NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) exhibition on French impressionism, Junior Specialist staff worked collaboratively on two units of work which required Years 5 and 6 students to incorporate Art, French and Digital Technology elements into their own impressionist painting. 

In Art classes, Year 6 students learnt about the techniques used by impressionist painters and then applied these techniques to reproduce a waterlily painting. In French, they focused on Monet’s life and how to describe and appreciate his paintings. 

They also did a virtual tour of Monet’s house and garden in Giverny to understand how Monet was inspired by nature. To combine the different elements of their work into one, students learnt how to code and animate their own inspired Monet painting using the application Scratch. They were able to include a recording in French of their painting. Here are some examples:

• Eleanor Pletcher, Year 6HA - view here.
• Will Ferguson, Year 6HA - view here.
• Chase Blackmore, Year 6HA - view here.

The Year 5 unit of work was similar but inspired by the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Students produced their own Starry night version of Ayers Rock. As the Years 5 and 6 excursion planned to the Lume and NGV had to be cancelled, due to the COVID lockdown, students participated in the virtual tour/presentation of the NGV exhibition. 

The benefits of cross-curricular projects, such as this one, are numerous. When intentionally applying multiple disciplines simultaneously, students can learn transferable problem-solving skills and make connections in their learning. 

It increases student engagement by offering a creative way to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding while motivating students to learn through stimulating, interconnected topics.