The Arts · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Curating an Exhibition

Active learning turns abstract curatorial concepts into concrete experiences. By physically arranging artworks, testing lighting, and crafting gallery text, students grasp how curation shapes meaning in ways that reading alone cannot convey.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA8C01
• AC9AVA8R01

• 35–45 min
• Small Groups
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Storyboard Gallery

Groups are given 10 random images of artworks. They must choose 5 to include in an exhibition and decide the 'order' they will be seen in to tell a specific story (e.g., 'The Journey' or 'Hidden Secrets').

Analyze how the lighting of a gallery space influences the viewer's emotions.

Facilitation Tip

During The Storyboard Gallery, circulate with a clipboard to photograph student arrangements and use them later to highlight how different orders create different narratives.

What to look for

Present students with images of two contrasting artworks. Ask them to write one sentence explaining what story or idea emerges when these two pieces are displayed together, and one sentence about how the lighting in the image might affect their feelings.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 35 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Lighting & Mood Lab

Using torches and colored filters in a darkened room, students experiment with how different lighting angles and colors change the 'vibe' of a single sculpture or object, then present their 'best' lighting setup.

Explain what story is told when two seemingly different artworks are placed side by side.

Facilitation Tip

In Lighting & Mood Lab, provide colored gels and dimmer switches so students can immediately see how light temperature shifts the emotional tone of the space.

What to look for

Students bring in images of artworks (their own or found). In small groups, they arrange two artworks side by side and write a short piece of wall text (2-3 sentences) for the pair. Peers provide feedback on whether the text helps them see a new connection without telling them exactly what to think.

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

Activity 03

• Peer Teaching
• 40 min · Small Groups

Peer Teaching: The Curator's Tour

Students set up a small display of their own work. They act as the 'Curator' and lead a small group on a tour, explaining why they grouped certain pieces together and what they want the audience to feel.

Critique how to write wall text that informs without telling the viewer what to think.

Facilitation Tip

For The Curator's Tour, model a tour yourself first so students understand the balance between sharing curatorial intent and allowing space for audience interpretation.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were curating a small exhibition about 'Friendship,' which two artworks would you place next to each other and why? How would you light the space to enhance this theme?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share and justify their choices.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should frame curation as a form of visual rhetoric where every decision communicates. Avoid presenting labels as authoritative captions; instead, teach students to write questions that provoke curiosity. Research shows that students learn curation best when they experience the exhibition from the viewer's perspective, so design activities that require them to step into the audience's shoes.

Students will demonstrate their understanding by making deliberate choices about artwork placement, lighting effects, and label writing that invite viewers to think critically rather than passively absorb information. Successful learning is visible when students justify their decisions with clear reasoning about audience experience.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Storyboard Gallery, watch for groups arranging artworks in a single straight line without considering the space between pieces or the flow of movement.

  Pause the activity and ask students to measure the walking distance between each piece. Have them sketch arrows showing possible viewer paths, emphasizing that the gaps are part of the story.

• During The Curator's Tour, watch for students writing wall text that tells viewers exactly what to think about the artwork.

  Provide a checklist with the prompt: 'Your text should end with a question or open-ended phrase.' Have students swap labels with peers to test if the writing invites multiple interpretations.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Peer Teaching