Grade 9 - Context (Perceiving/Responding

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will use their senses to perceive the world and respond to images and the ways in which they reflect the personal, social, cultural, and historical contexts in which they were created.

It is expected that students will:

compare and contrast art careers in a variety of contexts
demonstrate an understanding of the roles of artists and the visual arts in a variety of contexts
demonstrate an understanding of the roles of artists and the visual arts in reflecting, sustaining, and challenging beliefs and traditions in society
explain how the meanings and purposes of images are influenced by the context in which they are created or viewed
demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between culture and style, and the use of materials, processes, and images associated with them
analyse and evaluate displays, considering the nature of artwork, presentation, venue, and audience

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Context (Perceiving/Responding) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Invite members of the community who work in art-related fields to take part in a forum. Guests discuss their work and its role in the community. Students prepare questions such as:
- What educational background and professional experience did you require to do what you do?
- How does a visual arts background apply to what you do?
- What kinds of community objectives do you try to achieve in your work?
- How has your heritage influenced what you do? After attending the forum, students reflect on their new understanding of the place of the visual arts in society, using their journals to record their thoughts.
Students select images and use them for a variety of purposes by changing them to suit each purpose (e.g., an image of a seal to promote fur products, to give an environmental message, to advertise a travel destination, to recruit navy divers).
Research materials used by an artist from the past. Focus on questions such as:
- Why were these materials used?
- How did their use determine the nature of the work produced? Students could display samples of the materials (e.g., egg tempera, fresco plaster, ochre) and the type of work produced using them. Accompany the displays with a description of how the materials were prepared and used.
Explore a common ritual as performed in a variety of cultures (e.g., wedding, funeral, birth celebration, coming of age) and the art associated with it. Compare and contrast the artifacts associated with these rituals.
Arrange a field trip to a local art gallery. Ask the gallery owner or curator to describe the considerations involved in preparing the current show.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Students should attach meaning to purpose and product. By reflecting on their work and the work of others, they demonstrate a growing sensitivity to issues that influence the making of images.

Have students view a collection of materials (e.g., posters, cartoons, news articles) on a specific social issue. Probe their understanding by asking questions such as:
- How has each source approached the subject?
- What message are they trying to give to the viewers?
- How have the artists portrayed the issue?
- How important is the medium to the message?
- What differences do you notice among opposing groups (e.g., political parties, interest groups)? Different cultural groups?
Students view the same image or subject matter used in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. Form small groups and ask students to identify similarities and differences and to explain how the characteristics of the images and materials used reflect a particular culture or style. Look for evidence of their ability to:
- note particular cultural characteristics
- make connections between the meaning and the use of materials
- present their ideas clearly
- consider other students' points of view
View a display at a museum or art gallery. Have students reflect on and discuss these questions:
- Why has this group of objects or images been displayed together?
- Why is it put in this particular location?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What does the curator of the exhibition want to express?
- What piece in the exhibition impressed you most, and why?