(May 2009)  This unit is relevant to students as machines are part of our everyday lives.   Students may also have studied mechanisms as a technology topic and this learning can be reinforced in the dance class.  Dance and drama teachers often include making machines as a group exercise but often do not include any real learning about machine parts or the movement involved in a working machine. There are multiple opportunities for teamwork in this unit.  Because of the way it is structured, the students are forced to work in pairs and groups possibly outside friendship groups. The dance-making is structured in a way that involves pairs supporting each other in some dance-making and bringing their own movement material to contribute to the group process. Author: Patrice O’Brien

(May 2009)  Ideas about how to use the Curriculum Support Day resources for the Visual Arts.    There is a morning session on Junior Visual Arts, and an afternoon session on Senior Visual Arts.   You will probably have the same people in both, and be able to work across the whole day, but be aware that some new people could arrive for the afternoon session, having been doing another subject in the morning, or vice versa.   Check out at the start what levels of Visual Arts your group teaches, so you know whether to run junior and senior together or to separate them.    The main emphasis should be placed on encouraging individual teachers to reflect on their own pedagogical approach to teaching. The important messages in the new curriculum are in the front end. The subject-specific content of the Visual Arts in the new curriculum is virtually unchanged.   Authors: Kirsten Price and Evan Jones

(May 2009)  Part of the Visual Arts facilitators resource.

(May 2009)  Part of the Visual Arts Facilitators resource.

(May 2009) Part of the Visual Arts Facilitators resource.

(May 2009)  The decision to select this unit of work for close scrutiny is based on a desire to realise the considerable potential of the NZ Curriculum to make learning for students exciting, authentic and engaging.   This “Contemporary approaches to drawing” unit draws on current practice in Visual Arts classrooms. The original learning activity described provides a range of tasks for students to complete and an assessment schedule and is intended to meet the requirements of AS 90019. The revised activity/unit however shows how a wider context can be considered and links made to the Vision, Principles and Values of the NZC. Specific Key Competencies have been identified and decisions made about which teaching strategies will be used to enable the students to experiment with materials and use processes and conventions to develop their visual enquiries.   However, the revision of the unit is by no means complete and it could be further developed as part of coherent and cohesive NCEA programme. This unit can also be adapted and modified to fit many different contexts and student needs.  Authors: Kirsten Price and Evan Jones

(May 2009)  The decision to select this unit of work for close scrutiny was based on a desire to realise the considerable potential of the NZ Curriculum document to make learning for students exciting, authentic and engaging. This “political stickers” unit references contemporary artist models and develops the student’s ability to communicate ideas about social and political issues. The street art genre chosen is intended to engage a range of students from diverse cultural and social backgrounds.  Throughout this unit students are invited to build on their own experiences and perspectives and to share their responses with others. Students are able to investigate the street art genre and are able to investigate how such works are made viewed and valued. The unit is however not dependent on the specified context and genre but could instead be adapted and modified to meet the needs of any students in any classroom.  Authors:  Kirsten Price, Evan Jones