The Arts · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Public Art: Art in Our Community

Active learning works for this topic because young students build understanding through direct experience. When they search for, discuss, and create art in their own community, abstract ideas become concrete and meaningful. This hands-on approach helps students see art as part of everyday life, not just something in books or museums.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVAFR02
• AC9AVAFE01

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The School Art Hunt

Students go on a walk around the school in small groups to find 'hidden art' (e.g., a colorful tile, a carved bench, a garden design). They take a photo or draw a sketch of their favorite find to share with the class.

Justify the placement of a large sculpture in a public park.

Facilitation Tip

During The School Art Hunt, model how to look closely at details like shapes, colors, and placement before asking students to record their finds.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of a local public artwork. Ask them to write one sentence describing what they see and one sentence explaining why they think it was placed there.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why is it There?

Show a picture of a famous Australian public artwork (like the 'Big Merino' or a city mural). Students discuss with a partner why someone would put art in that specific spot and who they think it was made for.

Analyze how public art alters the ambiance of a street.

Facilitation Tip

In Why is it There?, circulate and gently prompt students who give one-word answers by asking 'How do you know that?' or 'What makes you say that?'

What to look for

Take students on a short walk around the school grounds or a nearby park. Ask: 'What art can you see? How does it make this space feel different? If you could add a new piece of art here, what would it be and why?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 25 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Park Designers

In small groups, students use blocks or recycled materials to design a 'mini-park.' They must decide where to put one piece of 'art' (like a statue or a fountain) so that everyone who visits the park can enjoy it.

Evaluate the intended audience for a specific piece of public art.

Facilitation Tip

Before The Park Designers, review simple group-work rules like taking turns speaking and listening with respect.

What to look for

Show students images of different public spaces, some with art and some without. Ask them to point to or verbally identify the spaces that feel more interesting or welcoming, and explain their choice.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should start with what students already know—their school playground or local park—and build outward. Avoid over-explaining; let students discover connections themselves through guided observation. Research shows young learners grasp community concepts best when they connect ideas to personal experience, so use familiar spaces as anchors. Keep language simple and visuals concrete to support diverse learners.

Successful learning looks like students confidently pointing out art beyond museums, explaining why it’s placed where it is, and contributing ideas in discussions. They should connect public art to community identity, history, and emotion. Participation in all activities shows growing awareness of design in their surroundings.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The School Art Hunt, watch for students who only notice framed pictures or paintings and ignore other designs.

  Prompt students to look at school signs, floor tiles, playground equipment, and even shadows as art. Hold up a ruler or a leaf and ask, 'Could this be art? Why or why not?' to widen their definition.

• During The Park Designers, watch for students who treat the assignment as purely decorative rather than purposeful.

  Show examples of public art that have jobs, like a bench that tells a story or a wall that marks a special place. Ask groups, 'What do you want this space to do? How can art help?' before they begin designing.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share
• Simulation Game