Symbolism and Metaphor in ArtActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps students grasp the fluid nature of symbolism and metaphor by engaging them directly with visual texts and collaborative meaning-making. Moving beyond passive observation, students test their interpretations in real time, which sharpens their ability to read layered cultural messages and articulate their own creative choices.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze the cultural significance and contextual meanings of specific Aboriginal visual symbols like concentric circles, animal tracks, and U-shapes.
- 2Justify an artist's choice to employ culturally specific symbols instead of universal or literal representations in their artwork.
- 3Explain how cultural background influences the interpretation of colors, patterns, and motifs in artworks from diverse traditions.
- 4Create an original artwork that utilizes symbolic objects and colors to represent abstract ideas or personal identity.
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Gallery Walk: Symbol Interpretation
Display artworks featuring Aboriginal and global symbols around the room. In pairs, students spend 5 minutes per piece noting symbols, inferring meanings, and discussing cultural context. Pairs then share one insight with the class on a shared board.
Prepare & details
Analyze how Aboriginal visual symbols — such as concentric circles, animal tracks, and U-shapes — carry layered cultural meanings that shift depending on context and audience.
Facilitation Tip: During the Gallery Walk, position yourself to observe pairs as they annotate images, noting where they rely on assumptions versus textual or peer-supported evidence.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Small Groups: Metaphor Composition Design
Groups select an abstract idea like 'belonging' and create a composition using 3-5 symbols or colors. They sketch the work, label choices, and prepare a 1-minute justification linking to cultural influences. Groups present to rotate feedback.
Prepare & details
Justify why an artist might choose a culturally specific symbol over a universal or literal representation.
Facilitation Tip: For Metaphor Composition Design, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'Which visual element best represents your idea of identity? Why did you choose that form over another?' to push deeper thinking.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Pairs: Color Symbol Matching Game
Pairs receive cards with colors, emotions, and cultural examples. They match and justify pairings, then create quick sketches. Switch pairs to compare and discuss differences in interpretations across cultures.
Prepare & details
Explain how cultural background determines the meaning assigned to specific colors, patterns, and motifs in artworks from different traditions.
Facilitation Tip: In the Color Symbol Matching Game, listen for students to justify their pairings with cultural or emotional reasoning, not just personal preference.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Whole Class: Symbol Debate Circle
Project two symbols: one culturally specific, one universal. Students debate in a circle which best represents an idea like 'home,' citing examples. Vote and reflect on how context changes opinions.
Prepare & details
Analyze how Aboriginal visual symbols — such as concentric circles, animal tracks, and U-shapes — carry layered cultural meanings that shift depending on context and audience.
Facilitation Tip: Facilitate the Symbol Debate Circle by setting clear turn-taking rules and a one-minute reflection pause before responses to ensure all voices contribute thoughtfully.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Teaching This Topic
Teach symbolism by making the invisible visible through structured talk and iterative design. Avoid presenting symbols as puzzles with single solutions. Instead, model how to weigh context, culture, and audience when interpreting art. Research in visual literacy shows that students develop stronger analytical skills when they practice explaining their reasoning aloud and revising it based on new evidence.
What to Expect
Students will demonstrate clarity in connecting visual symbols to abstract ideas and respect for cultural context through written explanations, verbal justifications, and deliberate artwork choices. Successful learning shows in their ability to revise interpretations based on peer feedback and cultural knowledge.
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- 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 in pairs, watch for students claiming a symbol's meaning is fixed or universal without checking the artwork label or discussing with their partner.
What to Teach Instead
Pause pairs and ask them to revisit the artwork’s context card or ask another pair for their interpretation before finalizing their notes.
Common MisconceptionDuring Small Groups - Metaphor Composition Design, watch for students treating Aboriginal symbols as purely decorative without linking them to stories or cultural knowledge.
What to Teach Instead
Require each group to include a research note next to their design that cites one source explaining the symbol’s cultural significance.
Common MisconceptionDuring Pairs - Color Symbol Matching Game, watch for students selecting colors based only on personal preference rather than cultural or emotional associations.
What to Teach Instead
Ask each pair to explain their match using evidence from the color symbol chart or prior lessons before recording their answer.
Assessment Ideas
After the Gallery Walk, provide each student with an image of an artwork featuring Aboriginal symbols. Ask them to identify one symbol, explain its potential meaning based on gallery notes, and write one question about its cultural context.
After the Symbol Debate Circle, pose the question: 'Why might an artist choose to represent a complex idea like 'freedom' using a bird symbol rather than a direct image of someone being released from chains?' Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their reasoning, referencing universality, emotional impact, and cultural associations.
During the Metaphor Composition Design work period, circulate and ask students to point to one object or color in their developing artwork and explain the abstract idea it represents. Listen for clear connections between the visual element and the intended meaning.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to create a three-panel artwork using only Aboriginal symbols to represent a personal journey, writing a short artist statement that explains each choice.
- Scaffolding for students who struggle: provide a word bank of abstract concepts (e.g., hope, change, loneliness) paired with 2-3 suggested symbols to help them start their designs.
- Deeper exploration: invite students to research one symbol from Aboriginal art, find its traditional meaning, and reinterpret it in a contemporary context using a different medium (e.g., digital collage or clay sculpture).
Key Vocabulary
| Symbolism | The use of objects, colors, or forms to represent abstract ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning. |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, suggesting a resemblance or analogy. |
| Concentric Circles | A visual motif, often found in Aboriginal art, that can symbolize waterholes, campsites, or journeys, with meaning dependent on context. |
| Motif | A recurring element, subject, or idea in a work of art, often carrying symbolic weight. |
| Cultural Context | The social, historical, and environmental background that shapes the creation and interpretation of art, influencing the meaning of symbols and imagery. |
Suggested Methodologies
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