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      What is social action?

      I can create social action stencil art to spark conversation.

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      Lesson 1 of 6
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      • Year 9

      What is social action?

      I can create social action stencil art to spark conversation.

      Lesson details

      Key learning points

      1. Social action is about coming together to improve lives and solve problems important to communities.
      2. Social action projects encourage discussion, conversation and heightened awareness.
      3. Artists select materials to communicate more clearly with their audience.

      Keywords

      • Social action - when people work together to make their community or the world better

      • Conversation - an exchange of thoughts, ideas, or information between two or more people

      • Association - a connection we make in our minds between ideas or things, based on something they have in common

      • Stencil - a sheet of material with a design, shape, or letters cut out. Used to apply a pattern or image by painting, drawing, or spraying over the cut-out areas, leaving the design on the surface underneath.

      Common misconception

      Social action art must always make tangible improvements to an issue.

      Social action art might make tangible improvements to an issue but might focus instead on sparking conversation or raising awareness.

      Additional support and divergent task ideas can be found in the additional materials. Use a thick paint such as acrylic for printing the stencil as thinner paints such as watercolour or ink will bleed underneath the stencil.
      Teacher tip

      Equipment

      Stencil making: card, scissors, pencils, paint and brushes suitable for stippling. Found surfaces eg: newspaper, book pages, carboard, fabrics, envelopes, food packaging etc.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which term best describes a community?

      a formal organisation with strict membership rules and regulations
      Correct answer: a group of people who share common interests, goals, experiences or values
      a group of unrelated individuals who do not interact with one another
      a random collection of individuals living in the same area

      Q2.
      What word means "an exchange of thoughts, ideas, or information between two or more people, normally verbally"?

      Correct Answer: conversation, Discussion, Dialogue, Talk

      Q3.
      Which statement best describes the word 'association'?

      a process of observing patterns in numbers or data
      a method of solving problems using trial and error
      Correct answer: a mental link between ideas or things based on shared traits
      a technique for memorising facts through repetition

      Q4.
      Which statement best describes the creation of art by a group rather than an individual?

      Art is always created by a single artist who has full control over the work.
      Correct answer: Art can be created collaboratively, with many contributing people.
      Art is only displayed by a group, not created together.
      Art made by a group lacks the depth and meaning of individual work.

      Q5.
      Who can use art to make change in the world?

      Activists and charities only can use art to bring about social change.
      Artists and governments can use art to influence change in society only.
      Only artists working with organisations can use art to promote change.
      Correct answer: Anyone, including artists, activists, and communities, can use art for change.

      Q6.
      What is the role of symbolism in art?

      creating artworks that are purely decorative, without conveying any message
      depicting subjects exactly as they appear in real life, without interpretation
      focusing only on the visual details, without any hidden meanings
      Correct answer: using objects or figures to represent deeper meanings or abstract ideas

      Assessment exit quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What does social action art involve?

      creating art or performances to entertain people
      focusing only on global issues, not local change
      promoting individual success without considering others
      Correct answer: working together to improve the community or the world

      Q2.
      What is the missing word? Social action can involve sparking a , heightening awareness, solving problems or improving lives.

      Correct Answer: conversation, dialogue , discussion , debate

      Q3.
      Match these key words and definitions.

      Correct Answer:association,a mental connection between ideas or things based on shared traits
      Correct Answer:conversation,an exchange of thoughts, ideas, or information between people
      Correct Answer:community,a group of people sharing common interests, goals, or values

      Q4.
      Why is sparking a conversation important in a social action project?

      It allows artists to avoid discussing important or controversial issues.
      Correct answer: It encourages people to engage and think about the message being shared.
      It helps artists create abstract art without any clear message.
      It makes the project more focused on entertainment rather than change.

      Q5.
      Why is it important for the message an artist communicates to be clear?

      A clear message allows the artist to avoid discussing complex topics.
      Correct answer: A clear message helps the audience understand the artist's intent and ideas.
      A clear message makes the artwork easier to sell.
      A clear message makes the artwork more decorative and visually appealing.

      Q6.
      What is the most likely conceptual reason behind the materials an artist selects for their work?

      to follow trends and create work that is commercially popular
      Correct answer: to deepen meaning through the associations with the material
      to make the artwork more affordable and accessible
      to make the artwork more visually appealing without focusing on meaning

      Lesson appears in

      UnitArt and design / Social action

      Art and design

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