The Arts · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Displaying Our Art: Creating an Exhibition

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience the role of a curator firsthand to understand the deliberate choices behind art presentation. Moving artworks physically and discussing their placement builds spatial reasoning and critical thinking, which static discussions cannot match.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA5P01
• AC9AVA5D01

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Exhibition Layout Design: Gallery Walk

Students sketch potential exhibition layouts on graph paper, considering traffic flow and focal points. They then present their designs to a small group for peer feedback on clarity and impact.

Where is the best place to hang this artwork so people can see it clearly?

Facilitation Tip

During the 'Shoebox Gallery' activity, circulate with guiding questions like 'What story does this grouping tell?' instead of giving answers.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Curator's Statement Creation: Label Writing Workshop

In pairs, students draft concise 'curator's statements' or labels for 2-3 of their artworks, explaining the theme, materials, or process. They focus on using clear, engaging language suitable for an audience.

How can we group artworks together to tell a story or show a theme?

Facilitation Tip

In the 'Gallery Flow' simulation, stand at the entrance yourself to model how a viewer experiences the space before students start arranging.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Whole Class

Mock Exhibition Setup: Wall Space Challenge

Using masking tape on a classroom wall, students mark out 'hanging spaces' for their artworks. They then discuss and decide collaboratively which artworks best fit together in a designated section.

What information should we include next to each artwork for the audience?

Facilitation Tip

For 'The Label Writer' peer teaching, provide a template with word banks to scaffold precise language and avoid vague descriptions.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Audience Perspective: Artwork Placement Debate

Students individually select one of their artworks and write down where they think it should be hung and why. They then share their reasoning in small groups, debating the best position from an audience's viewpoint.

Where is the best place to hang this artwork so people can see it clearly?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling curatorial thinking yourself. Use think-alouds to show how you decide where to place an artwork, what connections to draw between pieces, and how to guide a viewer’s eye. Research shows that explicit modeling of expert thinking, followed by guided practice, leads to deeper understanding than open-ended exploration alone. Avoid rushing to 'correct' student arrangements early on; instead, ask questions that prompt reflection.

Successful learning looks like students thinking like curators. They will justify why they group certain artworks together, consider how viewers move through a space, and explain their choices using art terminology. You’ll see evidence of this in their arrangements, discussions, and written labels.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the 'Shoebox Gallery' activity, watch for students arranging artworks randomly or purely based on color and size.

  Guide them to ask, 'What story do I want to tell?' and use the shoebox walls to create deliberate pathways, like a beginning, middle, and end.

• During the 'Gallery Flow' simulation, watch for students ignoring how viewers enter or exit the space.

  Have them physically walk the path themselves, then mark the entrance and exit points on the wall with sticky notes before rearranging.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning