The Arts · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Texture and Pattern: Exploring Aboriginal Dot Art

Active learning works especially well for exploring texture and pattern in Aboriginal dot art because students need to feel the materials and see the marks they make. The physical act of dotting with tools like cotton buds or matchsticks helps children connect symbols to meaning in a way that sitting and watching cannot.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA2E01
• AC9AVA2P01

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Pairs

Peer Interview: Symbol Discovery

Students interview a partner about three things that are important to them. They then sketch three symbols that represent those things to help their partner plan their self-portrait.

What patterns can you find in Aboriginal dot paintings, and where do you see similar patterns in nature?

Facilitation Tip

During Peer Interview: Symbol Discovery, provide sentence stems like 'I chose this color because...' to guide students who struggle to articulate their symbol choices.

What to look for

Show students images of various Aboriginal dot paintings and natural objects (e.g., a leaf, a rock, bark). Ask them to point to one pattern in the painting and find a similar pattern on the object, explaining their choice.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: The Mystery Portrait

Students display their portraits without names. The class walks around and tries to guess who each person is based on the symbols and colors used, discussing what clues gave it away.

How did Aboriginal artists use natural materials like ochre and charcoal to make colours for their art?

Facilitation Tip

For Gallery Walk: The Mystery Portrait, place a small card with each portrait’s title at student eye level so they can read it before guessing the artist’s identity.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are an Aboriginal artist. What part of the land around our school would you paint using dots or lines? What colors would you use, and where would you find those colors naturally?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Individual

Simulation Game: The Time Capsule Portrait

Students imagine they are sending a portrait to a student 100 years in the future. They must choose one object to include in their drawing that shows what life is like in Australia today.

Can you make a dot or line pattern that shows something about the land around your school?

Facilitation Tip

When running Simulation: The Time Capsule Portrait, give each student exactly one minute to explain their portrait before the 'capsule' is sealed, keeping the turn-taking tight and focused.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one texture they captured using a rubbing technique and write one sentence about what natural object it came from.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start by showing only Aboriginal dot art that includes natural textures like rocks or leaves, not human figures. This helps students focus on how symbols represent ideas rather than just people. Avoid showing realistic portraits at all in the first lesson; save these for a later comparison. Research shows that children this age learn symbolism best when they create first, then talk about their work afterward.

By the end of these activities, students will understand that portraits can use dots, lines, and patterns to show identity rather than realism. They will confidently share their own symbols and interpret those made by others in a gallery setting.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Peer Interview: Symbol Discovery, watch for students who describe their portrait by naming body parts like 'I drew a big nose.'

  Guide them to explain what the nose represents, such as 'I used a big dot for my nose because I love to sniff flowers in spring.'

• During Gallery Walk: The Mystery Portrait, watch for students who assume the portrait must resemble the person exactly.

  Pause at each portrait and ask, 'What symbols tell you about this person’s story?' pointing to dots, colors, or patterns.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning
• Gallery Walk
• Simulation Game