Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Art & Culture: The Group of Seven

Active learning helps students connect historical events to human experiences when studying the Group of Seven. Through visual analysis and debate, students move beyond facts to understand how art reflects cultural identity and social change. Movement, discussion, and hands-on tasks make abstract concepts like national identity concrete and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada, 1914–1929 - Grade 10
• ON: Identity, Citizenship, and Heritage - Grade 10

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: The 'Wet' vs. 'Dry' Debate

Divide the class into two sides: the Women's Christian Temperance Union (pro-prohibition) and the 'Moderation League' (anti-prohibition). They must debate the social and economic impacts of banning alcohol using arguments from the 1920s.

Analyze how the Group of Seven redefined the visualization of the Canadian landscape.

Facilitation Tip

During the 'Wet' vs. 'Dry' Debate, assign specific roles (e.g., historian, moralist, politician) to ensure balanced participation and avoid students defaulting to personal opinions.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'In what ways did the Group of Seven's focus on specific regions of Canada (like Algonquin Park or the Canadian Shield) potentially limit or shape the perception of the 'Canadian landscape' for people living in other parts of the country?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to support their points with visual evidence from the paintings.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Rum-Running and the Border

In small groups, students use maps and 'incident reports' to investigate how alcohol was smuggled from Canada into the US. They identify the key routes, the methods used by bootleggers, and the challenges faced by border officials.

Critique the representation of Canadian identity in the Group of Seven's work.

Facilitation Tip

For the Rum-Running Investigation, provide students with a blank map of Canada-U.S. border areas and have them plot known smuggling routes using historical newspaper clippings.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one specific artistic element (e.g., use of color, brushstroke, composition) used by the Group of Seven and explain how it contributed to their unique vision of the Canadian landscape. Then, have them write one sentence about a potential critique of their work regarding representation.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why Did Prohibition Fail?

Students read a list of reasons for the failure of prohibition (e.g., lack of public support, rise of crime, loss of tax revenue). They discuss with a partner which factor they think was the most significant in the government's decision to end the ban.

Evaluate the lasting influence of the Group of Seven on Canadian art and national identity.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share on Prohibition’s failure, provide sentence stems like 'Prohibition failed because...' to guide student responses and reduce vagueness.

What to look for

Present students with two different landscape paintings: one by the Group of Seven and one by a contemporary Canadian artist. Ask students to identify at least two key differences in their approach to depicting the landscape and briefly explain what these differences suggest about evolving Canadian identity or artistic movements.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by pairing visual art with historical context, helping students see how art is a lens for understanding identity. Avoid presenting the Group of Seven as the only or definitive view of Canada. Instead, compare their work with other artists to highlight diverse perspectives. Research shows that students retain more when they analyze art alongside primary sources that reveal the artists’ motivations and public reactions.

Students will explain how the Group of Seven’s regional focus shaped perceptions of Canada’s landscape. They will analyze artworks for color, composition, and brushwork, and articulate how these choices reflect cultural values. Participation in debates and collaborative tasks will show their ability to weigh multiple perspectives on national identity.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Think-Pair-Share on Prohibition’s failure, watch for students assuming Prohibition was a single federal law. The correction is to have them reference the 'Rum-Running and the Border' map activity, where they plot provincial variations in enforcement and timing, to see the patchwork nature of prohibition policies.

  During the 'Rum-Running and the Border' activity, provide a blank provincial timeline and have students mark when each province went 'dry' and when it ended. Use this timeline in the Think-Pair-Share to correct the misconception by showing regional differences in timing and enforcement.

• During the 'Wet' vs. 'Dry' Debate, watch for students reducing Prohibition to a simple moral issue. The correction is to have them use the debate roles to explore how wartime efficiency, women's rights, and public health also drove the movement.

  During the debate, assign roles that require students to present arguments tied to specific motivations (e.g., a suffragette arguing for morality, a soldier arguing for wartime grain savings). After the debate, have students reflect in writing on how these multiple motivations interacted to shape Prohibition.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share