This year’s ArtsSmarts projects roll out in schools
Dina Blot is one of 13 Island artists helping more than 600 students at seven schools learn through the arts this school year.
The ArtsSmarts learning experience program integrates the arts into core subjects like math, languages, social studies, and science by bringing artists into the classroom to share their skills and talents. Blot says it has allowed her to give Island children a look at the world from a creative perspective.
“To be able to participate in ArtsSmarts as an artist is a chance for personal development, self-fulfillment, social inclusion and active citizenship,” Blot says. “When it results in a student later participating in my studio workshops or visiting my gallery, that to me is the cherry on the cake!"
This is the 14th year for the ArtsSmarts, in which artists collaborate with teachers to bring disciplines like visual and literary arts, dance, music, and theatre into students’ lessons.
Students, teachers, and artists are sharing this years’ projects on social media with the hashtag #ArtsSmartsPEI.
“Our department recognizes the value of integrating arts into curriculum,” Education, Early Learning and Culture Minister Jordan Brown said. “It ensures that young Islanders have opportunities to explore, learn, and develop artistic abilities and expressions. ArtsSmarts is a perfect example of artists working with communities to cultivate growth in culture for Prince Edward Island.”
Two year-end exhibits will celebrate ArtsSmarts projects that have been completed at Island schools:
- one will be at Eptek Arts & Culture Centre from May 15 to 25; and
- another at the Confederation Centre of the Arts from May 18 to 21.
ArtsSmarts is a program of the Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture and provincial partnership involving the Confederation Centre of the Arts, Commission scolaire de langue française, the Public Schools Branch, Creative PEI, the PEI Crafts Council, the University of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island Teachers’ Federation, the PEI Human Rights Commission, the Fédération culturelle de l'Î.-P.-É., and the Eptek Art & Culture Centre.
Media contact:
Hillary MacDonald
hpsmacdonald@gov.pe.ca (link sends e-mail)
Backgrounder
Birchwood Intermediate School
Name of Project: From the Stone Age to Postmodernism and Deconstructivism: The History of Art
Name of Teacher(s): Francis Ann Squire
Name of Artist(s): Stephen B MacInnis
Number of learners and grade level: 100 grade 9 learners
Description of the learning experience:
The Stone Age to Postmodernism and Deconstructivism: The History of Art will engage learners in a historical research of art periods/movements, chief artists and art from the beginning of time to the present.
Upon completion of the historical research the final exhibit will be a visual arts timeline, covering all periods of art. Written biographical/historical profiles as well as an interpretive art piece created by individual learners will represent the art and/or artist of a specific period.
Learners will select a piece of art or artist from a particular period or movement and engage in independent research to become an expert art historian of that period.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Language Arts, Social Studies and Technology
West Royalty Elementary School
Name of Project: Habitat Slideshow and Museum
Name of Teacher(s): Tracey Smith
Name of Artist(s): Dina Blot
Number of learners and grade level: 70 grade 4 learners
Description of the learning experience:
Learners will work with artist Dina Blot to create 3D Habitat Museums. Through the creation of a 3D representation, learners will enhance the comprehension on various habitats by the utilization of technology to research information and create pictures/charts/diagrams and to prepare a slideshow presentation investigating various forms of habitat. The final work will boast a display of 3D Habitat Museum created by the learners and a slideshow that provides and interpretation of what visitors to the museum will experience as they visit the 3D Habitat Museum.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Visual Arts, Technology, Science, Math and Language Arts
Eliot River Consolidated School
Name of Project: Experiencing Core French using Art
Name of Teacher(s): Janice Corney and Margo Campbell
Name of Artist(s): Maurice Bernard
Number of learners and grade level: 130 grade 6 learners
Description of the learning experience:
The learners will be introduced to song and art to enhance the experience of learning a new language through powerful tools to ignite and to enrich the curriculum. By teaching through a different medium student will be exposed to a rich cultural experience by the introduction to various French singer/songwriters.
In their Google Classroom each class will be presented two songs from which one will be chosen to be illustrated. The learners will then breakdown the song by learning new vocabulary and exploring the meaning and purpose of each song selected.
Illustrations/ art pieces depicting the songs will demonstrate the learning, understanding and interpretation of a new song and new vocabulary. These illustrations will then be grouped together to create an iMovie which will interpret the song through illustration/art.
Curriculum link explored during this experience include:
Language Arts
Queen Charlotte Intermediate School
Name of Project: A Creative Collaboration of Mathematics and Arts
Name of Teacher(s): Kara Whitnell
Name of Artist(s): Linda Packard
Number of learners and grade level: 42 grade 8 learners
Description of the learning experience:
Math conventions will be used by learners to create Escher-Styled tessellations and flexible glass structures using mathematical shapes and a range of artistic techniques to form a creative collaboration of mathematics and arts.
