Art and war
I can explore and use different artistic techniques to convey themes of war and conflict.
Art and war
I can explore and use different artistic techniques to convey themes of war and conflict.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Art can be used to promote or oppose a war, recruit soldiers, or justify a war
- Art can show the impact of war, including battles, the impact on soldiers and civilians, and city destruction.
- Art can speak to future conflicts and remind us of our shared humanity
Keywords
Propaganda - artwork created to influence people’s opinions, or actions, by promoting a message
Commission - when someone pays an artist to create a specific piece based on their request and specifications
Common misconception
Art about war mainly glorifies violence or heroism.
Much art inspired by war actually critiques violence, depicts the horrors of war, and emphasises the human cost.
To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Art and war, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Art and war, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 art and design lessons from the Social action unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Paper, cardboard, acrylic paint, brushes & palette knife, scissors, glue. Optional: split pins & templates found in additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
5 Questions
art created to influence opinions, or actions, by promoting a message
when someone pays an artist to make artwork to their specifications
art influenced by the experience, emotion or perspective of the artist