Visual Arts K to 1
Context

It is expected that students will:

• demonstrate an awareness that images come from a variety of contexts
• demonstrate an awareness that particular images have personal value
• demonstrate an awareness that there are reasons for preferences in artworks
• demonstrate an awareness that people make and use art
• demonstrate respect for the work of self and others

(Creating/Communicating)

It is expected that students will:

• create images:
  • in response to objects and other images they have experienced
  • in response to images from a variety of cultural contexts
• demonstrate a willingness to display individual and group artworks

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

• Establish an art-circle time when students discuss their own work. Encourage students to title and sign their work before they present it. To initiate discussion, have them complete sentence frames describing their work.
• Have students work in pairs or small groups to identify details in selected art reproductions that indicate seasons (e.g., snow, coloured leaves, clothing) and classify the works according to the seasons depicted. Display these reproductions when conducting calendar activities.
• Provide a selection of artwork on a theme. Ask students to indicate their preferences and share and compare them in a class discussion. Then have students paint their own artwork based on the theme.
• Invite each student to conduct an imaginary treasure hunt at home to find a treasure that relates to her or his family's history or culture. Discuss with the class various ways to define treasure (e.g., monetary value, rarity, association) and ask students to consider why their chosen objects are valuable to them. Have students create drawings of their treasures and, if possible, bring the originals to the classroom for discussion and display.
• Arrange to have students view artworks from another class and record their responses. Encourage the use of appropriate, non-judgmental, descriptive vocabulary in their critiques. (e.g., "Davinder used spiky lines for the grass." "Ann used flowing colour in the sky.") Collect positive class responses to record on a chart and present to the artists.
• Have students identify people in their world who create images. Provide opportunities for students to watch and listen to artists at work (e.g., potters, weavers, painters) by visiting them in their studios or by watching videos. Display a collection of works of the artists studied.

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• Look for evidence that students are able to make connections between their experiences and the artwork they see and create. Encourage and note their:
  • fluency in telling the stories of the pictures
  • questions about the times and places shown
  • readiness to speculate about what is going to happen in the pictures
  • comments comparing themselves to images of children in the artwork
  • ability to project into the scenes (e.g., "I wouldn't like to wear those clothes!")
  • ability to create images in response to their own experiences
• When students present their artwork, look for evidence that they:
  • take pride in their work
  • are expanding their thinking and are talking about their work with increasing complexity
  • distinguish and can express preferences among different pieces of artwork
• When students view artwork on a theme, ask questions such as the following to find out about their responses and appreciation:
  • Which of these would you like to talk about? Tell me something special about it. What makes it different from the others?
  • If we could have an original work of art in our classroom, which one would you choose? Why?
  • Which one would you choose for your house? Why?
  • What ideas do you see that you would like to use in your own artwork?
• After students have watched an artist at work, ask questions to prompt their thinking, and note their responses. For example:
  • What did you see that surprised you?
  • What questions came into your mind as you watched?
  • If we could have this work of art in our classroom, where would we put it? Why?
  • Did the artist do anything that gave you an idea for your own art?

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