Visual Arts Term 1 Overviews

Prep:

In Term 1, the unit of work for Prep students will focus on drawing, with an emphasis on developing an understanding of the Elements of Art: line and colour. Throughout the unit, students will learn to recognise and name the different kinds of lines, for example, straight, curved, zigzag, diagonal, looped, spiral, dotted, thick, thin and rainbow. They will use their understanding of lines to create portraits of themselves or their loved ones. By the end of the unit, students will be able to recognise and draw a variety of lines and use them purposefully in their artwork, developing early drawing skills and creative expression.

 Grade 1 :

Students will focus on lines and patterns under the Unit of Work - Drawing. Throughout the term, they will continue to develop their understanding of two fundamental art elements: lines and shapes. By working with these elements, students will learn to recognise and create their unique patterns using various materials such as oil pastels, pressed charcoal and markers. Their increased focus and neatness will serve as a cornerstone to create a landscape artwork, which is their final artwork of Term 1.

Grade 2: 

In Term 1, Grade 2 students will focus on drawing as their unit of work. They will explore landscapes through a creative folded drawing task. Students will learn about foreground, middle ground, and background, understanding how artists show what is close, in the middle, and far away. Throughout the unit, students will focus on the art elements of line and colour. They will also explore the design principle of pattern, using repeated lines, shapes, and colours to add interest and detail to their artwork. By the end of the term, students will create a balanced and colourful folded landscape while building strong foundational drawing skills.

Grade 3: 

Students will develop their personal style of mark making in drawing through experimentation with materials, including pencil, charcoal and soft pastel. Students will explore the Art Elements of Line, Shape and Texture, where different tools and techniques can create visual effects. They will manipulate materials intentionally to achieve desired outcomes, building confidence in their artistic decision-making. Through guided practice and exploration, students refine their skills and develop greater control, creativity and expression in their drawing.

Grade 4:

In Term 1, the unit of work for Grade 4 students is drawing, with a planned task of creating a ‘Candle Flame’ artwork using soft pastels. Throughout the term, students will develop blending skills, learning how to smoothly mix colours to create realistic flame effects. The art elements explored in this task include colour, texture and form. The unit will help students to build confidence in using soft pastels while deepening their understanding of key art elements.

Grade 5:

Grade 5 students will explore Portraiture as one of the genres in Visual Arts, under the unit of work- Drawing. They will focus on the art elements of Form and Shape. Students will be introduced to famous portrait artists (Leonardo DaVinci, Vincent Van Gogh, and Caravaggio) to learn how these artists created stunning portraits. Students will practice drawing portraits of each other. They will then learn about the different face shapes and correct proportions of the face. As part of this unit, students will be introduced to varied shading techniques such as hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, and smudging to understand depth and texture in their drawings. By the end of the term, students will create their self-portrait artwork using soft pastel. 

Grade 6: 

Throughout this Drawing unit Grade 6 students will continue to develop their appreciation of art through viewing and analysing works from a variety of artists. They will explore their own preferences for mark-making through the use of a variety of materials such as grey-leads, coloured pencils and markers. Students will manipulate elements within their artworks to create depth and space and will apply this understanding to create artworks that show one-point perspective. They will reflect on their own work and seek feedback from peers.