The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Australians outlines the fact that in the past decade, global integration and international mobility have significantly increased. New and exciting opportunities are arising for Australians as a result. This heightens the need to reinforce for students an appreciation of and respect for 'social, cultural and religious diversity' (MCEETYA 2008). It is my firm belief that we should be educating students to become culturally literate, as well as tolerant and accepting. An appreciation of the traditions and practices of other cultures can be easily nurtured through engaging with and understanding different art forms and I would argue that a more culturally diverse curriculum is a more inclusive one. Furthermore, Emery (1998) states that teaching The Arts requires awareness of ethnocentric principles and values between different cultures. Therefore, I believe it is important for teachers to also develop an understanding of culturally diverse art practices, to be able to convey this information to students. 

I have designed four discrete lessons with resources that could be implemented in different year levels, to engage students in the analysis and creation of art forms relevant to cultures unique to their own. Each activity and lesson has been tailored to suit the relevant year level, to ensure the tasks are achievable and enjoyable and the curriculum standards are met. I have designed these lessons in a way that means they would not necessarily form a whole unit of teaching, but are rather a bank of resources with lesson plans that could be referred to as a starting point within a unit on multiculturalism. By designing the lesson plans for different levels of primary school (early, middle and upper) I intend to demonstrate the fact that the idea of art as being 'global' can be addressed at any stage of learning.