CREATING A CROSS-ARTS CURRICULUM
Cross-Curriculum Priorities
The Australian Curriculum in Victoria (AusVELS, 2014) has been designed to incorporate skills, knowledge and understanding that engage students with the world that they live in, helping provide them with the foundation to be able to make an important contribution to building a social, intellectual and creative nation. As such, AusVELS has incorporated three defining cross-curriculum priorities which all are relevant to the lives of Victorian students as well as addresses the contemporary issues that they face. These are priorities are listed below.
These priorities are embedded throughout the curriculum, within all learning areas. They are not treated as separate learning areas, but are treated as additional curriculum points that can integrated across all subjects, allowing students to connect their learning with the important issues of today's society.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is central to the identity of Australia as a whole. Understanding the culture and history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities helps engage students not only with the oldest continuous living culture in the world, but will also help students participate with the ongoing development of Australia.
Within AusVELS, students will explore the interconnected aspects of People, Culture and Country/Place that all contribute towards the identity of the Aboriginal people.
In my lessons, I have endeavoured to adapt elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, their practises and their land through the Arts; Music, Visual Art and Drama.
Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia
Due to Australia's close proximity and strong links to Asia, part of the AusVELS curriculum requires students to study the diverse range of asian countries and Australia's extensive engagement with Asia's social, cultural, political and economical spheres.
Migrants from Asia have historically contributed to Australia's development and continue to do so in the future. Understanding Asia's contribution to Australia's global diversity is essential in becoming active and informed Australian citizens who are able to work together harmoniously to building a social, intellectual and creative nation.
The Asian countries have been categorised into 3 areas:
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North-east Asia, including China, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan
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South-east Asia, including Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, East Timor, the Philippines and Cambodia
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South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Within the lesson plans provided, I have tried to adapt each lesson plan to cover each Asian region; north-east, south-east and south Asia, whilst also covering each subject of the Arts; Music, Visual Arts and Drama.
Sustainability
Sustainability refers to the ability for our planet to be able to sustain life in the future. Students are made aware of the issues occurring around the world and learn ways to create more sustainable patterns of living both individually and collectively within their community. Education in sustainability is largely future-focused and allows students to engage in informed action in order to promote ecological and social change. These sustainable actions take into consideration environmental, social, cultural and economic systems.
In these lessons, I have created learning spaces for students to expore the world of Arts (music, visual art and drama) through a sustainable lens, encouraging students to use creativity to engage in informed action.