The Arts · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Art and Storytelling: Murals

Active learning works well for this topic because murals blend visual art with storytelling, letting students move from passive observation to hands-on creation. When students decode and design murals, they engage with symbols, colors, and layout choices in a way that textbooks alone cannot provide.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA4R01
• AC9AVA4C01

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Decoding Murals

Display printed or projected images of 6-8 murals around the room. In small groups, students spend 5 minutes per mural noting images, colors, and story elements on sticky notes. Groups then share one key insight with the class during a whole-group debrief.

Analyze how a mural communicates a story to a community.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, position students in small groups so they can discuss observations aloud and record shared insights on a single sheet to encourage consensus.

What to look for

Present students with images of two different Australian murals. Ask: 'How does each mural tell a story? What specific images or colors help you understand the story? Which mural's story do you connect with more, and why?'

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

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Pairs

Storyboard Sketch: Personal Story Murals

Pairs brainstorm a simple community story, such as a local park adventure. They sketch 4-6 panels showing key events with color choices justified in notes. Pairs present to another pair for feedback before refining.

Justify the choice of images and colors in a public mural.

Facilitation Tip

For the Storyboard Sketch, provide tracing paper over mural examples so students can overlay their personal symbols without pressure to draw perfectly.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple graphic organizer. Ask them to identify one symbol from a studied mural, explain what it represents, and describe one color used and its possible meaning in the artwork. Collect and review for understanding of symbolism and color choice.

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

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 50 min · Small Groups

Collaborative Mural Concept Map

In small groups, students create a large concept map on butcher paper for a class mural about their suburb. They add images, symbols, and color swatches with labels explaining story flow. Groups pitch ideas to the class for a final vote.

Design a concept for a mural that tells a story about your local community.

Facilitation Tip

In the Collaborative Mural Concept Map, assign each student a role—scribe, artist, researcher—to ensure all voices contribute equally.

What to look for

On an index card, have students draw one simple image that represents something important about their local community. Below the drawing, they should write one sentence explaining their choice and how it could be part of a larger mural.

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

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 25 min · Whole Class

Color Justification Relay: Mural Choices

Whole class lines up by teams. Teacher shows a mural detail; first student runs to board, sketches it, and justifies color use in one sentence. Next teammate adds an image choice. Continue until stories emerge.

Analyze how a mural communicates a story to a community.

Facilitation Tip

During the Color Justification Relay, limit color choices to a set palette to focus discussions on meaning rather than preference.

What to look for

Present students with images of two different Australian murals. Ask: 'How does each mural tell a story? What specific images or colors help you understand the story? Which mural's story do you connect with more, and why?'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by balancing close observation with creative practice. Avoid telling students what a mural "means" upfront; instead, guide them to uncover layers themselves. Research shows that when students generate their own interpretations and then test them against artwork, their understanding deepens. Use real-world examples to connect classroom learning to community impact, but keep activities structured to avoid overwhelm.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how mural elements tell stories and why artists make deliberate choices. They should use specific terms for symbols and colors and show respect for others’ ideas during collaboration.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students claiming murals are only decorations. Redirect them by asking, 'What symbols or repeated shapes do you see? How do they seem to guide the viewer’s eye or tell a sequence?'

  During the Gallery Walk, students will uncover narrative layers by tracking repeated symbols across the mural and noting how they connect like a visual story before revising their initial views.

• During the Color Justification Relay, watch for students saying colors are chosen randomly for fun. Redirect by asking, 'How does this red section make you feel compared to the blue section? What might the artist want viewers to notice first?'

  During the Color Justification Relay, students will test color meanings by sorting mural photos into emotion groups, then justifying placements with evidence from the artwork.

• During the Collaborative Mural Concept Map, watch for students assuming only experts can create meaningful murals. Redirect by pointing to the class’s concept map and asking, 'How does including your idea here change what the mural could represent?'

  During the Collaborative Mural Concept Map, students will see their individual ideas become part of a shared vision, showing how community input drives meaningful public art.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Mystery Object