A Critical Challenge Approach to Aboriginal Art


Critical Question: Which form of Northwest Coast art is most impressive? By Margaret Rabena and Linda Greig

Overview:
Students will learn about the construction and creation of various Northwest Coast art forms. The critical challenge to students is to evaluate the art according to criteria such as complexity/intricacy, spirituality, usefulness, ingenuity, magnitude, beauty and legacy.
Observations/evaluations are recorded on an I-chart. Teachers could incorporate the I-chart throughout the unit, or they could use it as a culminating lesson. The chart could be used independently with older students or as a whole class activity with younger students.
After using agreed upon criteria to critically evaluate various art forms, students are challenged to decide which art form they consider most "impressive", and to substantiate their choice.

Rationale:

Shared Learnings:
Social Studies:

Fine Arts:

Requisite Tools:
Background knowledge: In order to complete the critical challenge, the students will be required to have knowledge of the process involved in the creation of the various art forms, and the significance of these art forms to Aboriginal societies.

Criteria for Judgment: Teacher and students must agree upon a set of appropriate criteria that could be used to evaluate the "impressiveness" of the art.

We suggest the following:

Critical Thinking Vocabulary: Students require specific vocabulary in order to be able to evaluate information and draw conclusions.

Examples:

Thinking Strategies:

I-Chart

Habits of Mind:

  • Open-minded: willing to consider evidence opposing their view and to revise their view if the evidence warrants it?
  • Fair-minded: willing to listen impartially to other points of view?
  • Independent-minded: willing to stand up for firmly held beliefs?
  • Inquiring or "critical" attitude: inclined to question the clarity, fairness and logic of an argument?

    Suggested Activities:

  • Museum visits (e.g. Royal B.C. , Comox Valley, Cape Mudge on Quadra Island, Campbell River)
  • Regalia (e.g. bent box, baskets)
  • Slides (e.g. from Shared Treasures kit)
  • Art books (see resource list)
  • Classroom presentations from N.W. Coast artists
  • Videos (see resource list)

    • Resources and Activities for each art form on I-Chart:

    Basketry: Students look at slides from the Shared Treasures kit and discuss basketry materials and uses for baskets.

    Students could create their own basket designs on graph paper.

    Read Clamshell Boy which includes good photos.

    View video Keeping the Spirit Alive featuring Isobel Rorick doing spruce root weaving.

    Invite local people to show basket collections.

    Canoes: Look at slides and written information about canoe construction from Shared Treasures kit.

    Activities: draw a canoe to add to a village mural.

    Seawolf Colouring Book : See section about building a canoe.

    Video: view Song of the Haida Canoe (about Bill Reid).

    Book: The Great Canoes (Neel).

    Bent Boxes: Look at the slide of bent corner box from Shared Treasures kit and discuss the materials and technology used in making a bent box. Identify the N.W. Coast method of representation, sometimes called formline design.

    Activities: make a cardboard model of a bent box

    Draw a bent box to include in the village mural. Regalia: borrow the Bentwood Box Kit (available from the Comox Valley Learning Resources Center ).

    View pictures of bent boxes in Art books such as The Spirit Within.

    Totems: Look at slides and handouts of totem poles and house posts from Shared Treasures kit and discuss the technology, uses, and meaning of posts and poles. Look at how beings are represented in the architectural forms of the North West Coast.

    Activities: make a cardboard totem to add to the village mural.

    Look at totems listed in Hilary Stewart's book Looking at Totems.

    View the CD called Totem Poles.

    Find pictures of other regalia and ceremonial art: button blankets, Chilcat blankets, rattles, and headdresses.

    Students look at slides from Shared Treasures and discuss history, significance and creation of ceremonial art.
    Make a button blanket with felt and buttons or sequins. Be sure to respect local protocol about uses family designs, crests, etc.

    Masks: Students look at slides of a dancer wearing a Hamatsa mask and a dancer wearing a moon mask. (Shared Treasures).

    Activities: Make and decorate a cardboard mask.and decorate a card mask.

    Perform a full moon/half moon dance.

    View masks in Art books.

    Evaluation:

    Evaluation of student by teacher (or peers): Scale of 1 - 3.

    Background information:

  • Student cited accurate information which revealed knowledge of the art form.
    •

    Criteria for Judgment:

  • Ample evidence was presented.
  • Arguments were logical and clear.
    •

    Critical Thinking Vocabulary:

  • Student avoided bias and overgeneralization.

    • Thinking Strategies:

  • Student was open-minded.
  • Student was fair-minded.
  • Student stood up for firmly held beliefs.
  • Student displayed an inquiring attitude.
    •

    Resources:

    Videos:

    Books:

    CD-ROM: Totem Poles - Tells about various types of poles such as mortuary poles, house poles. The book also details the differences between poles carved by various B.C. tribes.