Mixed Media and Art Movements — Year 6 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: Art & Design KS2 — learn about great artists in history; evaluate and analyse creative works; develop a range of techniques in a variety of art forms
Overview
Pupils investigate a significant art movement — Cubism — and create mixed media artwork influenced by its principles. They develop critical literacy about art, connecting formal elements (form, perspective, composition) to cultural and historical context.
Learning Objectives
- Describe key features of Cubism and explain how it differed from earlier Western art traditions.
- Create artwork that uses multiple viewpoints simultaneously, inspired by Cubist principles.
- Use a combination of media — paint, collage, and drawing — in a single composition.
- Evaluate own and others' work using a range of art vocabulary with increasing confidence.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Show Picasso's 'Weeping Woman' and a traditional portrait from the same era side by side. Ask: what is different? Both are portraits — what choices did the artists make? Establish that Cubism was a deliberate break from realism, showing multiple perspectives at once — inspired partly by African masks and by questions about how we perceive the world.
Brief historical context: Picasso and Braque in Paris, c.1907; the political and social upheaval of the early 20th century. Core techniques: breaking the subject into geometric planes; showing multiple viewpoints (front, side, top) simultaneously; limited palette in early Cubism (earth tones) vs. collage in later Synthetic Cubism. Demonstrate: draw a face, then 'fragment' it — tilt the eye, flatten the nose, add a profile view alongside a front view. Add newspaper collage or painted planes to build the composition.
Pupils sketch a simple still life object (a cup, a bottle, a fruit) from three different viewpoints in their sketchbook, then combine elements from all three into one 'Cubist' drawing.
Pupils create a mixed media Cubist portrait or still life on A4 or A3 paper, combining painted planes, drawn lines, and at least one collaged element. Encourage bold choices of colour and composition.
Artist's talk: each pupil shares one decision they made in their artwork and the effect it creates. Discuss: does knowing the historical context of Cubism change how you feel about it? What would the world have looked like to someone living through two World Wars?
Common Misconceptions
- Cubism is just abstract — Cubism is rooted in observable reality; the subjects (faces, guitars, bottles) are recognisable even if fragmented.
- You can only use one medium in an artwork — mixed media is a deliberate creative choice; give pupils permission to combine freely.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Year 5 Art: printmaking and pattern; understanding of composition.
- Year 3/4 Art: observational drawing and colour mixing.
- History: World War II context may connect.
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