The Giving Tree- Metis Pastel Art

Inspired by Leah Dorion

Thursday, November 14 th , 2019

Friday, November 15 th , 2019
Monday, November 18 th , 2019

Art, also tied to Social Studies curricular outcomes

Lesson 1: 1 hour
Lesson 2: 45 mins
Lesson 3: 1 hour

Big Ideas/Rationale/Essential Understandings/Inquiry

Art:
 Art education is concerned with having individuals think and behave as artists
 Art education deals with ways in which people express their feelings in visual
forms
 an understanding of art media, materials and processes and their appropriate
use
 ability to interpret images
 ability to express through images
 ability to reflect about images
 a wide range of experiences with various media and art materials
 drawing from the total curriculum for the purpose of creating
Social Studies:
 Exploring the unique and dynamic relationship that humans have with the land,
places and environments affects decisions that students make and their
understanding of perspectives, issues, citizenship and identity.
 General Outcome 4.2 The Stories, Histories and Peoples of Alberta
 o Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the role
of stories, history and culture in strengthening communities and
contributing to identity and a sense of belonging.
 For historical and constitutional reasons, an understanding of Canada requires
an understanding:
o of Aboriginal perspectives
o of Aboriginal experiences
Outcomes
Art:
Component 3 APPRECIATION:
Students will interpret artworks by examining their context and less visible
characteristics.
E. Art is valued for different reasons; e.g., aesthetic, economic, symbolic, associative.
PURPOSE 4: Students will express a feeling or a message
B. Specific messages, beliefs and interests can be interpreted visually, or symbolized.
Component 10 (iii) MEDIA AND TECHNIQUES: Students will use media and
techniques, with an emphasis on mixing media and perfecting techniques in
drawing, painting, print making, sculpture, fabric arts, photography and
technographic arts.
Social Studies:
 4.2.1 appreciate how an understanding of Alberta’s history, peoples and
stories contributes to their own sense of belonging and identity:
o recognize oral traditions, narratives and stories as valid sources of
knowledge about the land, culture and history (CC, TCC)
 4.2.2 assess, critically, how the cultural and linguistic heritage and diversity
of Alberta has evolved over time by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions and issues:
o What do the stories of Aboriginal peoples tell us about their beliefs
regarding the relationship between people and the land? (TCC)
o How did the Métis Nation and Métis settlements contribute to
Alberta’s identity (i.e., languages, accomplishments)? (CC, I, LPP, TCC)
Assessment

Teacher will offer immediate formative feedback throughout the lessons to allow
students time to revise their work before completion.

Differentiation for Learners

 Work with teacher for students who require support
 Mid-class check-ins to ensure students are on the right track
 Offer students differing levels of difficulty throughout each stage of the task
 Offer students additional time during ME time to work on their art for those
students who require additional time
Resources/Materials
o White cardstock- 1 per student
 o Pencil- 1 per student
o Oil pastels- 1 box per student if possible (or shared at table groups)
o Art mats- 1 per student
o Document camera/ smart board
o Book- The Giving Tree by Leah Dorion
Development

Time Learner Activities Teacher Activities

Lesson 1
Transition:

3 mins Get students settled- ask students to

bring their chairs in as close as they can
to the purple stool so they can see the
book and so that they are focused and
do not have any distractions.

Introduction/ hook:

25 mins Class discussion:

 Today we are looking at a Metis
artist- Leah Dorion who does
some beautiful art
 Talk about what students notice
about the style of her art? – She
uses lots of dots in her work
 What do you notice about the
content of her art? (What does
she like to draw?) – about her
connections with the land
 What other symbols do you
notice on almost every page? –
infinity symbol (talk about what
this means- read that page of
the book if Ms. Sarah did not
during Social Studies

Tell the class what we are going to do

today:
 Last week you brainstormed
with Mrs. Salomons about your
own connections to the land
 and you wrote in your visual
journals
 This week we are going to do a
meditation style activity during
our art project- can anyone tell
me what that might mean?
- Work quietly
- Reflect on our own
connections with the land
- Take time to yourself
- We are going to put on
some calm, quiet music
while we work

Show the students the art that we are

going to do (a piece of art with pastels
that is inspired from Leah Dorion):
 Talk about taking our time to do
a really good job
 Talk about how we are going to
do a guided drawing, so
everyone will need to be paying
attention and working together
at the same pace
2 mins
Transition:
 Get students to return to their
desks
 Get 2 volunteers to pass out 1
cardstock paper per student
28 mins
 Use document camera
Work Time:
 Put your name on the back!
 Start with guided drawing –
sketching the lines with pencil
together – students follow my
lead
2 mins
Clean up

Lesson 2

5 mins Transition:
  Have a couple student
volunteers pass out art projects
 Each student needs an art mat
and a box of pastels- call
students up by table number to
get their supplies
35 mins
Work Time:
 Start by outlining the tree
 Work from the inside of the
paper outward
 Talk about doing a really good
job and covering all white
spaces- need to push fairly hard
with pastels
 Talk about not putting your
hand on the part that you have
already colored otherwise your
pastels will smudge
 Talk about overlapping pastels
when we get to the lines on the
tree and the dots on the sky and
grass
5 mins
Clean up
Lesson 3

5 mins
Transition:
 Have a couple student
volunteers pass out art projects
 Each student needs an art mat
and a box of pastels- call
students up by table number to
get their supplies
30- 40
mins Work Time:
 Continue working from where
we left off
15- 20
mins
Sponge Activity:
  If time, have all students clean
up and place their art on their
desk
 Have students circulate the
classroom thinking about the
techniques that their peers used
to complete their work.
 Have students sit down and ask
students what they noticed
about another students’ art?
What did their like? – Remind
them to be positive and kind

Closure
Day 1- We will continue to work on this tomorrow
Day 2- We will finish our Metis art on Monday
Day 3- Gallery Walk (can act as sponge activity if we have time):
- Each student places their art on their desk or a common space around the
classroom
- All students walk around to critique and actively engage in each others’ work
 What did you notice that you liked about someone else’s work?
Perhaps a technique that they used?
 Remind students to be positive about each others’ work
Sponge Activity
- Students can help other students who require extra support
- Help clean up the classroom
- DEAR time
Day 3
- Gallery walk
Self-Assessment
 What went well? Why did this go well? How did it contribute to student learning?
 In what ways would I change this lesson to increase student learning? Why?
 How does this inform the next lesson?