Economic Ups and Downs: Growth and Slowdowns
Understanding that economies experience periods of growth (more jobs, more spending) and slowdowns (fewer jobs, less spending).
Key Questions
- Explain the characteristics of a period when the economy is growing versus when it is slowing down.
- Analyze the impact of economic slowdowns on families and businesses.
- Predict how government actions might try to help the economy during a slowdown.
ACARA Content Descriptions
About This Topic
Modernism and Abstraction marks the moment when artists 'broke the rules' of representation. In this topic, Year 7 students explore how the Industrial Revolution, photography, and world events led artists to move away from painting 'things' and toward painting 'feelings' or 'ideas.' This connects to ACARA's focus on how artists use visual conventions to represent a personal or social viewpoint.
Students investigate movements like Impressionism, Cubism, and Abstract Expressionism. They learn that an artwork can be successful even if it doesn't look like a photograph. This unit is particularly liberating for students who feel they 'can't draw,' as it emphasizes color, form, and the process of making. This topic comes alive when students can physically experiment with 'process-based' art and engage in structured debates about the definition of art.
Active Learning Ideas
Formal Debate: Is it Art?
Show a controversial abstract work (like a Jackson Pollock or a blank canvas). Divide the class into 'pro' and 'con' teams to debate whether the work requires 'skill' and if it deserves to be in a museum.
Simulation Game: The Cubist Portrait
Students work in pairs. One student sits still while the other draws them from three different angles (front, side, and 45-degree) on the same piece of paper, overlapping the views to create a 'Cubist' perspective of time and space.
Think-Pair-Share: Color and Mood
Show three abstract paintings with very different color palettes. Students discuss with a partner: 'If this painting was a piece of music, what would it sound like?' and 'What emotion is the artist trying to trigger?'
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionAbstract art is 'easy', my toddler could do that.
What to Teach Instead
Abstract art often involves deep study of composition, color theory, and balance. Active 'process' exercises help students see that making a 'balanced' abstract work is actually quite difficult and requires deliberate choices.
Common MisconceptionAbstract art doesn't mean anything.
What to Teach Instead
Abstract art often communicates things that words or realistic images can't, like pure emotion or the rhythm of a city. Using 'Think-Pair-Share' for emotional interpretation helps students find their own meaning in the work.
Suggested Methodologies
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'abstract' and 'non-objective' art?
Why did artists stop painting realistically?
How can active learning help students understand abstraction?
Who was Jackson Pollock?
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