Nature’s gift incursion | Stage 2 Creative Arts
Program overview
Nature’s gift is a Stage 2 Creative Arts incursion where students explore their school grounds for natural inspiration and use digital tools to create nature-inspired artworks. Students collect and photograph natural treasures such as leaves, flowers and stones, then examine their lines, shapes, colours, textures and patterns.
Students learn how artists use natural materials and visual techniques before editing, layering and drawing over their photographs on iPads. Each student selects one artwork to be printed on A4 photo paper, with the print and frame delivered to the school after the incursion. All completed artworks are also provided to the school through Google Drive.
Learning intention
- We are learning to use digital tools and natural materials to make an artwork that represents nature.
Jump to: Program and curriculum | Essential information | Plan and prepare | Location | Related programs
Program and curriculum information
Program activities
Activities may change to suit student needs, timing and school arrangements.
Art from nature
Students view and discuss examples of artists who use natural materials or nature as inspiration. Using visual arts vocabulary, they describe how artists use materials, techniques, lines, shapes, colours, textures and patterns to represent subject matter and ideas.
Nature's treasures
Students explore suitable areas of their school grounds and collect natural treasures such as leaves, flowers and stones. Each student photographs selected materials to create a collection of digital images for their artwork.
Imagination workshop
Students review, select and edit their photographs using iPad apps. They layer images, adjust the size and placement of natural forms to explore balance, scale and proportion, and add digital drawings to create and refine an imaginative nature-inspired artwork.
Students select their preferred artwork for printing on A4 photo paper at Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre. The print and frame are delivered to the school at a later date for the school to assemble. All completed artworks are also provided through Google Drive.
Suggested timetable
Time |
Classes |
| 9.00–11.00 | Classes 1 and 2 |
| 11.30–1.30 | Classes 3 and 4 |
Please include your school's bell times in the notes section of your booking form.
The program works best in 2-hour blocks. This may require some classes to begin recess or lunch earlier or later than usual.
More than 4 classes will need to book an additional day.
Syllabus outcomes and content
Students will learn to
- observe and select natural materials as subject matter for an artwork
- describe how artists use materials, techniques and the elements of art and design to represent their world
- use digital tools to photograph, edit, manipulate and layer still images
- arrange images using balance, scale and proportion
- create and refine an imaginative digital artwork representing ideas about nature
- select and prepare an artwork for printing and display
The incursion directly supports the Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024) through Visual Arts experiences where students use natural materials, photographs and digital tools to represent subject matter and ideas about their world.
Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024)
Visual Arts
Outcome
- CA2-VIS-01 – makes artworks using art forms to represent subject matter and ideas, and describes ways artists convey ideas about their world to audiences through artworks
Content addressed
Making – Artists represent their world through subject matter and ideas in artworks
- Represent subject matter and ideas in artworks, making choices based on own interpretations of the world
- Explore digital tools to make or manipulate still or moving images, text and/or sounds
- Explore balance, scale and proportion in compositions to represent subject matter and ideas
Appreciating – Artists convey ideas about their world in artworks which can be experienced and interpreted by audiences
- Describe how artists use materials, techniques, processes and the elements of art and design to represent subject matter and ideas in artworks, using Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary
Exhibiting – Displays and exhibitions of artworks communicate ideas about artists’ practices to audiences
- Refine and enhance artworks or prepare samples of work for display or exhibition
Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024
Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary
Essential information
Cost, class numbers and booking
Cost
DoE school – $20 per student, GST free
Non-government school – $26 per student, GST free, minimum charge $750 per class
A minimum charge of $750 per class applies to non-metropolitan schools.
Classes
A maximum of four classes can participate each day, with up to 64 students in each session.
Schools with more than four classes will need to book an additional program day.
Schools requiring more than one program day should book consecutive days where possible.
Program costs
Program costs may change. If program costs change after you book, you will be charged at the original cost.
Booking policy
Confirm final student numbers and classes 7 working school days before the program.
Risk assessment and accessibility
View incursion risk assessments
Notify Field of Mars EEC before the incursion about medical, mobility, sensory, communication or other support needs so reasonable adjustments can be considered.
The school should ensure the selected indoor and outdoor learning spaces, furniture arrangements and movement routes are accessible and appropriate for participating students.
Classroom teachers are expected to attend and actively supervise students throughout the incursion.
Students who are unwell should not attend.
Weather, cancellations and rescheduling
The incursion may be modified, postponed or cancelled if travel or program delivery is unsafe because of extreme weather or fire danger.
Cancellation or rescheduling with less than 30 school days’ notice before the booking date – $650
Cancellation with less than 14 school days’ notice before the booking date – full program cost
Cancellation due to unsafe weather or fire danger – $0
Plan and prepare
Learning space and access
Provide one extra-large indoor learning space for all participating classes for the duration of the day. The space must be large enough to accommodate multiple classes and must include a screen or projector that can be viewed by all students.
Provide Field of Mars EEC staff with clear school-entry, visitor sign-in and parking instructions. Where possible, arrange parking or an unloading area close to the main learning space.
Ensure the school office and participating teachers know when Field of Mars EEC staff will arrive and where the program will be delivered.
School grounds and session organisation
Provide access to suitable areas of the school grounds where students can safely find and photograph natural materials such as leaves, flowers and stones.
Ensure required rooms, gates and outdoor areas are unlocked and available. Inspect outdoor learning areas for temporary hazards before the program.
Include the school’s bell times in the notes section of the booking form. The program works best in 2-hour blocks and may require adjusted recess or lunch times.
Location
School incursions
Planning information for incursions delivered at your school, including learning spaces, accessibility, risk management and staff access.
Extend student learning
Use these student-friendly fact sheets before or after the Nature’s gift incursion to investigate plants, natural materials, colours, shapes, textures, patterns and schoolyard habitats that can inspire student artworks.
- Plants fact sheet – Investigate plant features including leaves, flowers, bark, seeds, colours, shapes and patterns that can become subject matter for artworks.
- Tree habitat fact sheet – Explore the leaves, flowers, bark, branches, hollows and textures found in and around trees.
- Ground cover habitat fact sheet – Investigate grasses, ferns and low plants that create varied colours, patterns, forms and small schoolyard habitats.
- Leaf litter habitat fact sheet – Examine the varied colours, textures, tones and patterns of fallen leaves, bark, flowers and twigs.
Learn with us
Book this incursion
Book this Stage 2 Creative Arts incursion using our online booking form.
Learning resources
Use curriculum-linked digital books, lesson ideas and classroom activities to extend nature-inspired Creative Arts and environmental learning.
Related Stage 2 programs
Digital woodlands incursion
Use iPads outdoors to photograph natural features, apply composition techniques and create digital artworks and visual stories inspired by nature.
Documentary in a day incursion
Plan, script, film and review a short nature documentary while developing speaking, listening and multimodal storytelling skills.