Stories on Skin – Teacher Resource

The Stories on Skin Teacher Resource is a 10-week Visual Arts resource aligned with the NSW Stage 5 Visual Arts Syllabus, supporting teachers as they teach their students about body adornment practices across cultures and time periods. Through the study of Aboriginal body painting, Samoan Tatau (Malu), Mehndi (Henna), and Modern Western Tattooing, students explore how people use visual symbols, patterns and designs to communicate identity, beliefs, status, relationships, stories and cultural values.

Through this workbook, students will:

1. Investigate a range of body adornment practices, exploring their purposes, meanings, symbols and significance.

2. Explore the practices of individuals and communities, examining how identity, beliefs, traditions and experiences shape body adornment practices.

3. Develop their understanding of the Artworld Concept World, considering how cultural, historical, spiritual and personal contexts influence artistic expression and visual communication.

4. Create a realistic hand drawing along with an original body adornment-inspired design that transforms zentangle patterns into contemporary visual designs.

5. Experiment with drawing, pattern-making, symbolism and digital technologies (extension tasks) to develop creative and technical skills.

6. Analyse how body adornment is used to communicate identity, belonging, status, beliefs and personal stories across different cultures and societies.

7. Reflect on the Christian understanding that every person is uniquely created by God, considering how identity, purpose and belonging shape the way people express themselves.

8. Connect creativity with faith by exploring how art can communicate personal stories, celebrate cultural diversity, foster respect for others and encourage appreciation for the uniqueness of God's creation.

This syllabus-aligned workbook embeds:

• NESA syllabus verbs to develop students' ability to identify, investigate and explain.
• Super 6 comprehension strategies to strengthen visual and written literacy.
• TEEL paragraph structures to scaffold cultural investigations and extended written responses.
• Integration of ICT tasks to support research and digital artmaking.
• Learning Intentions and Success Criteria throughout the unit to support student ownership of learning.
• Faith connections that encourage students to consider identity, belonging, respect, diversity, purpose and the value of every individual as part of God's creation.

Designed to reduce teacher workload while maximising student engagement, Stories on Skin develops practical, conceptual and reflective skills through cultural investigation, drawing, design-making and critical thinking. Students investigate how visual symbols and patterns communicate meaning, explore how culture and experience influence universal human practices.

Throughout the unit, teachers are guided to support students in learning how body adornment can communicate stories, identity and belonging, while developing respect for diverse cultural traditions and perspectives.