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Banner bonanza

Activity overviewStudents watch the video clip ‘Banners and Slogans’ provided in the Resources section of the AFL CD-ROM. Discuss why teams have banners, and who is responsible for the design and making of the match day banners. Students will also investigate banner construction and how banners are supported for the team to run through at the beginning of a match.

Students design their own mini-banner and work together in a team to make a banner for their soft toy team mascots to run through.

Time requiredApproximately 180 minutes

• One session for design

• One session working in teams on construction

• One session testing and reviewing the banners

Materials • Banners and Slogans video clip from the Resources section of the AFL CD-ROM

• Worksheet 1: Mini-banner design brief

• Worksheet 2: Review of design and construction

• Worksheet 3: Team mascots and logos

• Pictures of team mascots and logos – available on the Resources section of the AFL CD-ROM.

• Team songs – available on Resources section of AFL CD-ROM

• Construction materials:

• a variety of types and colours of paper, eg. crepe paper, tissue paper, cellophane, newspaper

• tape measures or rulers

• straws, balsa wood, chopsticks, skewers

• glue, sticky tape, electrical tape

• scissors

• pencils, felt-tip markers, paint

• rope, string

• paperclips, Blu Tack

• laptop and data projector to watch the video clip and play the team songs

Key Learning AreaTechnology

The Arts

Year levels Prep to Year 2

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PreparationIn the final stages of the project, ask students to bring along some soft toy AFL team mascots or other soft toys which can be used in the role of a team mascot.

These toys will be used to test out the mini-banners, by simulating players running through the banner.

Activity steps1. Watch the video clip ‘Banners and Slogans’ provided in the Resources section

of the AFL CD-ROM. Talk about why teams have banners and who makes them. Encourage students to talk about their experiences about watching a football game and seeing their teams run on to the football ground and then through the banners. Inform students that the team cheer squads make the banners each week. Discuss the themes that are used, such as celebrating a significant number of matches a player has played.

2. Watch the clip again, this time focusing on the way the banners are made, the materials used and how they are supported by the members of the cheer squad for the team to run through.

3. Show students the materials available for the construction and label these to create a word bank for students to refer to when labelling their banner designs. Discuss the evaluation criteria and brainstorm 3–4 evaluation questions such as;

• Are the team colours represented in the design?

• Is the design easy to see from a distance?

4. Give each student Worksheet 1: Design Brief, for them design a banner and think about what materials they could use to make it.

5. Organise students into pairs (maybe children who barrack for the same team). Students who do not have a team can chose one based on a selection process devised by the teacher. Ask them to look at each other’s designs and decide which one they would like to create together. Each design is a design option. If they would like to combine some aspects of several designs, they will need to draw and label a new design. Students should be able to justify the selection of the preferred option, based on the evaluation criteria developed as a class.

6. Once students have their chosen design, have them think carefully about the choice of materials and the availability of resources. They may like to test some materials before they make their banner.

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7. Students also need to think about the size and strength of the banner to make it appropriate for the toy mascots to be able to go through. For Year 1–2 students this assessment can employ measuring skills such as using tape measures to compare the height of the toys with the required height of the banner.

8. Remind students that teamwork is very important and that they need to share tasks and responsibilities.

9. After constructing their mini-banner, teams can decorate it with a slogan, their logo and mascot (using pictures provided).

10. Photograph the students with their completed banners.

11. Groups can now test their banners by running their team mascots through them. Play the team songs from the AFL CD-ROM to create the footy atmosphere! Students can observe each group’s test and provide some peer assessment/feedback. They may also like to predict what they think might happen before the mascots run through.

12. Using Worksheet 2: Review of design and construction, students review their banner and write what worked well, what could have worked better and what they found interesting.

13. Use the photos of the banners and students’ designs to create a display about this unit.

Assessment ideas• Investigating and designing – observe students’ ability to select the most

appropriate design option to meet the requirements of the design brief. Students should be able to justify the choice based on the class evaluation criteria.

• Producing – observe students’ ability in selecting and using appropriate tools, equipment and materials to produce a quality product. Students should be able to justify the choices made.

• Analysing and evaluating – observe students’ ability to test their product, make improvements and to try alternative approaches.

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Optional extension

Yearlevels1and2.Encourage students to consider what they might need to change if they had to make a full sized banner for an AFL team.

• What changes would you need to make if you were making a full sized banner for an AFL football match?

• What factors have to be considered when making a larger banner?

• What do you have to think about before beginning to make the banner?

• How many people do you need to work on making the banner?

• How important are the weather conditions?

• How important are the sizes and shapes of the letters, numbers and pictures?

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Worksheet 1: Mini-banner design brief

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

You will work in a team to make a mini-banner for an AFL team. Before starting

you need to do a design plan.

Your banner must:

• be big enough for your soft toy team mascots to go through

• be made from the materials available in your class.

Design a mini-banner in the space below. List the things you need to make the mini-banner.

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Worksheet 2: Review your mini-banner design and construction

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

What worked well? What didn’t work so well?

What surprised you when you tested your design?

What would you change if you made your banner again? For example: materials, size, construction techniques

How did you work as a team? Would you like to join your team’s cheer squad to help make the banners each week? Why? Why not?

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Worksheet 3: Team mascots and logos

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