Learning Outcome 6

During the grade 10 drawing unit, I was able to deliver a lesson surrounded on inquiry and equitable practices in the arts. The focus of the lesson was learning a foundational drawing skill called "drawing from observation" or drawing from what you see in front of you. I began with a movement exercise in which students used a large drawing sheet and given the freedom to draw as many different forms of lines they can think of, taking up the whole page and using their whole arm movement to make these lines. Students spent several minutes doing this. I did not explain the purpose of this exercise until I gave a chance for students to reflect on why this might be a practice used in the arts before beginning a drawing. Students discussed several ideas such as how they found it relaxing, and connecting it to ideas of mental health wellness as well as ideas of demonstrating their art skills about line making. I further encouraged their thinking by providing links to other disciplines to help them better understand responsible art practices, such as connecting the idea of body movement to stretching before you begin a sport to loosen your muscles, similar to how you loosen your wrists and muscles in your hand before you draw so they do not get stiff.

I also connected academic learning to Indigenous artists, Asian artists and Black artists to show artworks that represent the diverse identities of the classroom. Students critically explored their own understandings of art concepts through class discussions of where they noticed these elements and principles being displayed in the art, and began noting modern art making approaches that were non-traditional such as quilt making, beadwork and mixed media that is considered art. Students then applied their knowledge gained from the lesson to explore and experiement with various methods and techniques of drawing from oberservation to begin their own drawing. I have utilized my learning from my Visual Arts teachable course in which I have learned the importance of the critical analysis process as much as the creative process because it helps students develop their inquiry skills and arts vocabulary. It also reminded me of the importance of creating an equitable lessons that accurately reflecting the learning needs and identities of students in the classroom and thus, adjusting my lesson to reflect their identities is something that generates more meaning and helps students become engaged in their learning. Below are images that demonstrate this learning outcome. Please click on the images for more details.