1. Lesson Plan Information
Subject/Course: The Arts/Visual Arts / Name: Andy, Anne-Marie, Darren,
David, Nicola, Terry
Grade Level: 5 / Date: N/A
Topic: Art History / Time:Lesson 1: 50 min
Lesson 2:50 min
  1. Expectation(s)
The Grade 5 learners will:
5a42Grade 5PLNR02The ArtsVisual ArtsCritical Thinking– compare works on a similar theme (e.g., seasons) from various periods and cultures, and describe the impact of time and location on style (e.g., The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson; The Harvesters by Pieter Brueghel the Elder; and an Egyptian fresco, The Fields of the Blest);
5a38Grade 5PLNR02The ArtsVisual ArtsCreative Work– organize their art works to create a specific effect, using the elements of design (e.g., create a landscape painting by using elements of design like line and movement similar to that of the group of seven);
5a41 Grade 5 PLNR02 The ArtsVisual ArtsCreative Work – Identify strengths and areas for improvement in their own work and that of others.
  1. Pre-assessment

a)Students:
Students are already familiar with the following concepts:
  • Produce two- and three-dimensional works of art that communicate ideas (thoughts, feelings, experiences) for specific purposes and to specific audiences;
  • Identify the elements of design (colour, line, shape, form, space, texture), and use them in ways appropriate for this grade when producing and responding to works of art;
  • Use correct vocabulary and art terminology associated with the specific expectations for this grade.
  • Identify monochromatic colour schemes (i.e., tints and shades of one colour);
  • Identify the emotional quality of lines (e.g., smooth, flowing, horizontal lines create a feeling of peace and harmony; sharp, jagged, vertical lines create a feeling of energy and unease);
  • Demonstrate awareness that the overlapping of shapes is one way of creating the illusion of depth;
  • Demonstrate understanding of the proper and controlled use of art tools, materials, and techniques singly and in combination (e.g., outline shapes, create shading, or colour a surface using both the point and the side of pencil crayons; create texture using cross-hatching).
  • Explain how the elements of design are organized in a work of art to communicate feelings and convey ideas (e.g., explain that, by painting a picture using a monochromatic colour scheme for all the houses on a street except one, the artist has conveyed the idea that all of these houses are uniform and that the one in a different colour is unique);
Other important considerations: include only general comments (safety issues), not specific
  • Ensure student safety while outside making the preliminary sketch for Lesson 1. Avoid any hazards and count the students before leaving classroom and regularly while outside.
  • It may not be safe for students with behavioural issues to leave the classroom. These students will remain inside with an EA and will make their preliminary sketch from a magazine picture.

b)Learning Environment:
  • Art classroom.
  • There are 27 students seated 2 per desk, per the seating plan kept in the cupboard at the front of the room. Desks are arranged in two long rows:in each row, desks are positioned to face one another.
  • Blackboard, projection screen and demonstration table located at front of classroom.
  • Art supplies for applications located in labelled cupboards to the right of the blackboard.
  • Supplies needed for the lesson will be put on front table prior to the start of the class.

c)Resources:
Introduction
  • The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson and The Coming Storm, Lake Memphremagog, by A. Edson
Lesson 1
  • September Gale, Georgian Bay by Arthur Lismer.
  • Maligne Lake, Jasper by Lawren Harris.
  • A Rapid by Tom Thomson.
  • The Beaver Dam, by J.E.H. MacDonald.
Lesson 2
  • The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson.
For Application
  • white Bristol board cut into 4 (1/4sheet per student)
  • selection of paint brushes (at least 1 large and 1 small per student)
  • tempera paints (1 bottle each of red, green, blue, yellow, white and black)
  • mixing palettes (1 per student)
  • water can (1 per every 2 students)
  • water
  • newsprint to protect the desks
  • lined paper for reflections (1 piece per student)
  • writing utensil (student should bring a pencil to class but extras are in the drawer marked ‘pencils’)
  • art folder for storage – (students already have these located in the cupboard at the side of the room)
References:
David Wistow and Kelly McKinley/The Art Gallery of Ontario.1999. Meet the Group of Seven. Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd.
  1. Content (The What)
/
  1. Teaching/Learning Strategies (The How)