Relating to Escher’s works learners will take into consideration a range of mathematical techniques, conventions and elements to produce a preliminary work with paper and water-colour defining their tessellations. A final work of shapes created by flexible glass structures will be displayed in Queen Charlotte Intermediate School for all to enjoy. Through this exercise learners will reflect on the process by looking for the math.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Math, Visual Arts, Language Arts and Social Studies
West Royalty Elementary School
Name of Project: Canada then and Now: A Cultural Discovery
Name of Teacher(s): Elizabeth Crawford
Name of Artist(s): Julia Sauve, Julie Pellessier-Lush and Gary Torlone
Number of learners and grade level: 70 grade 6 learners
Description of the learning experience:
Learners will work with Mi’Kmaq elders to explore Indigenous history and then create and publish a book of legends that will incorporate themes of their personal heritage. From the collection of Legends learners will work with Gary Torlone to create Totem poles reflecting the legends. A final narrated, musical and artistic dramatization of Indigenous legends will be presented in a black light theatre highlighting Indigenous symbols. Students will work with choreographer Julia Sauvé and Julie Pellisier-Lush to combine artistic impression with forms of Indigenous dance movements across Canada.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies and Health
Eliot River Consolidated School
Name of Project: Investigating Past Societies - Shileds
Name of Teacher(s): Darwin Woods
Name of Artist(s): Linda Packard
Number of learners and grade level: 20 grade 5 learners
Description of the learning experience:
Through this learning experience learner will explore the art of Heraldry and Family Coat of Arms and its importance for the histories of families and rulers during the Middle Ages and beyond. Following the acquisition of new understanding on the symbolism and their representation of Heraldry and Family Coat of Arts, learners will design their own life-sized shield depicting their personal coat of arms graphic. The shields will be created with recyclable products.
Following the completion of the shields the classroom will be set up to look like a museum displaying the learner’s shields in a middle age atmosphere for fellow students and parents to explore and discover the learner’s heritage.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Social Studies, Math, Visual Arts, Language Arts and Music
LM Montgomery School
Name of Project: Celebration of Lucy Maude Montgomery
Name of Teacher(s): Denise MacDonald
Name of Artist(s): Maurice Bernard
Number of learners and grade level: 68 grade 5 and 6 learners
Description of the learning experience:
Learners will work with Maurice Bernard to create a four panel Lucy Maud Montgomery theme trompe-l'œil to honor one of Prince Edward Island’s prolific authors on her provincial, national and international contributions. Following the various readings learners will be expected to visualize the scenes and different aspects of the book. Using the author’s descriptive books learners will use them as mentor taxis to develop their own writing. Having acquired greater knowledge in the various aspects of the era in which the books were written, learners will create a visual representation of their learning. These work will be displayed in the trompe-l’oeil. These works will display learner’s artwork depicting their feelings, their emotions and their ideas around the renowned author.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Language Arts, Visual Arts, Social Studies and Health
Queen Elizabeth Elementary
Name of Project: Now and Then - Then and Now
Name of Teacher(s): Tammy Rice and Marilee Reeves
Name of Artist(s): Maurice Bernard
Number of learners and grade level: 45 grade 6 learners
Description of the learning experience:
Learners will discover different aspects of their community surrounding Queen Elizabeth Elementary School. Through this project learners will be studying various communities including Kensington, New Annan, Malpeque and French River in both 2018 and how it was back in 1918. They will be research the agriculture, the fishing, the transportation, the schooling, the merchants etc. in both 1918 and 2018.
Following the research students will create a visual clay representation of the transitions since 1918. Forty-five individual two and three-dimensional projects will be part of a large mural to visually represent the transition of their community in the past 100 years.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Math, Language Arts and Social Studies
Eliot River Elementary School
Name of Project: Illuminating da Vinci, Art and Intervention
Name of Teacher(s): Leslie MacDonald
Name of Artist(s): Terry Dunton Stevenson
Number of learners and grade level: 57 grade 6 French Imersion learners
Description of the learning experience:
Learners from Eliot River Elementary School will be steeping back in time and discovering/studying the ingenious invention drawings by Leonardo da Vinci’s.
Following an in depth study of da Vinci’s inventions, learners will become inventors and sketch their own invention on parchment paper using conté, just as would have been utilized by da Vinci. Learners will also investigate inventions sculptures created by artist of the Steampunk contemporary art movement.
As da Vinci did, learners will then work with the artist to create 3D sculpture of their original inventions. Using a mixed media of paper, wire, sculpey clay and other found objects inventions will be published in a promotional brochure with an on-line software program. Learners will create promotional text advertisements.
The project will culminate with an Invention Conventions where learners will be sharing their artistic creations
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
French Language Arts, Technology and Visual Arts
East Wiltshire School
Name of Project: The Wonder Women
Name of Teacher(s): Jody MacDonald
Name of Artist(s): Adam Perry
Number of learners and grade level: 5 grade 9 to 10 learners
Description of the learning experience:
In this project, learners will be introduced to the making of a high quality television commercial by experiencing the networking, which needs to take place in the media industry when trying to sell a creative thought. Learners will also experience the how-tos of this industry in order to have their ideas produced into a visual and audio medium. From acting, directing and editing using professional equipment student will produce a 30 second commercial on the importance of blood donations and how it is in you to give.
Various curriculum links explored during this experience include:
Language Arts, Technology and Math