Title for lesson sequence: Mirror Shields for Change: Art, Identity, and Sustainability
Year level: Years 5–6
Curriculum areas & content:
Visual Arts:Because of this priority, students can learn about the ways people, nature and the economy are connected and find ways to help create a fair and environmentally friendly world in the future. It supports the development of skills to identify problems and choose actions beneficial for both the environment and society everywhere.
Because of this priority, students can better appreciate Australia’s First Nations Peoples by examining their cultural heritage, values and relationship to Country. It aims to build respect, bring about reconciliation and acknowledge what Indigenous communities know and believe.
Overall Aims/Learning Outcomes:The lesson evaluates artistic activism while concentrating on sustainable activism and opposing Indigenous oppression. The students will evaluate Cannupa Hanska Luger's Mirror Shield Project from a cultural and environmental standpoint before creating their individual artistic response which they will express through both visuals and spoken communication.
| Lesson | Focus & Summary | Assessment | Pedagogical Strategies |
| Lesson 1: What is Sustainability? | Inquiry-based introduction: “What does it mean to care for Country and our world?” Students brainstorm sustainability at local/global levels using visual mapping. | Class concept map or collaborative mural. | Think-pair-share, visual thinking routines, place-based inquiry ([Preston, 2015]; [Noble, 2015]) |
| Lesson 2: Art as Activism | Explore art as a form of activism. Introduce Luger’s work and global protest art. Students respond through reflective journaling. | Reflective journal entry analyzing a chosen artwork. | Visual analysis, storytelling, dialogic teaching ([Dinham, 2022]; [Girak et al., 2019]) |
| Lesson 3: The Mirror Shield Project | Examine the symbolism and intent behind the project using video and group discussion. Unpack Indigenous activism. | Group brainstorm poster: “How can art reflect society?” | Embodied learning, collaborative inquiry, discussion-based learning ([Lehtonen et al., 2020]; [Wooltorton et al., 2020]) |
| Lesson 4: Making Our Own Shields | Create individual mirror shields incorporating symbols, colors, and sustainable messages. Include an artist statement. | Artwork and artist’s statement. | Arts-based learning, critical and creative thinking, multimodal literacy ([Dinham, 2019]; [Everett et al., 2009]) |
| Lesson 5: Presenting Our Shields | Gallery walk and oral presentations during a mock protest. Students explain messages and artistic choices. | Peer and self-assessment using a rubric. | Performance-based learning, peer review, public speaking skills ([Marshall, 2004]; [Judson, 2020]) |
| Lesson 6: Reflect and Act | Students write sustainability pledges and discuss practical applications of their learning. | Written reflection and personal action pledge. | Reflective writing, civic action planning, authentic learning ([Henderson & Tudball, 2016]; [Shepardson & Hirsch, 2020]) |
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Title: Mirror Shields for Change Resource: The Mirror Shield Project – Protest art inspired by Cannupa Hanska Luger (Standing Rock, 2016) |
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Year level: Years 5–6 Lesson duration: 60 minutes Learning Intention: In this lesson, students will design and create a symbolic artwork (a mirror shield) that communicates their beliefs about protecting the environment and sustainability |
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| Curriculum - Learning outcomes & Assessment | ||||||||||
| Visual Arts (ACAVAM115): Students will plan and create artworks that communicate their ideas through the use of visual conventions and techniques. They will apply their understanding of symbolism and design elements to produce a meaningful artwork that reflects their beliefs about the environment and sustainability. | ||||||||||
| HASS – Civics and Citizenship (ACHASSK092): The ways people with shared beliefs and values work together to achieve a civic goal. | ||||||||||
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Arts/Humanities/Sustainability Concepts Protest and resistance through art. Symbolism and metaphor in visual storytelling. Environmental sustainability and civic responsibility. Indigenous perspectives on land and water protection. Vocabulary/Cultural References Symbolism, protest art, mirror, reflection, environmental justice, activism, sustainability, Indigenous resistance, metaphor, shield. Assessment Formative: Teacher observations of student participation, questioning during sketching and building phases, peer discussions. Summative: Completion of a short Artist Statement (3–5 sentences) explaining the meaning behind the mirror shield and its environmental message. Prerequisite Knowledge Students have discussed protest art and viewed examples from The Mirror Shield Project. Students have explored symbolism and sustainability themes in previous lessons. Links to Unit Sequence Previous Lesson: Explored symbolism and studied examples from the Mirror Shield Project. Next Lesson: Students will present their finished shields in a gallery walk or mock protest, delivering their artist statements and reflecting on symbolism and messaging |
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| Preparation and Teaching Resources required | ||||||||||
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Materials Cardboard or masonite panels (pre-cut), foil or mirrored adhesive sheets, paints, markers, glue, scissors, collage materials, Sketch paper, pencils. Other Resources Projector or large screen to show images/videos from the Mirror Shield Project. Printed examples of protest art. Sentence starters for Artist Statements (scaffolding for EAL/D students). Classroom Setup · Desks grouped for collaborative work to facilitate discussion, group art creation, and shared learning experiences. · An open space allocated for the gallery walk display of student-created mirror shields, allowing for easy movement and peer interaction. · Ensure access to a wash-up area for cleaning brushes and reusable materials, supporting sustainable practices. · Link classroom sustainability discussions with real-world examples from Clean Water Cycling to reinforce the importance of water conservation and environmental stewardship through artistic and civic action. |
