The Science of Sound · Term 3

Sound Through Different Materials

Students will investigate how sound travels through solids, liquids, and gases.

About This Topic

Art Through the Ages encourages Year 2 students to become 'art historians.' Aligned with the ACARA Visual Arts curriculum, this topic involves comparing artworks from different times and cultures to see how materials and subjects have changed. Students explore how people from long ago, such as ancient cave painters or early colonial artists, used the tools available to them to record their daily lives.

This unit helps students understand that art is a reflection of its time. In Australia, this includes comparing ancient First Nations rock art (the oldest continuous art tradition in the world) with modern digital art. By investigating 'then and now,' students develop a sense of historical empathy and an appreciation for human creativity across millennia. Student-centered strategies like 'The Material Mystery' allow students to physically handle different media and hypothesize about their origins.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: The Material Mystery

Groups are given a 'mystery bag' containing an old material (e.g., charcoal, a feather) and a modern one (e.g., a felt-tip pen). They must figure out how to use both to draw a simple animal and discuss which was harder to use.

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

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Gallery Walk: Time Travelers

The classroom is split into 'The Past' and 'The Present.' Students walk through both 'galleries' and use sticky notes to identify things that are the same (e.g., people, animals) and things that are different (e.g., colors, tools).

⏱ 25 min·Whole Class

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Simulation Game: The Cave Painter

Students 'travel back in time' and can only use their fingers and 'mud' (brown paint) to draw a story on a piece of crumpled brown paper. They then discuss why ancient artists chose to draw on walls.

⏱ 40 min·Individual

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Art from the past is 'worse' because it's old.

What to Teach Instead

Students often think modern art is better because it's more realistic or colorful. Active comparison helps them see the incredible skill and ingenuity required to make art using only natural materials like crushed berries or stones.

Common Misconception

Artists in the past didn't have imagination.

What to Teach Instead

Children might think old art is 'boring.' Looking at the mythical creatures in ancient art or the vibrant stories in rock art shows them that imagination has always been a part of being human.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the oldest art in Australia?

Aboriginal rock art, such as the paintings in the Kimberley or Kakadu, is tens of thousands of years old. It is some of the oldest and most significant art in the world, showing animals, people, and Dreamtime stories.

How did artists make paint before shops existed?

They used things from nature! They crushed colored rocks (ochre), used charcoal from fires, squeezed juice from berries, and mixed these powders with water, animal fat, or plant sap to make them stick.

How does active learning help students understand art history?

History can feel distant to a 7-year-old. By participating in a 'Cave Painter' simulation, students physically experience the limitations and possibilities of ancient tools. This 'hands-on history' makes the past feel real and helps them appreciate the evolution of artistic technology.

Why do we still look at old art today?

Old art is like a window into the past. It tells us what people wore, what they ate, what they cared about, and how they saw the world. It helps us understand where our own ideas about art come from.

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