Core Skills Analysis
History
- Arrie learned that horses and other working animals were essential in human history for transport, farming, carrying loads, racing, and herding before modern machinery.
- She understood that animals helped societies function and that their roles changed as technology developed over time.
- Arrie explored how horse imagery in art reflects historical uses like war and transport, showing a connection between daily life and visual culture.
- She practiced thinking about cause and effect by linking changes in society and technology to changes in how animals appear in art.
Visual Arts
- Arrie studied Franz Marc’s Expressionist works, including The Tiger (1912) and The Foxes (1913), and noticed bold colours and abstract forms.
- She learned that art can show emotion and ideas, not just realistic details, through the way animals are drawn and coloured.
- Arrie compared older animal imagery with modern art and saw that changing times influence artistic subjects and styles.
- She built observation skills by discussing how visual elements can represent animals in different ways and create a strong mood.
Science
- Arrie used a horse anatomy diagram to identify key facial features, strengthening her understanding of animal structure.
- She learned that different working animals have different physical roles, which connects body shape to function.
- Arrie observed basic riding positions and movement concepts, showing awareness of how a horse moves and how humans work with that movement.
- She expanded her knowledge of animals beyond horses by learning about other rideable working animals.
English
- Arrie participated in discussion-based learning, which helped her listen, respond, and explain ideas clearly.
- She used evidence from artworks and visual materials to support her thinking during the session.
- Arrie built vocabulary related to working animals, anatomy, art styles, and historical roles.
- She practiced comparing ideas across history, art, and animal studies, which supports deeper comprehension and communication.
Tips
To extend Arrie’s learning, invite her to create a simple timeline showing how working animals were used before machinery and how their roles changed over time. She could also sort pictures of animals into categories such as transport, farming, and herding to reinforce classification and purpose. For a creative art link, Arrie might make her own Expressionist animal painting using bold colours and shapes to show an emotion rather than a realistic portrait. Finally, a short oral presentation or caption-writing activity about Franz Marc or one working animal would strengthen her vocabulary and help her connect history, science, and art in one integrated project.
Book Recommendations
- The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf: A classic picture book about a bull who prefers peace to fighting, connecting well to animal roles and artistic interpretation.
- Animalium by Jenny Broom: A richly illustrated guide to animals that supports observation, anatomy, and visual comparison.
- The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse by Mac Barnett: An imaginative story with strong visual storytelling, great for discussing how pictures and meaning work together.
Learning Standards
- AC9E6LA05 (English, Year 6): Arrie considered how artists use language/visual features to influence audience response through discussion of bold colours, abstraction, and emotion in Franz Marc’s work.
- AC9E6LY01 (English, Year 6): Arrie used spoken interaction to explain observations and ideas during the online discussion.
- AC9S3U01 (Science, Year 3): Arrie compared animals’ physical features and roles, including horse anatomy and the functions of different working animals.
- WAHASS65 (HASS, Year 6): Arrie examined historical change over time by learning how working animals supported societies before machinery, showing cause-and-effect understanding.
- AC9E3L01 (English, Year 3): Arrie described how artworks and animal imagery create meaning for audiences, especially through style and subject choice.
Try This Next
- Draw and label a horse head diagram with key facial features from memory.
- Write 3 compare-and-contrast questions: working animals in the past vs today.
- Create a mini quiz on Franz Marc’s bold colours, abstract forms, and animal subjects.
- Make a sorting worksheet: transport, farming, carrying, herding, racing.