Y6: Art That Speaks – Can It Help Save the Planet?

What a powerful and thought-provoking start to our new art unit! This term, Year 6 are exploring the big question: Can art help save the planet? Through this unit, they will be building on their previous learning to understand how art can reflect, challenge and influence the world around us, particularly when it comes to environmental issues.

Across the unit, we will be investigating some key ‘sticky knowledge’ questions:

How can art be an act of protest?
How can art raise money for good causes?
How can artists reduce their environmental impact?
How can art spread awareness of endangered animals?
How can artists evaluate impact and effectiveness?

To kick things off, pupils took part in our first lesson, focusing on collage and protest art. We began by exploring real examples of protest artwork and discussing how artists use bold imagery and slogans to communicate strong messages. The class had some fantastic discussions about climate change, pollution and how small actions can make a big difference.

They then designed and created their own collage protest posters, using carefully selected colours, shapes and compositions to bring their ideas to life. Each piece included a clear slogan, with pupils thinking deeply about how to make their message as impactful as possible. From “Plants Not Pollution” to powerful imagery of the Earth in danger, the creativity and purpose behind their work was brilliant to see.

I was so impressed with how thoughtfully everyone approached this lesson. Not only did they show great care and precision in their collage work, but they also demonstrated a real understanding of how art can be used to communicate important messages and inspire change.

A brilliant start to the unit, Year 6. Well done!