The Arts · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

The Ethics of Curation and Display

Active learning works for this topic because students grapple with complex ethical dilemmas that require discussion and perspective-taking. Role-playing and debate activities mirror real-world decisions curators face, making abstract concepts tangible and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cn10.1.HSII
• VA:Re9.1.HSII

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

Activity 01

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Small Groups

Debate Circles: Artifact Repatriation

Assign small groups roles like museum director, Indigenous representative, or collector. Provide case studies on artifacts like Haida totem poles. Groups prepare 3-minute arguments, then rotate in circles to debate and respond. End with whole-class vote and reflection on shifted views.

Who has the right to tell a culture's story through art?

Facilitation Tip

During Debate Circles: Artifact Repatriation, assign roles in advance to ensure all students participate meaningfully.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Who has the primary right to tell a culture's story through art: the creators, the current possessors, or the audience?'. Ask students to take a stance and support it with at least two specific examples from historical or contemporary art curation debates.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Curation Controversies

Post 6-8 case study posters around the room with images, timelines, and questions. Small groups visit each station for 5 minutes, noting ethical issues on sticky notes. Regroup to share findings and propose solutions.

How does the environment of a museum influence the value we place on an object?

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk: Curation Controversies, place controversial labels near displays to prompt immediate student reactions.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief case study of a controversial museum acquisition or display. Ask them to write two sentences identifying the main ethical conflict and one sentence suggesting an alternative curatorial approach.

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

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Small Groups

Mock Curation Challenge: Ethical Exhibit

In small groups, provide artifact cards with ownership histories and controversies. Groups select items for a themed exhibit, justify choices ethically, and present digital mock-ups. Class votes on most balanced curation.

Should art that is considered offensive be removed from public view?

Facilitation Tip

When running the Mock Curation Challenge: Ethical Exhibit, provide a rubric that explicitly connects ethical decisions to curatorial choices.

What to look for

Present students with images of three different museum displays. Ask them to write one sentence for each image explaining how the museum environment (e.g., lighting, context, accompanying text) might influence their perception of the artwork's value or meaning.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Museum Board Meeting

Pairs act as board members debating display of offensive art, using provided pros/cons evidence. Perform short skits, then audience provides feedback on ethical reasoning. Debrief with journal entries.

Who has the right to tell a culture's story through art?

Facilitation Tip

In the Role-Play: Museum Board Meeting, circulate with a checklist to ensure groups address all stakeholder perspectives.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Who has the primary right to tell a culture's story through art: the creators, the current possessors, or the audience?'. Ask students to take a stance and support it with at least two specific examples from historical or contemporary art curation debates.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by building empathy first through case studies before introducing ethical frameworks. Avoid presenting ethical decisions as purely academic; instead, connect them to students' lived experiences with fairness and justice. Research shows students retain ethical reasoning better when they confront real dilemmas with emotional stakes.

Successful learning looks like students articulating nuanced ethical positions supported by evidence from case studies. They should demonstrate understanding of how power, history, and context shape museum narratives and cultural ownership.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Debate Circles: Artifact Repatriation, watch for students claiming museums have permanent rights to artifacts.

  Use the debate roles to have students research acquisition histories first, then challenge claims of permanent ownership with evidence of colonial-era removals.

• During Gallery Walk: Curation Controversies, watch for students assuming curatorial choices are neutral.

  Ask groups to analyze accompanying text and display design, then have them identify how these choices reflect institutional biases.

• During Mock Curation Challenge: Ethical Exhibit, watch for students removing offensive works entirely.

  Guide students to consider contextual display options and education panels before deciding to hide works, using the activity's rubric to evaluate harm versus dialogue.

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Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate
• Gallery Walk