Visual Arts 2 to 3
Context

It is expected that students will:

• identify images from a variety of historical and cultural contexts
• demonstrate an awareness that particular images have value in the community
• suggest reasons for preferences in artworks
• demonstrate an awareness of a variety of reasons why people make and use art
• demonstrate respect for the work of self and others

(Creating/Communicating)

It is expected that students will:

• create images:
  • based on objects, places, events, or issues in their classroom, school, and community
  • in response to images from a variety of cultural contexts
• demonstrate a willingness to display individual and group artworks in a variety of ways

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Context in other grades click on an icon below.

• As students view the work of artists such as Emily Carr, Roy Henry Vickers, William Kurelek, and Susan Point, engage them in a discussion of how the artists' natural and cultural environments have influenced their work. Ask each student to choose a favourite from among artworks seen and to give reasons for his or her choice. Then brainstorm important aspects of the local environment (e.g., mountains, farms, cities, weather) and have students portray these in murals, paintings, or drawings for display in the school.
• On a walking tour, suggest that students record examples of architectural elements (e.g., triangular shapes, decorative scrolling, arches) by making thumbnail sketches in their visual journals. Then give students pieces of recycled inner tubes and small blocks of wood. Have them cut shapes from the inner tube pieces to reproduce architectural elements. Then they glue them onto the wood blocks and use them for stamp printing. Students share their print blocks to create a rich composite of elements that reflect the neighbourhood architecture. Detail and line can be added with fine drawing tools.
• Invite quilters to the classroom to discuss their art form and possible reasons for making quilts. Have students co-operatively plan and create a fabric or paper quilt that conveys messages related to classroom or community issues (e.g., friendship, traffic safety). Ask them to use coloured fabric or paper scraps or use wax crayon on white fabric or paper.
• Lead a class discussion on materials, processes, and tools from several cultural contexts (e.g., Japanese fish prints, Ukrainian pysanky, Inuit soapstone carvings). Have students make Gyotaku fish prints. The printing activity can be set up as a station while the rest of the class stamps the borders of cardboard frames with fish-shaped potato stamps.

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• When students view and discuss how artists' environments have influenced their work, look for evidence that they are able to:
  • identify features in the works that reflect cultural or natural environments
  • look closely to find details that offer ideas about each artist's environment
  • state preferences, giving reasons for their choices
• When students portray aspects of the local environment in their work, note and encourage their efforts to:
  • base their work on real features they see in the local environment
  • include detail and embellishment
  • offer original views or ideas about the features they include
• During and after a walking tour, look for evidence that students are able to:
  • notice architectural elements
  • record their observations in thumbnail sketches
  • cut shapes to reproduce the architectural elements
  • combine architectural elements to create interesting effects
• When students plan a fabric or paper quilt that conveys messages, look for evidence that they are able to choose or develop images to accomplish a particular purpose.
• As students share and display their artwork with others in the classroom, note the extent to which they:
  • treat their own work with care
  • show interest in the work of others
  • are willing to share and talk about their work
  • speak respectfully about their own work and the work of others

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