# NSW Creative Arts Units K-6: Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts by Stage > Ready-to-teach NSW Creative Arts K-6 units for Early Stage 1 to Stage 3. Dance and Music, and Drama and Visual Arts, units for the 2024 syllabus. ## NSW Creative Arts K-6 units, ready to teach Planning Creative Arts from scratch for a whole stage is a big job: four focus areas, eight terms, and a new syllabus arriving in 2027. The units below are complete term programs written by NSW teachers for the Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus (2024). Most pair two focus areas, Dance and Music or Drama and Visual Arts, and most run to 16 lessons with slides and teacher notes. Start with the full range below, or jump to your stage: [Early Stage 1](#seo-article-early-stage-1), [Stage 1](#seo-article-stage-1), [Stage 2](#seo-article-stage-2) or [Stage 3](#seo-article-stage-3). ## NSW Creative Arts Units for K-6 _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## How NSW Creative Arts units are put together ### Which syllabus applies in 2026 The [Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus (2024)](https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/creative-arts/creative-arts-k-6-2024/overview) is implemented from 2027. NESA sets 2026 aside to plan and prepare, and the NSW Department of Education says its schools are [required to enact the new syllabus from Term 1 2027](https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/creative-arts/leading-creative-arts-k-6/creative-arts-k-6-syllabus-information.html). Until then the Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus (2006) is still the one in place, so 2026 is the year most schools are choosing and trialling their new units. The 2024 syllabus is organised into four focus areas, each with its own practices: - **Dance:** composing, performing and appreciating - **Drama:** making, performing and appreciating - **Music:** performing, listening and composing - **Visual Arts:** making, appreciating and exhibiting NESA states that all focus areas need to be taught across a stage of learning. That is why stage programs are built as a set of units rather than one term at a time. ### Why units pair Dance and Music, or Drama and Visual Arts The Department of Education publishes a [sample scope and sequence and sample units](https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/creative-arts/planning-programming-and-assessing-creative-arts-k-6) for the new syllabus. Early Stage 1 has four units, one per term. Stages 1, 2 and 3 each have eight units spread over the two years of the stage. Each year runs two Dance and Music units (Terms 1 and 2) followed by two Drama and Visual Arts units (Terms 3 and 4). Most sellers on TeachBuySell follow that numbering, so "Stage 1 Unit 2" here is written for the same term and focus areas as the department's Stage 1 Unit 2. If your school uses the department sequence, you can buy the unit that matches the term you are planning. Catholic and independent schools may use their own sequence, so check the focus areas and topic, not only the unit number. ### What a complete unit pack should include Before you buy, check the listing description and preview for: - **A full lesson sequence** for the term (most units here are 16 lessons, roughly two a week) - **Slides you can teach from**, usually PowerPoint, with the learning intention for each lesson - **A teacher guide** that names the syllabus focus areas and practices the unit covers - **Student tasks**, such as worksheets, reflection sheets or performance checklists - **Assessment**, ideally a performance or making task with success criteria Some sellers sell a unit in parts (for example lessons 1 to 5, then 6 to 16) as well as a bundle. If you want the whole term, the bundle is usually the better buy. ## Early Stage 1 Creative Arts (Kindergarten) Kindergarten Creative Arts is about play, movement, sound and making. In the department sample sequence, Terms 1 and 2 are Dance and Music (storytelling through movement, beat, rhythm, pitch and dynamics) and Terms 3 and 4 are Drama and Visual Arts (imaginative play and roles, then line, shape, colour and simple construction). The Early Stage 1 range on TeachBuySell currently covers **Unit 2 (Dance and Music)** and **Unit 3 (Drama and Visual Arts)**, both full 16-lesson programs. [Browse Early Stage 1 Creative Arts units](/s?keywords=Early%20Stage%201%20Creative%20Arts). For other Kindergarten planning, see our [Early Stage 1 science guide to living things](/teacher-guides/early-stage-1-science-living-things). ## Stage 1 Creative Arts (Years 1 and 2) Stage 1 has the deepest range on TeachBuySell, including several of our most popular units. Stage 1 runs over two years, so the department sequence has eight units: Units 1 to 4 in the first year and Units 5 to 8 in the second (some sellers label the second year "Year B"). The topics below are the department sample topics; each listing on TeachBuySell shows how its seller has interpreted them. - **Unit 1, Dance and Music:** African dance and song traditions, with soundscapes about living things. Sold as lessons 1 to 5, lessons 6 to 16, or a full 16-lesson bundle. - **Unit 2, Dance and Music:** celebrations and festivals, including reading and writing simple music notation. Our [Stage 1 Creative Arts Unit 2 guide](/teacher-guides/stage-1-creative-arts-unit-2) walks through this unit week by week. - **Unit 3, Drama and Visual Arts:** circus traditions in drama, with cultural and historical artworks in visual arts. A full 16-lesson unit is available. - **Unit 4, Drama and Visual Arts:** reimagining objects and stories, with an ocean environments focus. Available as a 404-slide PowerPoint unit with PDF. - **Units 5 to 8:** the second year of the stage. A