Year 9 Visual Arts – Term 1 (WA Curriculum): Photography and Artistic Development

What this unit covers

In Term 1, Year 9 Visual Arts in the WA Curriculum centres on the unit “Photography and Artistic Development”.

Students explore photography techniques and media experimentation while developing reflective practices to improve their artistic skills.

Lesson sequence (10 lessons)

The unit breaks down into the following lesson-by-lesson sequence — each title below is a teachable lesson, in order:

1. Introduction to Photography: Camera Basics and Composition
2. Exploring Light and Shadow in Photography
3. Creating Self-Portraits: Technical and Creative Approaches
4. Media Testing: Comparing Digital and Film Photography
5. Reflection Journal Setup: Documenting Your Artistic Journey
6. Experimental Photography: Multiple Exposures and Creative Techniques
7. Analyzing Your Work: Critical Reflection and Peer Feedback
8. Mixed Media Photography: Combining Traditional and Digital Methods
9. Portfolio Development: Selecting and Refining Your Best Work
10. Final Reflection and Presentation: Showcasing Growth and Learning

Curriculum codes in this unit

Content codes:

Reading the codes: WA codes (the ones starting with WA) pack the year level, learning area, strand and content number into one string, while the national Australian Curriculum v9 uses a different anatomy that starts with AC9 — same content family, different labels. Our complete WA Curriculum guide decodes both, character by character.

Planning notes for Term 1

WA terms run roughly 9–11 weeks, and in 2026 Term 1 runs from Monday 2 February to Thursday 2 April — 9 weeks for WA public schools. With 10 lessons in this unit, that leaves breathing room for assessment, moderation and the weeks that disappear to carnivals, camps and public holidays — plan the assessable work to land two to three weeks before the end of term rather than in the final week.