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THE LESSON |
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| Lesson Introduction | ||||||||||
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Whole class focus: The presentation should bring back The Mirror Shield Project by showing images of shields employed during Standing Rock protests. The project emerged as strong protest art that utilized symbolic shields during Standing Rock protests for protecting water and land resources together with Native American rights against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Students should reflect on the symbolic message of the shields that protesters displayed at the Standing Rock event. "The shield needs to voice its environmental perspective" would be a useful follow-up question to trigger personal inner reflection. The next part focuses on standard environmental symbols used in protest art together with standard protest art colors. The color blue symbolizes water during protests while green represents both nature and the Earth and both clocks and hourglasses serve as symbols for pressuring environmental action. Explain how protest art makes use of visual strength through symbols which help spread awareness about environmental problems while motivating people to become active supporters and accountable citizens. |
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Learning activities |
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Step 1 – Planning (10 minutes): The students’ progress to sketching their shield designs in this stage so they can accurately communicate environmental protection using symbolic elements. The teacher encourages students to explore deep symbolism that will appear in their artworks. Students need to answer fundamental questions about their symbolism and environmental protection messages to support their artwork development. During this phase students have the opportunity to test various design elements which will help express their sustainability standpoints. Regarding student artwork development the teacher’s movement between students provides individualized teaching and enhanced interaction to inspire deeper examination of selected symbolism and imagery. Step 2 – Creating (30 minutes): Students ought to form pairs or small teams for constructing their shields utilizing selected materials. The reflective foil combined with mirrored vinyl should be placed at the shield center as a reflection symbol. Teams will add symbolic elements and environmental colors around it to convey their message. The collaborative nature of this task fosters teamwork and the exchange of ideas. The teacher will offer feedback while supervising the students during their shield creation and will check material safety practices at each step. The main intention of this activity will be the promotion of creative ideas alongside collaborative work and environmental teaching. Monitoring Understanding The teacher will monitor how students engage with work by evaluating their representation of symbols as well as their delivery of environmental content during planning and creation periods. The teacher will evaluate planning sketches for meaningful symbolism and effective environmental message presentation. While students create their shields for environmental themes the teacher pays attention to the process of idea integration to check if students properly link their symbols with relevant themes. Regular discussions that happen during construction allow teachers to assess student concept understanding so they can help enhance ideas in their artwork.
Key Questions the Teacher Might Use:
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| Lesson Conclusion | ||||||||||
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Wrap-up Class Discussion (10 minutes): Students display their shields for a classroom gallery walk. In pairs, students explain their work and Artist Statement to a peer. Teacher asks reflective questions: “How can creative acts like this influence how people think about sustainability?” “What did you learn from creating and sharing your message?” Set the scene for the next lesson with an introduction to the gallery walk. |
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| Variations | ||||||||||
Inclusion Considerations: EAL/D learners will receive visual supports and easy-to-understand instructions which will help them understand direction during the lesson. The lesson will supply students with sentence starters that will aid their Artist Statement writing process to form more convincing arguments. The students who require alternative methods for expressing their Artist Statements will get the chance to present their work verbally so all students can express their reflections. Students will benefit from peer support systems in addition to group collaboration structures that enable students to exchange ideas while providing peer feedback. The new method encourages inclusivity because it makes students more comfortable to express themselves artistically. Extensions: Additional creative opportunities exist for students who want more challenge because they can use Canva or iPad tools to develop digital shields which combine environmental symbolism with digital art. The students could learn verbal communication skills while explaining their art in short videos as this exercise helps them enhance their understanding of artistic message delivery. Students should use messages from their shields as inspiration to start a classroom-based campaign that promotes civic engagement toward environmental causes. The classroom project can transform into a genuine environmental initiative through video statements about artwork and posters and presentations or social media content. |