During my first year placement at Preston West Primary school my fellow pre-service teachers Bernadette, Effie and I needed to complete an Applied Curriculum Project (ACP). This project, once completed, was a way to leave our legacy at the school once we had completed our placement. We had a meeting with the vice principal who suggested that the school could use more colour. At the time students were learning about aboriginal culture and the relationship with Australian culture. We decided to create a painting using traditional aboriginal colours, which would be painted by the students at Preston West Primary. We would also create other activities, which would further develop students understanding and knowledge of Indigenous culture. Bernadette, Effie and I worked with the schools art teacher Jamie in outlining a sketch of what the painting will look like and the colours that we would be using.
We organised a roster for classes for when they would contribute to the painting. Bernadette, Effie and I would supervise the older students and we would assist the younger students. As we connected to the project to the Indigenous Culture unit the students were participating in at the time we would organise 3 or 4 students to work on the painting while the rest of the class would be participating in other activities about indigenous culture. We would rotate students so everyone would have an opportunity to contribute to the painting.
Our aim for the project was not only to leave our legacy and provide the school with more colour but to educate students about Indigenous culture and how it has impacted and apart of Australian history.