The Arts · Grade 11

Active learning ideas

The Power of Symbolism

Active learning is crucial for understanding symbolism because it moves students from passive reception to active interpretation. By engaging directly with objects and artworks, students build a personal connection to symbolic meaning, making abstract concepts tangible and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cr1.2.HSII
• VA:Re8.1.HSII

• 45–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 60 min · Individual

Symbolic Object Study: Personal Iconography

Students select a personal object that holds significant meaning. They will sketch the object from multiple angles and write a short artist statement explaining its symbolic significance and the story it tells about their identity or experiences.

Analyze how artists use everyday objects to tell a deeper story.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, circulate to prompt students with questions about specific symbolic choices as they rotate, encouraging deeper comparative analysis.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Cultural Symbol Swap and Interpretation

In small groups, students bring in examples of symbols from their own cultural backgrounds. They present these symbols to the group, explaining their meaning, and then discuss how others might interpret them differently based on their own cultural lens.

Evaluate the choices an artist made to represent their identity through symbols.

Facilitation Tip

In the Socratic Seminar, ensure students are referencing specific symbols or artworks when making claims, guiding the discussion towards evidence-based interpretations.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 50 min · Pairs

Deconstructing Symbolism in Contemporary Art

Students analyze a curated selection of contemporary artworks that heavily feature symbolism. Working in pairs, they identify key symbols, research their potential meanings, and discuss how the artist uses them to convey a specific message or narrative.

Explain how the cultural background of the viewer changes the meaning of a symbol.

Facilitation Tip

For the Symbolic Object Study, encourage students to move beyond obvious associations and consider the 'why' behind their object's personal significance.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Effective teaching of symbolism involves guiding students to see meaning as constructed, not inherent. Focus on the artist's choices and the contextual factors influencing both creation and interpretation, rather than simply providing definitions. Encourage exploration of ambiguity and multiple valid readings.

Students will demonstrate understanding by articulating how personal and cultural contexts shape the meaning of symbols. They will be able to analyze artworks, identifying specific symbols and explaining their potential significance beyond the literal.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During 'Cultural Symbol Swap and Interpretation,' watch for students who assume the symbols shared by peers have universally understood meanings.

  Redirect by asking students to articulate how the personal or cultural background of the symbol's owner influences its meaning, highlighting context-dependent interpretation.

• During 'Deconstructing Symbolism in Contemporary Art,' students might focus solely on the artist's stated intent, assuming it's the only valid interpretation.

  Facilitate discussion where students share their own interpretations and compare them to the artist's statement, emphasizing that meaning can be co-created and viewer-dependent.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk