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A Curriculum Framework for Seventh-day Adventist Secondary Schools

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

During the writing and editing of this framework, a number of teachers have given their time, creative ideas and resources.  We would like to acknowledge their contributions and thank them for their commitment and effort.  Those whose names are listed below are the groups who have participated in workshop sessions.

 

FIRST EDITION

Stuart Barons                                              Brisbane Adventist High School

David Blagden                                            Avondale Adventist High School

Daniel Dumitrache                                      Avondale College

Bruce Heise                                                Sydney Adventist High School

Dawn Hort                                                 Avondale College

Dudley House                                             Lilydale Adventist Academy

Rozie Kadareanu                                         Sydney Adventist High School

Tony Robinson                                            Hobart Adventist High School

Janice Rogan                                              Lismore Adventist High School

Robyn Ronan                                              Doonside Adventist High School

Dennis Steley                                              Sydney Adventist High School

Martin Willis                                               Avondale College

 

SECOND EDITION EDITORS

Manie Morgan                                                  Brisbane Adventist College

Michael Portman                                               Nunawading Adventist College

Tony Robinson                                                  Henderson College

Dennis Steley                                                    Sydney Adventist College

 

 

It is our wish that teachers will use this document to improve their teaching and so better attain the key objectives of Seventh-day Adventist education.

 

Dr Barry Hill,

Director Secondary Curriculum Unit

 

 

 

 

 

South Pacific Division

Seventh-day Adventist Church

Department of Education

148 Fox Valley Road                                                                 January 1998

WAHROONGA   NSW   2076                                                  Second Edition

 

CONTENTS

 

 

 

Acknowledgements                                                                                                  2

 

CONTENTS                                                                                                                           3

 

What is a Framework?                                                                                             4

 

Using the Framework                                                                                              5

 

SECTION 1 PHILOSOPHY                                                                                                 6

A Philosophy of Art                                                                                                                   7

Rationale                                                                                                                                  8

Outcomes                                                                                                                                 10

 

SECTION 2 HOW TO PLAN                                                                                               13

 

Steps in Planning a Unit                                                                                                             14

 

Exemplar Unit                                                                                                                           16

 

section 3 sample UNIT plans                                                                                  18

 

Visual Arts Art Elements Year 7                                                                                                19

 

Art Unit – Year 10 Wearable Art                                                                                               20

 

Art Unit Year 7 Line                                                                                                                 21

 

Art Unit Format                                                                                                                        22

 

Year 7 Looking and Seeing                                                                                                        23

 

section 4 Planning elements                                                                               25

Values                                                                                                                                      26

Aesthetic Values                                                                                                                       33

Suggestions for Emphasising the Valuing Process                                                                        34

Focussing on Spirituality                                                                                                             36

The Valuing Process                                                                                                                 38

A Pool of Art Topics                                                                                                                 39

Issues and Themes in Art                                                                                                          40

Art Issues                                                                                                                                 44

Teaching the Key Competencies                                                                                                45

Teaching Thinking                                                                                                                     48

Assessment                                                                                                                              52

WHAT IS A FRAMEWORK?

 

 

A Framework

 

In the Adventist secondary school context, a ‘framework’ is a statement of values and principles that guide curriculum development.  These principles are derived from Adventist educational philosophy which states important ideas about what Seventh-day Adventists consider to be real, true and good. 

 

A framework is also a practical document intended to help teachers sequence and integrate the various elements of the planning process as they create a summary of a unit or topic. 

 

The framework is not a syllabus.

 

The framework is not designed to do the job of a textbook.  Although it contains lists of outcomes, values, issues and teaching ideas, the main emphasis is on relating values and faith to teaching topics and units.

 

Objectives of the Framework

 

1.    One objective of the framework is to show how valuing, thinking and other learning skills can be taught form a Christian viewpoint.  The Adventist philosophy of art influences this process.

 

2.    A second objective is to provide some examples of how this can be done.  The framework is therefore organised as a resource bank of ideas for subject planning. It provides ideas, issues, values and value teaching activities of art, so it is intended to be a useful planning guide rather than an exhaustive list of "musts".

 

The framework has three target audiences:-

 

1.    All art  teachers in Adventist secondary schools. 

 

2.    Principals and administrators in the Adventist educational system.

 

3.    Government authorities who want to see that there is a distinctive Adventist curriculum emphasis. 


USING THE FRAMEWORK

 

 

LAYOUT

 

The framework is comprised of four sections — philosophy and objectives, suggestions on how to plan, examples of topic plans and a set of lists of important ideas, values, issues, teaching strategies and other elements which are useful in building a planning summary.  The nature and purposes of each section are set out below.

 

It is suggested that you read this page describing these four sections now before attempting to use the document for the first time.

 

SECTION 1 — PHILOSOPHY

 

Section 1 is the philosophical section.  This section contains a philosophy of art, a rationale for teaching art, and a set of outcomes, which have a Christian bias.

 

This section is meant to help teachers refresh their memories of the Christian perspective they should teach from.  They may consult this section when looking at longer-term curriculum planning, and when thinking about unit objectives.  They may also consider adapting it or using it as is to form part of their program of work.

 

SECTION 2 — HOW TO PLAN A UNIT

 

Section 2 is the "how to" section of the framework.  It explains a process teachers can follow when planning a topic or unit of work while thinking from a Christian perspective.  It is followed by sample summaries compiled by working through the steps.  Because it suggests an actual process for integrating ideas, values and learning processes, this section is the heart of the document.

 

SECTION 3 — SAMPLE UNIT PLANS

 

Section 3 shows practical examples of how to use the framework in topic and unit planning.  It is meant to show how Section 2 can be used to produce a variety of possible approaches to teaching valuing, thinking and other learning. 

 

SECTION 4 — PLANNING ELEMENTS

 

Section 4 contains the various lists of ideas, values, issues and teaching strategies that teachers may consult when working their way through Section 2 of the framework.  It is a kind of mini dictionary of ideas to resource the steps followed in Section 2.

 

SECTION   1

 

 


Philosophy SECTION

 

INDEX

Philosophy  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         7

Rationale    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         8

Outcomes    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         10

PHILOSOPHY

 

 

This framework assumes that God exists, and that he has created man and his environment.  This environment reflects some of the beauty of its original creation, and also the ugliness caused by the conflict between good and evil in the world.

 

The Christian view of creation and good and evil can be reflected in art.  This is partly because the artistic process demonstrates the relationship between what is and what ought to be.  Art is influenced by moral and religious principles, and it relates our perceptions of our envrionment to these priciples.  God has given these to us in His special revelation in the history and literature of the Bible.  Art helps us see how natural revelation in the environment confirms God's revelation in scripture.

 

A belief in God's creatorship influences our perception of our environment, of ourselves, and of our relationship to God.  This belief leads us to respond to God aesthetically.  We see our appreciation of beauty as originating from God, and we respond to beauty because we are made in His image.  We find a need and desire to be creative as we appreciate our aesthetic experiences, and because God's image includes creativity.  Through original creative expression we respond naturally to God and man. 

 

Art is from God and is given to help us discover our identity, our worth, and our creative potential.  Its pursuit can reinforce our concept of God, and develop our relationship with Him.  As we love God and acknowledge Him, our artistic sensitivity is heightened.  Conversely, our sensory experience and feelings are a means of enabling us to draw nearer to God. They also assist us to clarify and express our feelings as we relate to the evidences of His sensory experience and feelings which have been revealed in the universe around us.  This awareness leads to our seeing all other individuals around us as being of great value, and unique, for they to are part of God’s wonderful creation.  It also leads us give part of ourselves to others in artistic expression.

 

RATIONALE

 

 

VISUAL ARTS HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF EXPERIENCE:

 

Visual Arts may be seen as a process of making and interpreting artworks and images.  The subject presumes a dominance of the sense of vision, but does not negate the relevance of all senses in making and interpreting artworks.

 

By creating visual forms, students communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings.  This process provides them with a unique weave of expression and communication, and develops their capacity for sense and feeling perception and creative thought.

 

By studying images, art objects and the environment, students come to know their culture and their world.  Through this process students develop their capacity to interpret, form opinions about, and respond to their environment and their world.

 

The visual arts activate and heighten sense and feeling responses to the world of people, God, and the environment.

 

Learning in Visual Arts does not take place automatically as a result of maturation.  Students need continuing, positive and sequential experiences in the learning processes and skills inherent in the making and studying of artworks.

 

These processes may include:  perceiving the world through the senses;  responding in an individual way;  manipulating media to create new ideas and images;  organising materials and images to express ideas and feelings;  and evaluating images to understand, appreciate and make decisions.

 

VISUAL ARTS ARE NECESSARY IN EDUCATION:

 

Visual arts education is important because it involves the development of aesthetic sensibility to the environment, and the learning of a visual language.  This visual symbol system represents a non-verbal way of knowing, which is one way some of the sensory and feeling aspects of our world can be comprehended and shared.  It therefore enables students to communicate and express their ideas and feelings in a visual way, and to respond to the world around them with understanding, imagination and sensitivity.

 

VISUAL ARTS AND THE STUDENT:

 

Each student is capable of personal vision, insight and creativity.  Art enables students to become intelligent about their emotions and feelings.  An important facet of art education is that students use and analyse feelings, ideas and imagination as they expressively restructure their world.  Art emphasises an exploratory approach to learning where experiences are encouraged as being personally expressed and interpreted.  It is essential that students develop their ability to use images, objects, materials and techniques to express ideas and respond to their surroundings in their own way.

 

VISUAL ARTS AND VOCATION

 

The ability to perceive, respond and emotionally discriminate, assists students in their interpretation of other disciplines, and in life experiences.  Beyond this asistance, the visual arts also provide opportunities for students to discover interests and talents which can allow for informed choices about vocational and recreational activities.  In many careers creative commitment and the ability to think visually are essential.

 

VISUAL ARTS AND THE COMMUNITY:

 

As students grow they become more aware of the many ways information is communicated in their community environment.  Environmental quality and change are being presented in an increasingly visual way, and images, symbols and objects are used extensively to convey meaning.  Through experiences in visual arts, students can become visually literate, enabling them to participate more fully in community life.

 

VISUAL ARTS AND CULTURE:

 

Our activities and objects enable us to construct a belief system which is reflected in society's values.  These beliefs and values form cultures which are expressed in a myriad of environments and lifestyles.  To fully conceptualize the significant aspects of these cultures, students should participate in the arts, as our beliefs, ideas and values are presented in an increasingly visually way.  This participation will develop an ability to express, through art, more of their cultural heritage.  Hence art will allow them to make a more positive contribution to all aspects of Australian cultural life, in the classroom, home and community.  Through art, students also learn to discriminate between cultural elements of varied merit.

 

Appreciation of culture is often linked with recreational activities.  Many recreational activities involve art and are enriched by artistic ability.

 

VISUAL ARTS AND THE CHRISTIAN:

 

Artistic language and sensibility give us the capacity to strengthen our understanding of God.  This is because man relates to God in part through the development of feelings and visual imagery.  Our religious experience embodies a unique and personalized dimension which can be developed in an intuitive way through artistic expression.

 

Art also enables us to use our inward experience to inform our life directions.  Its imagery helps us to articulate the Christian gospel to others in a more complete way.  And it helps us distinguish the Christian aspects of culture from the secular aspects.

 

OUTCOMES

 

 

The Visual Arts aim to provide students with opportunities to:

 

1.     Develop visual expression and communication by making art works.

 

Related Outcomes:

 

•  Recognise that art is a God-given gift.

•  Discover their innate God-image by explorations into their environment.

•  Discern those elements of expression which are flavoured with anti-Godness.

• Legitimise their religious and cultural experiences by means of expressive manipulation of media.

•  Respond with sensitivity to the moral issues and values lived out in the world around them.

•  Comprehend the power of art works to address social concerns.

•  Comprehend the power of art works to address the needs of the disadvantaged and oppressed.

•  Use feelings, imagination and memory as a source of ideas for making artworks.

•  Experiment with the various materials to express concepts of social conscience.

 

2.     Develop sensory awareness and imagination by looking and seeing.

 

Related Outcomes:

 

•  To understand that imagination is a God-given trait.

•  Discriminate between the Christian world view and the broader societal understanding of the condition of the world and the meaning of life.

•  Comprehend, even though minutely, the fact that more than they can think or feel is God’s ideal for His children.

•  Realise that uniqueness of human artistic expression exists because God has given  peculiar abilities to individuals.

•  Discriminate between God’s intentions and man’s choices in aesthetic expression.

•  Develop sensitivity to the beauty and aesthetic subtleties of God's created world.

•  To recognise that in God’s world beauty of design is dependent upon adherence to principles and elements of design

•  Become aware of the world around them by learning through seeing and the other senses.

•  Respond to the spiritual world with imagination in order to explore new ways of looking and seeing.

•  Understand their responses to the world by finding, using and talking about visual qualities and relationships.

 

3.     Develop an understanding and appreciation of artworks, images and objects of the past and present.

 

Related Outcomes:

 

•  Relate past cultural presentations of Christian concepts and ideals to contemporary Christian issues.

•  Respond to images and objects that specifically address Christian values.

•  Discriminate between images, objects and artworks that are of differing moral standards.

•  Become aware of the changes and adaptations various cultures have made in their presentation of Christian themes and content.

•  Investigate how religious and social issues and values have been expressed in past and contemporary art work.

•  Develop gratitude for the beauty of the natural and man-made environment.

•  Investigate the many ways artists express their spiritual ideas, feelings and beliefs in visual form.

•  Use their imagination to explore the spiritual realm when responding to artworks.

•  Respect the art of others by discovering the meaning and motivation for other works.

•  Respect the way place, time, material and culture affect the meaning of artworks and images.

 

4.     Develop the ability to think and act creatively.

 

Related Outcomes:

 

•  Appreciate their ability to creatively manipulate God’s created environment as they encounter it personally.

•  Discriminate those elements of expression and communication which do not reflect God’s image.

•  Creatively explore visual expression and communication.

•  Reflect God’s image as it is expressed in unique artistic expression.

•  Perceive how God’s ideals and creativity transcend human accomplishments.

•  Through the valuing process, establish and evaluate moral and aesthetic criteria for judging the worth of art.

•  Establish for themselves those basic human rights which are essential to the Christian world view.

•  Reflect God's image as it is expressed in unique artistic expression.

•  Explore ways of communicating ethical thoughts and ideas through artworks and images.

•  Think imaginatively in order to raise moral questions and approach ethical problems through the visual arts.

•  Experience spirituality through working creatively.

 

5.     Develop a positive self-concept.

 

Related Outcomes:

 

•  Recognize creative expression as being a unique aspect of our “likeness” to God.

•  Identify personal feelings and experiences that are spiritual, and that originate from God.

•  Value self and others as children of God who are able to express imagination, insight and feelings.

•  Value personal spiritual insights through artwork and the works of others.

•  Appreciate their worth by the process of reorganizing a created environment.

•  Celebrate their existence with relaxation and fun which are valued as basic human needs.

•  Seek respect for the spiritual qualities of self, of others, and of the environment.

•  Develop divergent thinking and intuition as part of growth in creativity.

•  Increase self-esteem through activities that are self-motivated and self-directed.

•  Become aware of themselves as thinking and feeling individuals by expressing imagination and insight in their artworks.

•  Value their own art and the art of others by contributing and sharing new ideas.

•   Value generosity in sharing artistic ideas.

 

SECTION   2

 

 

 


The Planning Process

 

INDEX

Steps in Planning a Unit        .         .         .         .         .         14

Exemplar Unit: Art Clothing  .         .         .         .         16

 

STEPS IN PLANNING A UNIT

 

 

This section of the framework explains some steps you may go through to plan a unit of work or a topic, and bring important ideas, values, issues, thinking and other skills into the unit.  It is not assumed that this is the only way to plan — rather, this is one possible way among many to plan.

 

 

1.   LOOK FOR UNIT IDEAS

      Look for ideas which you can organise your unit around.  You may for example consult a data base or “swimming pool” of ideas to draw from to start unit planning.

 

      Consult scope and sequence charts in curriculum documents and start to think of available resources in the school.

 

2.   CHOOSE A TOPIC

      Pull out an idea, process, theme etc to try as a focus point.

 

      An example in art is the importance of the individual as an area of study.  The topic for the unit may be Observing Myself.  The topic may involve relationships, self-identity, environment, culture etc. 

 

3.   CONSULT THE SYLLABUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS

      Consult the syllabus and other state and school system frameworks for the inclusions for planning the module at this point.  See scope and sequence charts.

 

4.   BRAINSTORM IDEAS

      Brainstorm — explore and develop ideas.  In art we may think of how we are going to brainstorm ways to come with an art process or product that gives value to a learning experience.  This may include media, skills, techniques, processes, experiences, exploration of other approaches, how research might be done etc.

 

5.   TEASE OUT THE MEANING OF THE IDEA, THEME ETC

      Tease out the meaning of the theme.  In art the theme Observing Myself may include my self-portrait, my environment — the inclusiveness, friends, culture etc.

 

6.   THINK OF LIMITATIONS

      Think of limitations of resources, personal skills, class qualities and time allowed (timetabling time) in relation to the rest of the year.

 

7.   THINK OF ASSUMPTIONS

          Think of assumptions we make about the students, their skill levels etc.  Assumptions for an art unit may be that the student is familiar with pencil and paper, can gradate paint in various ways, and can use media such as crayon, pastel and pencil.