Aboriginal Histories and Cultures
Art lessons
Lesson Learning outcomes
1 Recognising the worlds
cultural diversity, focusing
22/6
on that of Australias
indigenous people (official
languages, religions and
spiritual traditions).
ACHASSK140
Resources: Teacher PowerPoint (along with notes), NAIDOC Week poster, A4 and A3 paper
for students to begin planning their posters on.
Learning activity Evidence of learning
- Introduce lesson sequence beginning Contribute to
with a brief overview of what students can discussions
expect and this units link to NAIDOC
Week. 25 minutes. Create a poster for
NAIDOC Week on your
Australia has two distinct Indigenous own or in groups of up
groups: Aboriginal Peoples and Torres to four, incorporating
Strait Islander Peoples. However, in this this years theme.
unit will focus on Australian Aboriginal
People.
NAIDOC Week is held in the first full
week of July. This years theme is Our
Languages Matter.
Show class the poster for NAIDOC Week
this year, letting them decide where it
should be displayed in the classroom. 2
minutes.
Students will create their own posters for
NAIDOC Week individually or in groups,
incorporating this years theme. Due 3/7.
10 minutes.
Lesson Learning outcomes Learning activity Evidence of learning

5 Students recognise the Yesterday, on Sunday 2nd July, marked the Create Aboriginal style art
diversity of Aboriginal first day of NAIDOC Week for 2017. work, providing a
3/7
Peoples culture through description of the materials
language, ways of life and Have one student read this, used and the meaning
experiences. Today we are displaying the posters we created behind it.
for NAIDOC Week to celebrate Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander history, culture and
achievements. We are recognising the
contributions that Indigenous Australians make
to our country and our society.

Students will display their posters in the class

room. 5-10 minutes.

- Today we will be looking at Aboriginal style

Art work and how language is represented in art.
- Show quick video How does Aboriginal Art
create meaning? (stop at 1:40)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp_vYfEiu
GU

- As early Aboriginal people had no written

language, all their laws and cultural beliefs were
preserved through stories, dances, songs and
paintings. All of which are different forms of
art.

- In Australias Arnhem Land, Archaeologists

have uncovered evidence of over 25,000 years
of Aboriginal occupation within this area, and
Kakadus rock art (gunbim) represents the
longest historical record of any group of people
in the world. 10 minutes.
- See Written in the Land
https://marymageau.wordpress.com/tag/painting
-techniques/

- Hand out Traditional Aboriginal Painting

Methods sheet to students and go through it with
them. Then show examples of Aboriginal style
 art. 10-15 minutes.

- Students to create Aboriginal style art work,

providing a description of the materials used and
the meaning behind it. (Can choose between
natural and man-made materials). 30 minutes.

Resources:
Natural: Clay, charcoal, ground rocks, sticks, bark, rocks, water
Man-made: cardboard cylinders, white A4, A3 card, paints, paint brushes, grey A4, A3 card
(in place of stone/cave wall)
 Traditional Aboriginal Painting Methods

Ochre
Ochre was the most important painting material used traditionally by Aboriginal people.
It is a crumbly to hard rock heavily and comes in a variety of colours from pale yellow to dark reddish-brown.
Ochre was often used on rock, wood and bark, as well as the skin of people participating in ceremonies. Red ochre was
particularly important amongst desert people as it symbolised the blood of ancestral beings.

Using pigments
Traditionally, the main pigments used were ochre, charcoal, fine white and coloured clay and mixtures of blood, feathers, fat
and other organic material. In painting, charcoal and fine white clay were the most commonly used.
Natural paints were made of a pigment and a binder. For example, Aboriginal artists would grind ochre and mix it with water
to make a paint.

Some examples of how these natural and traditional materials were used:
Brushing the pigment using a fine stick, crushed stick or hair brush
Pigments were also commonly applied by fingers or hands, especially during painting of skin for ceremonies.
Body painting occurred extensively as part of ceremonies in central and northern Australia.
Blowing a fine spray from the mouth over the back of his hand to produce stencils
o Stencil images are found widely in rock art, usually of hands or arms,
animal tracks, boomerangs, spear throwers or other tools such as stone
axes.