These lessons and resources have been written with personal identity and diverse backgrounds in view to encourage broad representation. For Indigenous-specific resources, please check out our Indigenous Content page.
Primary
For the Love of Kwik Stix and Basquiat This Grade 1-2 lesson explores how Basquiat’s environment inspired his use of symbols, figures, and vibrant colour. Students will design their own fictional or real cities, experimenting with the thick, buttery layering of Kwik Stix tempera paint on dark paper.
Symmetrical Dragon Drawing & Storytelling – a lesson plan integrating the Language Arts and Visual Arts curriculum, as students draw their own dragons and then write a story to accompany it. It is inspired by the Dragon Master series, which is published by Scholastic, and incorporates elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion to appeal to a broad range of young readers.
Proud to be Me This is a drawing unit for Grade 2+ that acknowledges different family structures and ethnicities. Medium: pencil, black Sharpie, and watercolour paint.
Gyotaku: Japanese Printmaking Intermediate lesson plan that has also been used successfully with students in Grade 1, combining watercolour washes with fish prints.
Intermediate
Monsters in My Head: Otani Workshop – Middle School+ lesson plan inspired by Japanese artist, Shigeru Otani that includes a mixed media painting project, as well as a ceramic sculpture that incorporates found materials.
The Alma Stripe painting project (Graduation lesson plan inspired by the work of African American artist, Alma Thomas; easily adaptable to Intermediate grades)
Expressive Line Drawing Grade 4+ lesson plan inspired by the work of Shantell Martin, a British visual artist best known for her large scale, black-and-white line drawings, which she often performs for a live audience. Works especially well for Black History Month.
Line, Identity & Storytelling inspired by Shantell Martin A Grade 9 lesson plan inspired by the artist’s large scale black-and-white line drawings, but also incorporates the performance aspect of her work through video production of the drawing process.
Affirmations in Art – Words that Uplift (This unit engages students in expressing identity and emotional awareness through affirmations; can be adapted for Primary and Intermediate)
Umbrella Revolution Project his Grade 9+ lesson plan was inspired by the events of the 2014 protests in Hong Kong, known as “The Umbrella Revolution”. Students explore an issue of importance to them through their own umbrella painting.
Gyotaku: Japanese Printmaking Intermediate lesson plan that has also been used successfully with students in Grade 1, combining watercolour washes with fish prints.
Proud to be Me This is a drawing unit for Grade 2+ that acknowledges different family structures and ethnicities. Medium: pencil, black Sharpie, and watercolour paint.
InsideOut Self-Portraits Students make connections between personal appearance and the part of the identity we cannot see. They explore ways of revealing or celebrating their identity in a mixed media, self-portrait project. References Gr. 7-8 curriculum, although the examples are from Gr. 3-4.
Personality Preserves Grade 8-9 lesson plan inspired by the work of Aganetha Dyck, focusing on one’s identity and personal experiences. Students “preserve” artifacts that represent aspects of themselves and their lives through water bath canning.
The Alma Stripe painting project (Graduation lesson plan inspired by the work of African American artist, Alma Thomas; easily adaptable to Intermediate grades)
Affirmations in Art – Words that Uplift (This unit engages students in expressing identity and emotional awareness through affirmations; can be adapted for Primary and Intermediate)
Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox (lesson plan that encourages students to explore their identity in relation to an animal with whom they have an affinity)
Identity Portraits This Graduation lesson plan leads students through exploration of who they are, who they want to be, and how they want the world to see them. This project enables students to look for the deeper meaning in portraits and especially to think about what an artist can do to provide insight into themselves as they create self-portraits.
Umbrella Revolution Project This Grade 9+ lesson plan was inspired by the events of the 2014 protests in Hong Kong, known as “The Umbrella Revolution”. Students explore an issue of importance to them through their own umbrella painting.
Gargoyles and the Alter Ego Ceramics lesson plan focused on identity and social-emotional learning. Create a personally meaningful gargoyle form using ceramics techniques, while exploring personal identity.
Resources
Read the review.This book presents the series of events that led up to the systemic racism towards the first Chinese immigrants and the anti-Asian hate sentiments some experience today. It provides background, and can inspire art projects around the issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion
