CyberMuse Teachers - Lesson Plans
Aboriginal Voices in Canadian Contemporary Art

Lesson Plan Activity:
My Own Blanket: Grade K-3

Summary

Description:

After exploring different artworks by contemporary Canadian aboriginal artists, the students will use a variety of techniques to create an artwork that includes both symmetry and asymmetry.

Theory:

The students will be able to identify and recognize different design elements (line, space, shape) and design principles, with particular attention to symmetry and asymmetry in the composition of their artwork.

Creation:

The students will produce a work of art that communicates ideas and/or emotions related to their personal history.

Analysis:

The students will describe the design elements and design principles used in the artworks to communicate ideas and/or emotions.

Cross Curriculum Links:

This lesson plan also explores concepts in the following subject areas: Canadian studies, history and geography, and English.

Duration:

3 20-minute sessions

  • Session 1: Discussion of the suggested artworks, sketches
  • Session 2: Creation of the artwork
  • Session 3: Presentation of the artwork, discussion

Look & Discuss

Present and discuss with your class a selection of the 7 featured artworks in the Artwork & Artists slideshow, focusing particularly on Seven Ravens by Dorothy Grant, A Minor Sport in Canada by Bob Boyer, and The Place Where God Lives by Robert Houle.

(Tabs will provide you with information on the theme, composition, interpretation and the artist.)

A downloadable Presentation that you can add to or manipulate will also help you share these images in your classroom.

Session 1:

Use the suggested artworks as the basis for a discussion. What design elements and design principles can we find in these works? Discuss the different techniques and effects used to create shapes, lines, space, texture and colours, as well as contrast, balance, rhythm, proportion and, of course, symmetry and asymmetry. Make sure that your students notice that Aboriginal artists like to use repeated motifs in their artwork, and also like to represent their own personal and cultural history. After presenting the suggested works, ask the students to think about what they would like to see on their personalized blanket. What identifies them? What shape and image might they use? Is it an animal, a sport, a recreational activity? Besides what they find to express their identity, they will be creating a unique work, a blanket that represents their own identity. Discuss with them the importance of identity and ask them to question their parents and friends about their family?s past and their cultural past. Ask them to think about the following questions. Why they have chosen one element rather than another? How will the elements relate to one another? Will they need to include all of them, or are they instead going to choose the most significant or most striking ones? Next, ask them to create a visual composition with shapes that tell a story.

For example, you can ask your students to think about an animal, a sport, or another activity that they like very much and that is typical of them. For example, they might love cats, playing soccer and eating pizza; on their blanket, they could create cat?s eyes using the shape of a soccer ball and the colours in their favorite pizza!

Materials

    • Paper and pencils for sketches
    • 11" x 17" paper
    • White tablecloths or sheets (cut into 11" x 17" pieces, one for each student)
    • Scissors
    • Red, black, blue, yellow and green felt (or other colours)
    • Decorative cloth in a variety of colours, motifs and textures
    • Crayons, coloured pencils, pastels or felt pens
    • Punch
    • Laces, string or leather cord
    • 8 cm x 12 cm paper (for labels)

Preparation Tasks

  • Pre-cut the 11? x 17? pieces of white cloth (these are suggested dimensions only). You can purchase the sheets or tablecloths at a second-hand store, as well as the decorative cloth, which the students can cut up for their collages.
  • You can also prepare a short questionnaire to help your students decide on their favorite animal, food, recreational activity, sport, friend, colour, etc.

Create

Create Activity Image 1

Ask your students to make several sketches to help them when they are producing their artwork. They should be using concepts of symmetry and asymmetry.

Create Activity Image 2

After sketching their shapes on the 11? x 17? paper and choosing their colours, the students will use them as a pattern for cutting out pieces of felt and/or cloth.

Create Activity Image 3

Ask the students to make a collage on their piece of white cloth.

Create Activity Image 4

Punch holes at the ends of the artworks and insert string, laces or leather cords so the artwork can be hung on the wall.

Create Activity Image 5

Signing and titling the work: Give each student a label and ask them to write on it the title of the artwork, the name of the artist, and the materials used to create the work.

Take it Further

Ask the students to present their personalized blankets, referring to the criteria in the attached evaluation guide.

Finish the session by reviewing the experience acquired and the subject matter learned during the activity.

You can take advantage of this activity to designate an "Identity Month" at your school and ask the other teachers to organize a project on the topic. End the month with something special: mount an exhibition in the school. Involve the students at every stage of the exhibition (making invitations, posters, and labels for the artworks, hanging the exhibition, etc.). Invite parents and friends.

Assessment Guide

1 2 3

Theory Criterion
To what extent does the student show that he understands various design elements, with particular attention to symmetry and asymmetry in the composition of the artwork?

The student is able to identify one design element.

The student is able to identify at least 2 design elements.

The student is able to identify 3 or more design elements.

Theory Criterion
To what extent does the student show that he understands various design principles, with particular attention to symmetry and asymmetry in the composition of his artwork?

The student is able to identify one design principle.

The student is able to identify at least 2 design principles.

The student is able to identify 3 or more design principles.

Creation Criterion
To what extent does the student?s artwork communicate ideas and/or emotions related to his own history?

The student?s artwork communicates few ideas and/or little emotion related to his own history.

The student?s artwork is effective in communicating ideas and/or emotions related to his own history.

The student?s artwork succeeds exceptionally well in communicating ideas and/or emotions related to his own history.

Analysis Criterion
To what extent does the student describe how the design elements and design principles used in the artwork communicate ideas and/or emotions?

The student has difficulty describing how the design elements and principles used in the artwork communicate ideas and/or emotions.

The student is effective in describing how the design elements and principles used in the artwork communicate ideas and/or emotions.

The student succeeds exceptionally well in describing how the design elements and principles used in the artwork communicate ideas and/or emotions.