Activity Introduction
Quick summary: In this lesson, students design a dream car and create an artwork to represent their ideas that will be submitted to the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest. This contest encourages and inspires creative expression and imagination in students – some amazing ideas are born from dreams! Students will begin by reviewing their understanding of sustainability, before investigating what natural resources are and how we use them. Students will then participate in group work activities to think about how we could use resources more sustainably in different settings, before designing a dream car that could help people use resources more sustainably.
The Toyota Dream Car Art Contest usually commences late October to early November and concludes late to early March. Find up-to-date entry details, prizes and full terms and conditions here.
Learning intentions:
- Students understand what sustainability is.
- Students understand what natural resources are, how we use them and how and why they should be used more sustainably.
- Students understand how to communicate a message through art.
- Students can develop and practise art-making techniques.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 7 Science
- Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, including water that cycles through the environment, but others are non-renewable (ACSSU116)
- Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)
- Communicate ideas, findings and evidence based solutions to problems using scientific language, and representations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS133)
Year 8 Science
- Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE135)
- Communicate ideas, findings and evidence based solutions to problems using scientific language, and representations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS148)
Years 7 & 8 Visual Arts
- Experiment with visual arts conventions and techniques, including exploration of techniques used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent a theme, concept or idea in their artwork (ACAVAM118)
- Practise techniques and processes to enhance representation of ideas in their art-making (ACAVAM121)
Syllabus outcomes: SC4-12ES, SC4-11PW, SC4-9WS, VAS3.1, VAS3.2.
General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.7.
Relevant parts of Year 7 Science achievement standards: Students analyse how the sustainable use of resources depends on the way they are formed. They communicate their ideas, methods and findings using scientific language and appropriate representations.
Relevant parts of Year 8 Science achievement standards: Students use appropriate language and representations to communicate science ideas, methods and findings in a range of text types.
Relevant parts of Year 7 and 8 Visual Arts achievement standards: Students plan their art making in response to exploration of techniques and processes used in their own and others’ artworks. They demonstrate use of visual conventions, techniques and processes to communicate meaning in their artworks.
Topic: Sustainability
Unit of work: Toyota Dream Car Contest.
Time required: 160+ mins – artwork could be completed as homework.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion, guide groups through activities and through the creation of artworks.
Resources required: Paper measuring no larger than 400mm x 550 mm (15.7-21.7in.) or A3 in size. Butcher’s paper and scrap paper for drafting. Drawing materials, including but not limited to: coloured pencils, pens/markers, crayons, paints, watercolour paints, etc. Student Worksheets – one copy per student. Device capable of presenting a video to the class. Definitions of Sustainability Factsheet (optional – one copy per student). Sustainability Factsheet – secondary (teacher copy). Previous contest winners (equipment to project).
Keywords: Dream, car, natural resources, sustainability, Toyota.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Teacher preparation
