War On Waste - The Art Of E-Waste

Australian curriculum content descriptions: 

Years 7 and 8 Visual Arts:

• Experiment with visual arts conventions and techniques, including exploration of techniques used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent a theme, concept or idea in their artwork (ACAVAM118)
• Develop ways to enhance their intentions as artists through exploration of how artists use materials, techniques, technologies and processes (ACAVAM119)
• Develop planning skills for art-making by exploring techniques and processes used by different artists (ACAVAM120)
• Practise techniques and processes to enhance representation of ideas in their art-making (ACAVAM121)
• Analyse how artists use visual conventions in artworks (ACAVAR123)

Years 9 and 10 Visual Arts:

• Conceptualise and develop representations of themes, concepts or subject matter to experiment with their developing personal style, reflecting on the styles of artists, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists (ACAVAM125)
• Manipulate materials, techniques, technologies and processes to develop and represent their own artistic intentions (ACAVAM126)
• Develop and refine techniques and processes to represent ideas and subject matter (ACAVAM127)
• Plan and design artworks that represent artistic intention (ACAVAM128)
• Evaluate how representations communicate artistic intentions in artworks they make and view to inform their future art making (ACAVAR130)

Syllabus outcomes: VAS4.1, VAS4.3, VAS4.4, VAS4.6, VAS5.1, VAS5.3, VAS5.4, VAS5.5, VAS5.7

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.6

Relevant parts of Year 7 and 8 Visual Arts achievement standards: Students identify and analyse how other artists use visual conventions and viewpoints to communicate ideas and apply this knowledge in their art-making. Students plan their art-making in response to exploration of techniques and processes used in their own and others’ artworks. They demonstrate the use of visual conventions, techniques and processes to communicate meaning in their artworks.

Relevant parts of Year 9 and 10 Visual Arts achievement standards: Students evaluate how representations communicate artistic intentions in artworks they make and view. They analyse connections between visual conventions, practices and viewpoints that represent their own and others’ ideas. They identify influences of other artists on their own artworks. Students manipulate materials, techniques and processes to develop and refine techniques and processes to represent ideas and subject matter in their artworks.

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work: War On Waste – Years 7-10.

Time required: 130+ mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate discussions, and oversee analysis, planning and creation of artworks

• Device capable of presenting an online clip to the class.
• E-waste items (optional)
• Other art-making materials (optional)
• Student Worksheet – one copy per student

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Communication
• Community engagement
• Creativity
• Critical thinking

Cool Australia’s War On Waste lessons have been developed in partnership with Lune Media and with support from the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network. These lessons have been designed to lead students through a deeper understanding of some of the big issues relating to waste in Australia and to support them to take action to reduce the impact of waste on our environment.