The Arts · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

Experimentation and Risk-Taking

Active learning works for this topic because experimentation thrives when students physically engage with materials and ideas. Hands-on stations and critique circles transform abstract concepts like failure and innovation into concrete experiences that build confidence and skills.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cr1.2.HSII
• TH:Cr1.2.HSII
• DA:Cr1.2.HSII
• MU:Cr1.2.HSII
• +1 more

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Unfamiliar Materials Mix

Prepare five stations with items like aluminum foil, yarn, recycled plastics, spices, and LED lights. Small groups spend 8 minutes per station creating a quick artwork, noting one risk taken and its result. Rotate and reflect in a whole-class debrief.

Justify the importance of risk-taking in developing a unique artistic style.

Facilitation Tip

For the Stations: Unfamiliar Materials Mix, set a 3-minute timer at each station to prevent overthinking and encourage quick, instinctive choices.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Describe a time you tried something new in art class that didn't work out as planned. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it influence your next artistic decision?' Encourage students to share specific examples.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Pairs

Failure Share Circle: Iteration Rounds

Pairs select a familiar technique and twist it riskily, like painting with fingers or composing with household sounds. Create three iterations, photographing each failure. Share in a circle, discussing what each taught.

Explain how experimentation with unfamiliar materials can lead to unexpected creative outcomes.

Facilitation Tip

During the Failure Share Circle, model vulnerability by sharing your own artistic failures first to normalize the process.

What to look for

Provide students with a short video clip or image of an artwork known for its experimental nature. Ask them to write down two specific techniques or materials the artist likely experimented with and one potential challenge they might have faced.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Individual

Risk Challenge Gallery Walk

Individuals invent a new technique using two random materials drawn from a hat. Display works with 'risk log' labels explaining attempts and pivots. Class walks, votes on most innovative, and suggests next experiments.

Critique a piece of art that demonstrates successful experimentation despite initial challenges.

Facilitation Tip

In the Risk Challenge Gallery Walk, place samples of student work with clear labels showing the original goal, the risk taken, and the outcome.

What to look for

During a work period, have students share their experimental sketches or material tests with a partner. Instruct partners to ask: 'What new material or technique did you try here?' and 'What was the most surprising outcome of your experiment?'

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

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Cross-Discipline Experiment Swap

Small groups from different arts (e.g., visual with music) swap media for 10 minutes, like drawing to rhythms or staging dances with paints. Document surprises, then perform or display hybrids.

Justify the importance of risk-taking in developing a unique artistic style.

Facilitation Tip

For the Cross-Discipline Experiment Swap, assign partners from different arts disciplines to broaden perspectives and techniques.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Describe a time you tried something new in art class that didn't work out as planned. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it influence your next artistic decision?' Encourage students to share specific examples.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing experimentation as a skill to develop, not a talent to possess. Avoid praising only successful outcomes, as this reinforces the idea that failure is negative. Instead, focus on the process of iteration and revision, using research that shows resilience increases with structured reflection. Teach students to document their experiments like scientists, noting variables and outcomes to build meta-cognitive habits.

Successful learning looks like students taking bold risks with unfamiliar materials, sharing honest reflections on their process, and articulating how challenges led to growth. They should connect their experiences to historical artists and justify their creative decisions with evidence from their work.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Failure Share Circle: Iteration Rounds, watch for students who equate failure with lack of talent.

  Use the circle to shift language from "I failed" to "I discovered," by asking students to share what their failure revealed about their process. For example, if paint bled under tape, they might note that the paper absorbed too much water, which could guide their next experiment with materials or technique.

• During Stations: Unfamiliar Materials Mix, watch for students who default to safe, familiar techniques.

  Circulate with a timer and gently redirect by asking, "What’s one way you could use this material differently than you normally would?" If a student hesitates, offer a specific prompt like "Try folding the paper before cutting it" to push them toward risk.

• During Risk Challenge Gallery Walk, watch for students who view experimentation as unstructured chaos.

  Ask students to label each artwork with the planning steps they took before taking risks, such as sketches, material tests, or trial runs. This helps them see that purposeful risks start with intention, even if the outcome is unexpected.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Experiential Learning
• Gallery Walk