lesson plan
Year Level: Year 8
Learning Area: The Arts – Media Arts
Focus: Understanding media style, camera angles, and sound effects through the creation of a Western-style short film.
Duration: 3–5 lessons (flexible depending on school timetable)
Introduction and Rationale
This learning experience is designed for Year 8 students studying Media Arts, focusing on the Australian Curriculum Level 7–8 content descriptors ACAMAM067 (explore representations, use media technologies, and control intent) and ACAMAM069 (plan, produce and present media artworks). Through hands-on engagement in creating a short film in the Western genre, students will explore the use of visual style, camera techniques, and sound design to evoke meaning and engage an audience.
The Western genre provides a recognisable and stylised framework for students to analyse traditional tropes and visual language while applying their own creativity and critical thinking. According to Reid (2012), engaging students in familiar genres enhances their media literacy and encourages deeper connections to storytelling practices.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, students will:
Identify and describe the stylistic elements of the Western film genre.
Experiment with camera angles, lighting, and shot composition to convey meaning.
Create and manipulate sound effects to build mood and enhance storytelling.
Collaborate in small production teams to plan, shoot, and edit a short film.
Reflect critically on their creative choices and their effects on the audience.
lesson 1: Genre Exploration and Pre-Production
Activities:
Introduction to the Western genre using clips from iconic Western films (e.g., The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, True Grit, The Mandalorian).
Class discussion: What defines a Western? Students brainstorm and annotate features such as isolated settings, wide landscape shots, moral tension, costuming, and music.
View ACMI’s Film It! resource (cinematography section) to examine professional examples of shot composition and lighting in genre filmmaking (ACMI, 2023).
Begin pre-production: In groups, students brainstorm a story idea, assign roles (director, cinematographer, editor, sound designer, actors), and complete a storyboarding template.
Pedagogical Strategies: Visual analysis, collaborative planning, direct instruction with media exemplars, and structured group work.
Literacy Integration: Students engage with genre vocabulary and film language, e.g., “low-angle shot,” “mise-en-scène,” “diegetic/non-diegetic sound.”
Lesson 2: Camera Angles and Visual Style
Activities:
View and analyse ACMI’s Film It! cinematography module again with a focus on shot size and movement.
Teacher-led workshop on camera angles: low angle (to show dominance), high angle (to show vulnerability), extreme wide shot (to show isolation), over-the-shoulder shot (to frame dialogue).
Students practise shooting test footage using tablets or cameras, experimenting with lighting and framing techniques appropriate to the Western style.
Peer feedback: groups review each other’s footage and provide constructive critiques.
Pedagogical Strategies: Arts-based practice through guided experimentation, peer learning, and formative assessment.
Numeracy Integration: Measurement of shot framing and spatial composition, use of timing/duration for story pacing.
Lesson 3: Sound Design Workshop
Activities:
Introduction to sound effects and music in Western films. Play iconic examples such as Ennio Morricone’s scores.
View ACMI’s Film It! editing module focusing on sound layering and transitions.
Students explore Foley sound techniques and create sound effects using everyday objects (e.g., coconuts for horse hooves, boots scraping gravel, wind sounds).
Use basic editing software (iMovie, WeVideo, Adobe Premiere Rush) to sync audio with test footage.
Pedagogical Strategies: Inquiry-based learning, cross-modal creativity, audio-visual problem solving.
Digital Literacy: Ethical use of royalty-free sound libraries; safe handling of devices; understanding copyright.
Lesson 4–5: Production and Post-Production
Lesson 4–5: Production and Post-Production
Activities:
Groups shoot their Western short films (approx. 1–3 minutes in length) using tablets/cameras.
Students apply knowledge of shot types, lighting, and sound.
Edit the footage and add effects, transitions, and audio layers.
Screen final films in a classroom showcase.
Assessment:
Formative: Observation checklists during planning and filming.
Summative: Rubric evaluating collaboration, creative decisions, technical execution, and reflection.
rubric
Curriculum and Pedagogical Justification
This workshop supports student development as both “makers” and “audiences,” aligning with the Australian Curriculum’s emphasis on media creation and critical response. It encourages aesthetic and technical fluency by incorporating both practical production skills and analytical understanding.
The selected resources—particularly ACMI’s Film It!—enable high-quality, curriculum-aligned media arts instruction through engaging digital tutorials, real-world examples, and scaffolded activities (ACMI, 2023). As recommended by the High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS), this experience uses explicit teaching, collaborative learning, and structured feedback cycles to enhance student understanding and creative capacity (Department of Education and Training Victoria, 2020).
Furthermore, the project supports general capabilities like ICT capability (through digital editing and filming), Critical and Creative Thinking (through planning and problem solving), and Literacy (through film vocabulary and reflective writing).
Differentiation and Inclusion
This learning sequence supports diverse learners through:
Visual resources and hands-on activities for visual/kinaesthetic learners.
Group roles tailored to student strengths and interests (e.g., editing for tech-savvy students, directing for verbal learners).
Scaffolded tasks and graphic organisers for EAL and neurodiverse learners.
Inclusive discussions where all contributions are valued.
Cross-curriculum priorities such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures could be integrated by encouraging respectful, culturally aware storytelling that avoids harmful stereotypes and explores local Australian landscapes in place of American Westerns.
Conclusion
This curriculum-aligned Media Arts workshop engages Year 8 students in authentic media-making experiences. By exploring the stylistic conventions of the Western genre, experimenting with camera angles and sound design, and producing a collaborative short film, students develop as confident, reflective, and technically capable media artists. With purposeful use of high-quality resources, scaffolded guidance, and inclusive strategies, this experience fosters the skills outlined in the Australian Curriculum and supports the AITSL graduate standards.