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.
LESSON PLANS
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.
Braiding a Story A Grade 3 unit plan in which students connect local Indigenous culture to their own. It integrates with the Social Studies curriculum.
Weaving with Memory Lesson share of a two-month long exploration of weaving techniques with emphasis on and appreciation for past and present traditions of Coast Salish weaving practices. Upper Primary or Intermediate.
Curiosity Collages A Grade 1 lesson (suitable for Grades 1-3) inspired by the work of author and illustrator, Oliver Jeffers (The Day the Crayons Quit, How to Catch a Star, Lost and Found…)
Musical Drawing Activity A Primary level drawing activity in response to classical music, followed by reflection
Casting a Shade This lesson is aimed at students in Grades 2-7, and is an introduction to 5 different shading techniques to encourage students to expand their ability to show the effects of light and texture in their drawings.
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.
Symmetrical Bugs and Butterflies A Primary lesson plan in which students create works of art inspired by nature, and learn how to create symmetrical mixed media images of bugs and butterflies.
City Skyline A mixed media lesson plan for Grade 2+, using watercolour, Sharpie, and oil pastels
Beyond there, be Dragons! A Grade 2 lesson share of a dragon-inspired mixed media gallery display using acrylic paint, newspaper, oil pastel, tag board, watercolour crayons, and strategic placement of glitter
Biodiversity Makerspace Creature Challenge. A Grade 3 lesson plan to create a 3D model of a “new species” in a local habitat. Produced by the BC Ministry of Education, it is a comprehensive lesson plan that integrates Learning Standards of the BC Curriculum for Grade 3 Arts and Science.
B.C. Binning’s Atomic Fountain This Primary lesson plan is aimed at giving younger students an understanding of abstract art, colour field, and atomic art, in an imaginative way.
Canada’s Flag Project A collaborative big buddy/little buddy art unit between Primary and Intermediate students inspired by lines from “We are cultures strung together then woven into a tapestry.” (Shayne Koyczan, “We are More”)
Macro Views of Haida Art This lesson teaches the principles of Haida design by selecting and copying macro vlew details from Haida designs using a small viewfinder and then transcribing the small details to a banner.
Salmon Watercolour This Primary lesson uses watercolour resist with simplified complimentary collage shapes. It can be applied any animal, looking at its life cycle, physical properties, and other important concepts of the animal.
Purposeful Play with Colour and Shape This Primary lesson plan involves painting and stamping with various found objects, such as geometric and free-form shapes made from sponges, vegetables, small jar lids, paper clips, etc.
Picasso’s Blue Period This lesson plan involves Intermediate students buddying up with Primary students to create a large mural inspired by Picasso’s Blue Period, particularly “The Old Guitarist”.
Painting an Architectural Still Life Image Students examine paintings depicting architecture in different lighting conditions. They then collaboratively arrange a still life of a city using painted white boxes of different sizes and shapes, and create paintings depicting this still life with consideration for lighting and mood.
Lessons and Activities that can be adapted for Primary students:
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)
Gyotaku: Japanese Printmaking Intermediate lesson plan that has also been used successfully with students in Grade 1, combining watercolour washes with fish prints.
Visual Journalling – presents the purpose(s) of visual journals, along with resources, examples, and Learning Standards of the BC Curriculum.
Drawing Closer to Nature In this Primary/Intermediate lesson, students create and photograph ephemeral sculptures, as with the work of Andy Goldsworthy.
RESOURCES
Books & Websites A collection of books and websites you may find helpful in your teaching practice (Elementary level)
Aboriginal Artists PosterThis poster is a list of traditional and contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists, arranged by alphabet. It also provides their Nation(s) and a brief description of their work (medium, genre, etc.).
Teaching Students how to Critique A list of K-12 Learning Standards from the BC curriculum that show the progression of reflection and feedback through the grades, as well as links to resources that present a variety of ways to engage in critique that are age-appropriate
