Stories without words

Using emotive illustrations to tell a story

Teacher visual arts resource developed by The Arts Unit

Years 7 and 8 visual arts

Students will learn how Shaun Tan uses real and imagined worlds, along with various real-life experiences, to develop his artworks. Students will then explore artmaking in the subjective and cultural frames, using their imaginations and cultural and social perspectives to develop an illustration of a character.

Your students will:

• explore a story told through illustration

• analyse the artwork using the conceptual framework

• develop an illustration of a character

• communicate through illustration.

Visual Arts 7-10 Syllabus

• 4.1: uses a range of strategies to explore different artmaking conventions and procedures to make artworks.

• 4.2: explores the functions of and relationships between artist – artwork – world – audience.

• 4.5: investigates ways to develop meaning in their artworks.

English K-10 Syllabus

• EN4-1A: responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure.

• EN4-5C: thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts.

• EN4-8D: identifies, considers and appreciates cultural expression in texts.

Collection of student work

• Google Form: create a Google form with activities and/or questions. Students can also upload any files they create. Email this form to your students with the Creative Class link and all your student responses will be combined in a Google sheet.

• Google Classroom Assignment: create an assignment or a quiz in your Google Classroom with activities and/or questions. Students can also upload any files they create.

• MS Teams: create a quiz or assignment in your class team drive where students can submit responses and upload any files they create.

• Email: ask your students to email you any responses and files they create.

• Flipgrid: a website that allows teachers to create 'grids' to facilitate video discussions. Each grid is a message board where teachers can pose questions called 'topics'. Students can post video responses that appear in a tiled grid display.

• Jamboard: an interactive whiteboard which can be used for class feedback.

For further support on how to create these resources

• Get started with Google Forms

• Create a Google Classroom Assignment

• Assign quizzes to students through Microsoft Teams

• Create an assignment in Microsoft Teams

• Educators – getting started with Flipgrid

• Get started with Jamboard