Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes

Tune in: Leaves

20 minutes

Find out: Austin's Butterfly

20 minutes

Take action: Drafts and Drawings

Tune in: Leaves

Step 1.

If you aren't already outside, take the class to your outdoor learning space. Review outdoor learning rules and the benefits of outdoor learning with students, including potential hazards and actions to take in the event of hazards.

Step 2.

Invite students on a walk around the school. As you walk look for leaves. Students should see how many different types of leaves they can find - look for shapes, sizes and colours. Encourage students to pick up and collect fallen leaves; however, students should avoid picking leaves. Instead, you might invite students to take photos of leaves on trees.

Step 3. Discuss:

How would you describe a leaf to someone who had never seen one?
How many different types of leaves did you find?
Do you know the names of any of the trees these leaves came from?
Why do you think trees have leaves?

Step 4.

Read A Leaf Can Be … by Laura Purdie Salas.

Step 5. Discuss:

What is this story about?
What does this story make you think about?
What does this story make you wonder? What questions do you now have?

Find out: Austin's butterfly

Step 1.

Set the scene for students before showing them the first picture. Explain that a Year 1 student named Austin was learning how to draw an accurate, scientific diagram of a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Display the photo of the butterfly species for the class to see (see the Austin's Butterfly flashcards).

Step 2.

Explain to the class that Austin started to create his first draft drawing … but he forgot to look carefully at all the details, like a scientist would. Instead, he just started to draw a picture of a butterfly based on an image he already had in his head. Display the first picture that Austin drew, and ask students if it looks like the photo. After hearing the class’s response, reinforce the concept that it doesn’t look like the drawing ‘yet.’ By using the word ‘yet,’ it encourages students to realise that Austin is on a journey - although his first attempt doesn’t look the way he’d hoped, he is still working toward achieving his goal.

Step 3.

Explain that when Austin’s friends looked at his drawing, they gave him specific, kind and helpful feedback. This means that they didn’t look at Austin’s drawings and say ‘Great job! You’re finished!’ They looked at Austin’s drawing and said ‘Good start! Now we can give you feedback to make a second draft and make it better, and a third draft and make it better again!’

Step 4.

Explain that Austin’s friends decided to start by just focusing on the shape of the wings. Ask students to tell you what feedback they would give regarding the shape of the wings Austin has drawn. As students give feedback, listen for opportunities to praise students for giving specific, kind and/or helpful feedback.

Step 5.

Tell the class that Austin heard the feedback from all his friends and he drew the next draft. Show the class his second draft. Reflect on how Austin’s second draft embraces elements from the feedback that your students gave.

Step 6.

Continue this routine by asking the class to give specific, kind and helpful feedback regarding Austin’s second and third drafts. Reflect on how students’ suggestions were adopted for each subsequent draft.

Asking students ‘What do you notice?’ is a good way to ask for feedback in an open-ended manner without pre-empting students’ responses.

Step 7.

Explain that by Austin’s fourth draft (show fourth draft), Austin and his friends were really happy with the drawing, so he added markings (reveal fifth draft picture) and then added colour (reveal final draft picture).

Step 8.

Display Austin’s first and fifth drafts side-by side.

Discuss:

What would you say about Austin’s progress?
What would you say about the feedback that Austin's friends gave?
Why do you think this method is a good way of delivering and receiving feedback?
What do you think you can learn from doing so many drafts?

Lead students to the conclusion that creating is part of a journey, and that developing skills and abilities involves trial and error.

Take action: Making maps

Step 1.

Explain to students that they are going to create a series of drawings of a leaf. Everyone will draw a number of drafts, giving and receiving specific, kind and helpful feedback about each draft. The final copy will be used in a way that helps people think about the value and importance of trees in our environment.

Step 2.

Ask students to select one of the collected leaves (or photos of leaves) to base their first draft on.

Step 3.

Distribute pencils, erasers, scrap paper and clipboards. Model how to turn the leaf over to find the side you’d like to draw before commencing. Demonstrate how to place the leaf on the ground and the clipboard next to the leaf so that the artist’s perspective doesn’t change while creating the drawing. Reinforce the need to be aware of scale, size, line and shape when creating scientific drawings (the following factsheet might be useful: Scientific drawing guidelines).

Step 4.

When students have completed their first draft, invite students to form groups of three or four to provide feedback. Remind the class that their feedback needs to be specific, kind and helpful. Students in each group take turns to give and receive feedback regarding their drawings.

Using a watch, timer, stopwatch or clock app to count down ‘feedback time’ is a good way to help students spend this time productively.

Step 5.

After the time is up, each student in the group should have received their feedback. Students then use the feedback to create a second draft of their drawing. The students then form the same groups, taking turns to give and receive specific, kind and helpful feedback regarding their second draft.

Step 6.

After each student in their group has received their feedback, students create a third draft or final drawing, depending on the amount of time left in the lesson. At this stage, you might wish to distribute art paper so that final drawings are completed on high quality paper. However, using scrap or recycled paper could be an artistic environmental statement in itself!

Reflection

Invite the class to complete a ‘Think, Pair, Share’ thinking exercise using the question below:

How could we use these drawings in a display to tell others about the importance of trees?

NOTE: Students will need to be familiar with the 'Think, Pair, Share' thinking routine:

Think - Students independently think about an issue or question and record their thoughts.
Pair - Students work in pairs to discuss their ideas and record new thoughts.
Share – Students share their thoughts with the whole group or with other pairs to reach consensus.

Differentiated learning

Extension: Students could individually or collaboratively organise aspects of the display/exhibition/project. For example:

Make a short ad for the school/class website to advertise the exhibition/display/market stall.
Design posters for use around the school or local community.
Design a small ad for the school newsletter or the local paper.
One team could plan the design of the exhibition/display/market stall in terms of the layout of artworks, labels, prices, etc.
Brainstorm ways in which the local community could be involved - could a local artist visit the exhibition?
Supplies for food and drinks needed for a gallery opening for attendance by parents and/or the local community.
Guest speakers - is there a local environmental group that could make a presentation to help open the exhibition/display?

Provisional Learning Support: Some students may require additional support in order to articulate their suggestions to improve others’ artworks. Students who have mobility concerns or have difficulties with fine motor skills may need additional time to complete their artworks.

Outdoor Learning - Leaf Art

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