Pair Trees
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Approach: Team Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Students can work collaboratively to make decisions on the choice
of artworks suited to particular purposes
Resources: Sets of 5 pictures of trees, 4 copies of decision-making card, recording sheet
Questions/instructions:  

In this activity your team will be working on making a decision about which tree picture you would choose to put in a special place in your school. It will need to be a picture that most people at school would enjoy. When you are making your decisions, I want you to think about three things.

Hand out decision making card and read it to the students.

To start, I am going to give each of you five pictures that artists have made of trees. Each of you will have the same set of pictures. On your own, put the five pictures in order, beginning from the one you like most. When you are deciding the order, think of the three things written on the card. I’ll give you the pictures, and you can do that on your own now.

Give each student a set of five pictures. Allow time.
[Paintings of various trees, in various styles, by: Alvin Pankhurst (Kaitiki Point Lighthouse, Moeraki, 2001), Rita Angus (Tree, 1943); titles unknown of paintings by Russell Clark, Souzie Speerstra, John Holmwood. ]

Now I want each of you to write the letter of the picture you liked most on this sheet.

Give out recording sheet. Each student records number of their preferred picture.

Each of you has decided on your order. Now I want you to explain to the others your reasons for choosing the one you like the most. Remember to talk about the three things on the card.

Allow time.

As a team, I now want you to work together to put the pictures in an order that you all agree to. When you are deciding the order, think of the three things written on the card. You only need one set of pictures, so I will gather in the other sets.

Gather in sets of pictures, and allow time, then record number of team’s most liked picture.

Now I want you to explain to me your team’s reasons for choosing the one you like the most. Remember to talk about the three things on the card. First, tell me what you like about the colour.

Students respond.

Now tell me what you like about the way the picture has been drawn or painted.

Students respond.

Now tell me what you like about what is shown in this picture.

Students respond.

You thought about the three things on the card when you were making your decisions. Was there anything else you thought about when you were choosing your favourite picture?

Students respond.

Finally, think about a place in your school where you would put the picture you have chosen. Talk about that now, then tell me what you decided.

Allow time.


% responses
2007 ('03)
y4
y8
Picture chosen by team:
A
13 (25)
27 (22)
B
5 (0)
4 (3)
C
25 (22)
18 (17)
D
38 (42)
28 (32)
E
18 (12)
24 (25)
Number of team members who
originally chose that picture:
all
11 (7)
15 (2)
all except one
25 (20)
26 (29)
half
26 (27)
31 (29)
one
24 (27)
24 (32)
How well did the team discuss the use of colour in the picture?
[Use of art vocabulary (cool, warm, tone, hue, primary, etc.); comment on colour combinations (complementary, contrasting); use of colour to achieve particular effects.]
very well
5 (5)
17 (9)
well
24 (22)
34 (36)
moderately well
48 (51)
35 (36)
poorly
23 (22)
14 (20)
How well did the team discuss the way the picture has been drawn or painted?
[Criteria as for colour, above; style (e.g. realistic, stylised, abstract); composition (e.g. relation of tree and background); technique (e.g. brushstokes, dotting).]
very well
4 (0)
14 (9)
well
23 (26)
32 (29)
moderately well
44 (55)
41 (43)
poorly
30 (19)
13 (20)
How well did the team discuss the content of the picture?
[Type of tree; form/shape of tree; landscape features other than the tree; finer details (e.g. birds in B).]
very strongly
13 (5)
21 (16)
quite strongly
39 (56)
41 (44)
a little
44 (36)
32 (39)
not at all
5 (3)
5 (2)
How strongly did the team relate to the picture as particulary suitable for their school?
(i.e. engaged in possibilities)
very strongly
11 (12)
25 (21)
quite strongly
45 (56)
43 (26)
a little
40 (27)
30 (49)
not at all
4 (5)
3 (4)
Suggestions for places to put the picture:
staffroom
3 (8)
3 (2)
exterior location
42 (30)
32 (24)
school library
15 (10)
14 (14)
school hall/gym
12 (13)
6 (10)
entrance area
9 (5)
17 (19)
other inside public area (e.g. hallway)
8 (17)
20 (26)
individual classroom
3 (3)
2 (2)
no clear decision
3 (3)
2 (0)
other
5 (10)
6 (3)
students clearly thought it was a real tree
42 (43)
31 (21)
Total score:
10–12
5 (4)
15 (11)
8–9
14 (14)
23 (18)
6–7
23 (30)
27 (27)
4–5
36 (42)
23 (24)
0–3
23 (11)
10 (20)
Commentary:
This task engaged students in a group discussion about which painting would be best for their school. These discussions were often lively and engendered many strong conversations. Students at both year 4 and year 8 were able to discuss a number of aspects of the painting (use of colour, method of painting or drawing, and the content of the works) in making their decisions. At year 8, students in 2007 outperformed students from the 2003 sample. One interesting aspect of the task was that in a number of groups (roughly 42% at year 4 and 31% at year 8), the group of students came to believe that they were locating a real tree in their school rather than a painting of a tree.
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