Art and Storytelling: MuralsActivities & Teaching Strategies
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.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze how specific visual elements like color, line, and imagery in a mural contribute to its narrative meaning.
- 2Compare and contrast the storytelling techniques used in two different Australian community murals.
- 3Justify the selection of symbols and color palettes for a proposed mural based on its intended message and audience.
- 4Design a preliminary sketch for a mural that visually communicates a significant aspect of the local community's history or identity.
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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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Groups at tables with case materials
Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Groups at tables with case materials
Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Groups at tables with case materials
Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring 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?'
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring 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?'
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring 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?'
What to Teach Instead
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.
Assessment Ideas
After the Gallery Walk, 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?' Listen for references to symbols, sequence, and emotional tone.
After the Gallery Walk and Color Justification Relay, 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.
After the Storyboard Sketch, 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. Review for personal connection and clarity of symbolism.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask early finishers to design a second version of their storyboard using only black, white, and one accent color, explaining how the limited palette changes the story.
- Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for students who struggle, such as "This color might mean ____ because ____" to support their color justifications.
- Deeper exploration: Invite a local mural artist or community member to explain their creative process, then have students compare it to their own mural plans.
Key Vocabulary
| Mural | A large painting or other artwork applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface, often in a public space. |
| Narrative | A story or account of events, presented in a sequence, that a mural can communicate visually. |
| Symbolism | The use of images or objects to represent ideas or qualities, adding deeper meaning to a mural. |
| Community Art | Artwork created with, for, or by a specific community, often reflecting shared values, history, or concerns. |
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