FB S5.1 Impressionist Landscapes PROGRAM

This Impressionist Landscape Unit of Work offers a comprehensive and engaging approach to teaching the art movement of Impressionism, specifically focusing on Claude Monet’s innovative techniques in capturing light, colour, and atmosphere. The unit is aligned with the NSW Stage 5 Visual Arts syllabus and integrates Aboriginal pedagogy to create a culturally responsive and student-centered learning environment. It also reflects on the beauty, complexity, and transience of God’s creation, encouraging students to explore their faith through artistic practice.

Teachers will find a detailed unit of work for 10 learning weeks with an additional week of extension activities designed to help students connect with the subject matter or continue learning for an 11-week term. The unit includes an innovative multimedia project where students create a time-lapse video, capturing the effects of the Earth's movement around the sun, and write a poem to voice over their video, reflecting on the fleeting qualities of light as a metaphor for God’s ever-present yet unseen hand in creation.

Faith Integration

This unit encourages students to explore the spiritual dimensions of art and nature:

• Creation and Stewardship: Students reflect on the natural world as God’s creation, considering their role as stewards of its beauty.
• Light and Life: Through the study of Impressionist techniques, students explore light as a symbol of God’s presence, creativity, and inspiration in their lives.
• Art as Worship: Students are invited to honor God through their creativity, seeing their artwork as an act of worship and a way to glorify Him.
• Spiritual Reflection: The poetry voiceover and reflective practices enable students to connect their artistic processes to deeper spiritual insights about God’s role as the ultimate Creator.

Key Features for Teachers

• Aligned with the NSW Syllabus: Addresses Stage 5 Visual Arts syllabus outcomes, providing clear learning intentions and success criteria.
• Faith-Based Reflections: Incorporates Christian perspectives on light, creation, and artistic practice.
• Cross-Curricular Opportunities: Provides connections with Science (exploring the Earth’s movement), English (writing poems), Geography (landscapes), and Media (creating videos), encouraging a multidisciplinary approach to learning, while weaving in faith-based reflections.
• Technology Integration: Students use technology to create a time-lapse video reflecting the changing effects of the Earth's rotation, exploring light and shadow as part of their learning process. This creative narrative complements their faith journey, connecting scientific observation with spiritual meaning.

Incorporating Aboriginal Pedagogy

The unit integrates Aboriginal ways of knowing while aligning with Christian principles:

• Story Sharing: Students share personal stories and reflections on their faith and observations of nature, drawing connections between art, spirituality, and their personal journeys.
• Land Links: Students explore natural landscapes as a reflection of God’s creative power, fostering a deeper appreciation for both the physical world and its Creator.

How It Meets Syllabus Demands

• Technique Exploration: Students develop their skills in Impressionist techniques, exploring the use of colour, light, and brushwork as reflections of God’s artistry.
• Artworld Concepts: The unit encourages students to critically analyse how artists like Monet reflected their worldview, prompting students to consider how their faith shapes their own artistic expressions.
• Reflective Practice: Students reflect on how their artwork connects to faith, the broader context of Impressionism, and their understanding of God’s presence in creation.

What’s Included

• Lesson Outlines with clear learning intentions, success criteria, and activities for each phase of the unit.
• Teacher Notes on how to effectively teach Impressionism while incorporating Christian perspectives.
• Links to online resources such as a pre-made quiz aligned to the unit, YouTube videos, and forms.
• Templates for artist statements, TEEL paragraphs, poetry, and reflections.

Why Choose This Unit?

• Faith-Based Engagement: Students will deepen their understanding of God’s creation and develop a sense of stewardship and gratitude for the natural world.
• Holistic Learning: Integrates faith, Aboriginal pedagogy, and artistic practice in a culturally and spiritually responsive way.
• Technology and Creativity: Encourages students to innovate while connecting their work to their faith.
• Critical Thinking and Reflection: Guides students to explore the interplay between their faith, art, and the broader world through reflective processes and the exploration of artworld concepts.

By choosing the Impressionist Landscape Program, you are giving your students the opportunity to connect with God, nature, and artistic history, while developing critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills in a faith-centered and engaging learning environment.