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Year 9

Transforming memories into art

I can take inspiration from memories and remembered sound to develop a collaborative artwork

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New
New
Year 9

Transforming memories into art

I can take inspiration from memories and remembered sound to develop a collaborative artwork

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Working as individuals, we can make personal pieces that come together as a whole art work.
  2. By reflecting on our past, we can reinforce our sense of identity.
  3. Contributing memories to collaborative art projects fosters a sense of community and connection.
  4. Sound can inspire artwork by helping artists express emotion, rhythm and movement through visual elements.

Keywords

  • Memory - something remembered from the past

  • Express - using artistic elements and techniques to convey ideas, emotions and experiences

  • Sound - something that can be heard

Common misconception

Memories are always accurate and unchanging.

A common misconception about memories is that they are perfect and unchanging when in reality, memories can be inaccurate, influenced by emotions and change over time.


To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Transforming memories into art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage students to consider the senses experienced within a memory and not just the visuals. Choose pupils of mixed ability when working collaboratively to encourage teamwork, peer learning and a balance of strengths.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Paper, scissors, rotary trimmer, pencil crayons, oil pastels, paint, marker pens, soft pastels, collage materials, thread, yarn, glue sticks

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these encourages risk-taking and can lead to a better connection through understanding others’ perspectives?
the use of colours in an artwork
the arrangement of shapes in an artwork
Correct answer: collaborating to make art
Q2.
What does collaboration in art mean?
Working alone on a painting
Copying another artist's work
Correct answer: Two or more people creating an artwork together
Q3.
How do people communicate through art?
Correct answer: By sharing feelings, stories and ideas using images, colours and materials
By copying famous paintings
By painting exactly what they see without emotion
Q4.
What is one way art collaborations help people connect?
They make people compete to see who is the better artist
They stop people from using their own style
Correct answer: They allow people to share ideas and create something together
Q5.
How can artists communicate without using words?
Correct answer: By using colours, shapes and images to show feelings or ideas
By writing a paragraph about their artwork
By painting with ink only
Q6.
Which of the following is a way that artists can create an emotional connection through their art?
Correct answer: Telling a personal story through images
By hiding their artwork away from public view
Always drawing stick figures with no emotion

Exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following would most likely represent a melting ice cream?
Red angular shapes
Correct answer: Dripping pastel colours
Torn, layered paper
Q2.
What is a memory?
A gadget for a mobile phone
Plans for the future
Correct answer: Something remembered from the past
Q3.
How can memories inspire expressive artwork?
By copying old photographs
Correct answer: By using colours and shapes that represent feelings or experiences from the past
By drawing only what is visible in the present
Q4.
Which of the following is a misconception about memories?
Correct answer: Memories are always accurate and unchanging
Memories are sometimes unclear or distorted as time passes.
Memories can be influenced by emotions and experiences over time.
Q5.
What is the most likely way to visually express the sense of smell?
erratic scribbles
a straight black line
Correct answer: wavy or drifting lines

Additional material

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