Art in Our Community

Active learning helps students connect deeply with Indigenous arts by moving from abstract ideas to hands-on experiences. When students touch, observe, and discuss materials and symbols, they build understanding that art is a living tradition, not just a historical artifact.

• Grade 2
• The Arts
• 3 activities
• 15 min–25 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify at least three different types of public art found in the local community.
2. Compare and contrast the materials and purposes of two distinct pieces of community art.
3. Explain how a specific piece of local art reflects a historical event or cultural tradition.
4. Predict how the addition of a new mural might alter the atmosphere of a public space.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Natural Materials

Provide samples of materials used in traditional Indigenous arts (e.g., cedar bark, smooth stones, faux sinew). In small groups, students touch the materials and discuss why an artist living in a specific part of Canada might choose them.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between various forms of art found in our community.

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Investigation: Natural Materials, circulate and ask guiding questions like 'What story could this twig tell?' to keep the focus on meaning, not just the texture.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Power of Symbols

Show a piece of art featuring a traditional symbol (like an Inukshuk or a Medicine Wheel). After learning its meaning, students share with a partner why that symbol might be important for a community to remember.

Prepare & details

Analyze how local art reflects the culture and history of our neighborhood.

Facilitation Tip: For Think-Pair-Share: The Power of Symbols, model how to ask questions like 'Why might someone choose a turtle symbol over a bear?' to deepen peer discussion.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 20 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Indigenous Art Styles

Display images of Woodland style painting, Inuit stone carving, and Métis beadwork. Students move around to find 'connections', like similar colors or themes of nature, and discuss how each style tells a different story.

Prepare & details

Predict how a new piece of public art might change a community space.

Facilitation Tip: During Gallery Walk: Indigenous Art Styles, provide a simple checklist (e.g., 'Find a piece with curved lines') to focus attention on patterns and techniques.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

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

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should approach this topic by grounding lessons in local Indigenous artists and artworks, using contemporary examples to counter the idea that Indigenous art is only historical. Avoid having students replicate sacred symbols directly; instead, focus on inspired use of shapes and patterns. Research shows that when students learn about Indigenous art in relation to land and community, they develop a stronger sense of cultural continuity.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently discussing symbols, using natural materials thoughtfully, and engaging respectfully with Indigenous art styles. They should connect symbols to land, stories, and community, explaining their choices with examples.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Natural Materials, watch for students assuming Indigenous art is only from the past.

What to Teach Instead

Display a small set of natural materials alongside images of both traditional and contemporary Indigenous art that uses similar materials. Ask students to compare the artworks and notice how artists today reinterpret these materials in new ways.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: The Power of Symbols, watch for students trying to copy sacred symbols in their own artwork.

What to Teach Instead

Provide a sheet with simple, inspired shapes (e.g., curved lines, circles) that resemble Indigenous symbols but are not sacred. Use peer discussion to brainstorm how these shapes could tell personal or community stories without copying traditional symbols directly.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Collaborative Investigation: Natural Materials, ask students to write one sentence about how a natural material they used might be connected to a story or a place.

Discussion Prompt

During Think-Pair-Share: The Power of Symbols, listen for students explaining why certain symbols might represent ideas like strength or family, using examples from their discussions.

Quick Check

After Gallery Walk: Indigenous Art Styles, have students point to one piece of art and describe one symbol they noticed, explaining what they think it might represent based on the artwork's style.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research a contemporary Indigenous artist and present one symbol they use, explaining its meaning.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide labeled images of symbols with their meanings to support labeling during the Gallery Walk.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a local Indigenous artist or knowledge keeper to share how symbols are used in their work and community today.

Key Vocabulary

Sculpture	A three-dimensional work of art, often made from stone, metal, wood, or clay, that can be found in parks or public squares.
Mural	A large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface, often telling a story or decorating a building.
Street Art	Visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned, which can include graffiti, stencils, and paste-ups.
Public Art	Art created for and placed in public spaces, accessible to everyone, such as statues, fountains, or installations.