a)Content for Introduction/Motivation
Lesson 1
The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson
  • Painted in November 1914, this landscape is based on a sketch from nature produced along the Oxtongue River in Algonquin Park.
  • Foreground of fragile young branches and fluttering red leaves set against a background of churning rapids.
  • This composition captures a distinctive natural phenomenon in Canada. It’s also symbolic of nationalist sentiments: the outbreak of war a few months earlier made this more acute.
/ a)Teaching/Learning Strategies for Introduction/Motivation
  • Project/display The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson (5 - 10 min)
and The Coming Storm, Lake Memphremagog, by A. Edson

  • Tell students that these two paintings were done by different artists, but at about the same time (Coming Storm - 1880, Red Maple - 1914).
  • Ask students to describe the differences they see between the two paintings (colour, line, shape, form, space, texture).
  • Ask students how the paintings make them feel.
  • Ask students if they prefer one or the other. Why (strengths and weaknesses)?
  • Briefly describe The Red Maple to the students.

b)Content for New Learning
The Group of Seven
  • The Group of Seven began in 1911 when several talented artists began working for an art and design company in Toronto.
  • These artists became friends: they were all painters who believed the true spirit of Canada could be found in its northern landscapes. They loved to travel and explore the Canadian wilderness.
  • Their artwork was so different from the work of other painters, so they decided to exhibit their paintings as a group. The first Group of Seven exhibition was in 1920.
What they painted
The Group loved to paint Canadian landscapes: water, the seasons, skies and trees.
  • Water: movement and colour of lakes, rivers and waterfalls.
  • Seasons: fall was the group’s favourite, brightly coloured leaves, brilliant colours, and warm yellow leaves against cool blue sky.
  • Skies: sunsets and storms, dramatic, heavy dark clouds.
  • Trees: shapes and colours of different types of trees, coniferous and deciduous trees
  • Subjects: Group rarely included people or animals in their landscapes. Other artists were typically doing paintings of fields, animals and people.
  • Ideas: showed the natural world and how it’s more powerful and beautiful than anything people could make.
Where they painted
Coast to Coast: The Arctic (Icebergs, Davis Strait), Alberta (Maligne Lake, Jasper Park), Ontario (Beaver Swamp, Algoma), Quebec (Winter, Charlevoix County), The Maritimes (Nova Scotia Fishing Village)
Painting in the North:
  • Painted in provincial parks, but travel was very difficult 75 years ago (no highways, had to take a train),
  • Few places to stay so they had to camp. Group borrowed a boxcar that was converted to a cabin with beds and a stove. Train company dropped off boxcar and Group where they wanted to paint. On one trip, Jackson couldn’t paint with oils because mosquitoes kept getting mixed up in paint.
How they painted: What was different about Group of Seven paintings?
Technique:
  • More interested in shape and movement than detail. A Rapid: Used thick, swirling brushstrokes to show movement of water and thick, long strokes to capture shapes of trees.
  • Vs. The Coming Storm, Lake Memphremagog, by Edson: used tiny strokes of paint to show every leaf and twig.
Working outside:
  • Group felt it was exciting to be in nature, to see things like colours and shapes as they really are.
  • Many of Group paintings are large (as big as kitchen tabletops). Impossible to carry something this large through the woods or in a canoe.
  • So Group made small, quick paintings called sketches on thin wooden boards that fit into paint boxes.
  • Group returned from painting trips and enlarged the best ones into full-scale paintings.
Opinions about the Group
  • Some people who saw the paintings were excited at the use of bright colours and rough brush strokes, while others were shocked.
  • It took several decades before they became some of Canada’s best-loved artists.
  • The Beaver Dam, MacDonald
“Painting makes me feel uncomfortable and uneasy. I feel as though I’m an intruder on the peacefulness of the dam.”
Vs.
“This picture makes me feel warm and cosy. This painting brings back memories of camping trips.”
:
Lesson 2
The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson / b) Teaching/Learning Strategies for New Learning
1)Introduce and discuss the Group of Seven (10-15 min)
  • Describe what they painted.
Project/display September Gale, Georgian Bay by Arthur Lismer. (see next page)

  • Mention where they painted.
Project/display Maligne Lake, Jasper by Lawren Harris.

  • Describe how they painted. Contrast with Edson work.
Project/display A Rapid by Tom Thomson.

  • Discuss how people felt about the Group’s art.
Project/display The Beaver Dam, by J.E.H. MacDonald.

2)Field excursion (30 min)
  • Tell students they will be going outside to make a pencil sketch of a natural scene of their choice, just as the Group of Seven did.
  • Have each student get a pencil and piece of paper.
  • Organize and accompany students to playground/back lot of school.
  • Supervise students while they make their sketches.
  • Organize students and return to classroom at end of period.
  • Have students store preliminary sketches in their art folders, to be used next lesson as a reference for the water-colour painting they will make.
1)Quick review (5 min)
  • Project/display The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson

  • Briefly review techniques Group of Seven used and what they liked to paint by asking the students what styles and themes the group liked to use.
2)Describe application to students and write (5 min)
instructions on the board:
  • Tell class they will be making a water-colour painting based on their pencil sketch.
  • Remind students to make use of colour, line, movement, etc, like the Group of Seven did.
3)After getting their preliminary sketch and (35 min)
art supplies, students will create their water-colour
painting.
4)Students will return supplies, clean up (5 min)
their work area and put their painting in the
drying rack.
5)Students will be asked to write a reflection on their painting and the fieldwork/sketch/water-colour process before next class.
  • The reflection should include information about how the students feel their piece is influenced by the styles of the group of seven.
  • Students should also include what they liked about their painting and things that would do differently next time.
  • The reflection will be attached to their water-colour painting and handed in at the end of class.

  1. Consolidation of Learning (Check for Understanding)

At the beginning of Lesson 2, the teacher will conduct a brief review of The Red Maple and the Group of Seven before having the students begin their water-colour painting.
  1. Application (What the students do at the end)

Lesson 1
  1. Students will go outside and complete a preliminary sketch (pencil and paper) of an outdoor scene.
Lesson 2
  1. Students will complete a water-colour painting based on their preliminary sketch.
  2. Students will write a description of their painting (including personal reflection) which will be attached to their painting.

  1. Assessment/Evaluation

5a42Grade 5PLNR02The ArtsVisual ArtsCritical Thinking– compare works on a similar theme (e.g., seasons) from various periods and cultures, and describe the impact of time and location on style (e.g., The Red Maple by A.Y. Jackson; The Harvesters by Pieter Brueghel the Elder; and an Egyptian fresco, The Fields of the Blest);
5a38Grade 5PLNR02The ArtsVisual ArtsCreative Work– organize their art works to create a specific effect, using the elements of design (e.g.create a landscape painting by using elements of design like line and movement similar to that of the group of seven);
5a41 Grade 5 PLNR02 The ArtsVisual ArtsCreative Work – Identify strengths and areas for improvement in their own work and that of others.
Lesson 1
  1. Preliminary sketch – check to make sure the sketch is appropriate to the lesson. i.e.it must be an outdoor/landscape scene
  2. Anecdotal notes based on class discussion recorded in an observation book.Observing to see if students are able to compare various works by different artists and identify differences based on time and location as well as give opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the paintings done by other artists that they are viewing.
Lesson 2
  1. Use a checklist-style marking scheme to make sure the painting and reflection have the following components: painting should be a landscape, use various elements of design inspired from the group of seven (simplified detail, lines, movement, colour) and reflection should justify how they work was inspired by the group of seven’s styles as well as identify things they did well (strengths) and areas they to improve next time.

8.Student Teacher’s Reflections on the Lesson
a)Student Learning Related to Lesson Expectation(s)
To be completed after lessons.
b)Next Steps
To be completed after lessons.
c)Effectiveness of Student Teacher
To be completed after lessons.
d)Next Steps
To be completed after lessons.

Nipissing University - (Andy,Anne-Marie, Darren, David, Nicola, Terry) General Lesson Plan

Page 1