Unit 7 teaching pack is available now (in the department sequence, Unit 7 covers fairytales in drama and printmaking and pattern traditions in visual arts). If you are teaching a composite Year 1 and 2 class, check which year of the cycle your school is in before you buy. ## Ready-Made Stage 1 Creative Arts Units _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## Stage 2 Creative Arts (Years 3 and 4) Stage 2 units ask students to work more independently and to talk about why they made their choices. The department sequence moves from popular dance styles and their music in Unit 1 to natural rhythms, land, life cycles and seasons in Unit 2, then puppetry and storytelling in the Drama and Visual Arts units. The Stage 2 range on TeachBuySell is smaller. The standout is **Unit 2, Dance and Music: Exploring Natural Rhythms of Nature**, a 16-lesson program. [Browse Stage 2 Creative Arts units](/s?keywords=Stage%202%20Creative%20Arts). ## Stage 3 Creative Arts (Years 5 and 6) Stage 3 units lean on composition and on understanding the cultural context of an artwork, dance or piece of music. Two full units are available: - **Dance and Music unit, 16 lessons:** a complete PowerPoint program for the Dance and Music focus areas. - **Unit 3, Drama and Visual Arts:** PowerPoint lessons and a teacher guide. In the department sequence this unit covers storytelling in cultural contexts and digital technologies in art. It is one of the most popular Creative Arts units on the site. [Browse Stage 3 Creative Arts units](/s?keywords=Stage%203%20Creative%20Arts). Teachers planning the rest of Stage 3 can also use our [Stage 3 HSIE resources guide](/teacher-guides/hsie-resources-stage-3). The carousel below collects every Dance and Music unit across the stages, so you can compare how sellers have built them. ## Dance and Music Units, Kindergarten to Year 6 _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## Choosing the right unit for your class A few quick checks save time once the unit is in your hands: 1. **Match the term, not just the stage.** If your school follows the department sequence, buy the unit number that matches your term and year of the cycle. 2. **Look at the preview.** Every listing shows sample pages. Check the slides are readable from the back of the room and the lessons fit your timetable. 3. **Check the focus areas.** Over a stage you need all four. In the department sequence, Terms 1 and 2 are Dance and Music and Terms 3 and 4 are Drama and Visual Arts, so check which kind of term you are planning. [Browse Drama and Visual Arts units](/s?keywords=Drama%20Visual%20Arts%20lessons). 4. **Plan the performance or exhibition early.** Dance and Music units usually end in a performance, and Visual Arts units in an exhibition. Book the hall or the display space in Week 1. Creative Arts sits well alongside HSIE, particularly when a unit draws on culture and place. Our [Stage 1 HSIE resources guide](/teacher-guides/hsie-resources-stage-1) pairs naturally with Stage 1 Units 2 and 3. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### When does the new NSW Creative Arts K-6 syllabus start? The Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus (2024) is implemented from 2027. NESA sets 2026 aside for planning and preparation, and the NSW Department of Education says its schools are required to enact it from Term 1 2027. The Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus (2006) stays in place until then and NESA says it will not be available after December 2028. Units on TeachBuySell marked "new syllabus" are written for the 2024 syllabus, so they suit 2026 planning and trialling. ### Do I have to teach Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts every year? NESA states that all four focus areas need to be taught across a stage of learning. A stage in Years 1 to 6 is two years, so you do not need all four in every term, but your stage program needs to cover them all. The department sample sequence does this with two Dance and Music units (Terms 1 and 2) and two Drama and Visual Arts units (Terms 3 and 4) in each year. ### Why are Creative Arts units numbered Unit 1 to Unit 8? The NSW Department of Education sample scope and sequence gives Early Stage 1 four units (one per term) and Stages 1, 2 and 3 eight units each, spread across the two years of the stage. In each year, Terms 1 and 2 are Dance and Music and Terms 3 and 4 are Drama and Visual Arts. Most sellers on TeachBuySell use the same numbering, so a Stage 1 Unit 2 here is written for the same term and focus areas as the department sample unit. ### How many lessons are in a Creative Arts unit? Most full units on TeachBuySell run to 16 lessons, which is about two lessons a week across an eight-week block. Some are sold in parts, such as lessons 1 to 5 and lessons 6 to 16, alongside a bundle of the whole unit. Check the listing description for the exact lesson count and what files are included. ### Can Catholic and independent schools use these units? Yes. The Creative Arts K-6 syllabus is set by NESA for all NSW schools, and the units are written to it. School sectors decide how they implement the syllabus, so Catholic and independent schools may use a different unit order from the department sequence. Choose by the focus areas and topic you need rather than the unit number alone. ### Are there free Creative Arts resources? The full term units are paid, but there are [free creative arts printables, mostly colouring pages](/s?keywords=creative%20arts&price=0%2C0), that work as warm-ups or early-finisher tasks. Every paid unit also has a free preview so you can see the slides and lesson structure before you buy. --- Source: https://teachbuysell.com.au/teacher-guides/nsw-creative-arts-units-k-6 Marketplace: https://teachbuysell.com.au