Children’s drawings have a wonderful inventiveness, energy, and variety.

Bring children's drawings to life by animating characters to move around!

This site explores the elements of art and principles of design with videos, examples and lessons.

The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art.

Elements of Art are the visual "tools" that artists use to create an art work - they are what makes up an image or an art object: line, shape/form, value, color, space, and texture.

Principles of Design are the ways artists use the Elements of Art in an artwork - this is "what we do with the Elements" - how we arrange them, how we balance them, what is being emphasized, etc. The principles are: balance, contrast, repetition, emphasis, and unity.

Be sure to check out Art 2 - Lesson plans for intermediate Art program @ https://resourcebank.ca/courses/art-1-lesson-plans-for-beginner-art-program

This lesson has students creating a self portrait using image and text.

This lesson can be completed in Art & ELA.
Morphology of the word micrography – micro – small; graphy -writing – students use small writing to create portraits!

Students will need to have a good understanding of self to create their portrait. Ideas could include words to describe the student, phrases, quotes, song lyrics, family members, poetry, or random thoughts. Some students may need guidance as to what information to include (or a model).

Sun West - Contact your school’s technology coach if require help with the technology piece of this lesson.

Extension – this lesson could be extended further into Social Studies or ELA by having students complete micrography portraits of historical figures, indigenous leaders, scientists or characters from novels or stories they are studying.

Multiage - Grade 4 students could complete this activity for prairie landscapes & Grade 5 students could complete this on pop art.

Enjoy this video to teach First Nations traditional pow wow dance.

How To Pow Wow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IePIeLBi6hI

This resource examines the biodiversity and the complexity of the various life forms that make up Canadian forests. The emphasis is on helping students appreciate the relationships and interdependence of all species in this ecosystem. Students learn how they can affect forests and understand ways to preserve and maintain their diversity. Themes include biotechnology, natural and introduced pests, species at risk, habitat loss and fragmentation, protected areas, climate change and traditional indigenous knowledge. Lessons can be summarized as follows:

Lesson One- It's What Inside That Counts ( 1x90min)

Students learn the basics of biodiversity by studying the arrangements of fauna and flora in a field investigation of the schoolyard. Teams will visit three assigned "habitat" sites and record living and non-living components. After discussing results, students are asked to create a poem or story about living in one of the habitat sites.

Lesson Two- Too Hot, Too Cold,...Just Right ( 2x45min)

This lesson focuses on how climate change impacts population numbers. After a discussion on how climate changes are driven by human activity, students are guided through a role play simulating the effects of rising temperatures on Arctic, Mid-latitude and Tropical biomes. After a wrap-up with discussion questions, students are asked to write a short story on an assigned topic.

Lesson Three- What Our Elders Say (1x60min, 1x90min)

After looking at how a Canadian Aboriginal legend relates to biodiversity, the students read and perform a play based on the "Legend of The Sky Sisters". Students then write their own legend incorporating an environmental message.

Lesson Four- Barrier To Biodiversity (2x60min)

After reviewing as a class how human activity can lead to habitat loss and fragmentation, students have to write and present stories in the form of a power point presentation, poster, public service announcement or skit describing how individual plants or animals are subject to, and respond to, stress in their habitat.

Lesson Five- Off Limits (4x45min)

Students investigate officially protected areas and create a class newspaper that contains articles which focus on the role of protected areas in helping maintain diversity. In this exercise they explore the social, economic, and environmental impacts of protected areas.

Lesson Six- To Be Or Not To Be (2x60min)

Students work in groups to produce a "species at risk" game board which focuses on the habitat impacts of: change/modification, over-exploitation of resources, poorly regulated commercial harvest, disruption of migration routes/breeding behaviors, contamination, and the introduction of exotic species.

Lesson Seven- Unwelcome Guests (2 x 60min)

Students develop a "Futures Wheel"(a graphic description of the inter-relationships and impacts of a single decision or event) focusing on exotic and invasive species in Canada.

Lesson Eight- Timberland ( 1x90min)

A role playing activity is used to show how biotechnology can be used as a tool to help maintain forest biodiversity. Using a timber-theft crime story students will complete a report (including a CSI sheet and victim profile) to assist them in understanding techniques used in biotechnology.

This resource can easily be adapted to include no technology.

Colours have the power to make us think and feel different emotions. This assignment allows students to dive into the psychology of colours. 

An inquiry-based project to map the land in your community. The key concepts in this unit are grounded in Indigenous beliefs of interconnectedness, connectedness, and respect for all things.

The driving inquiry questions for this unit are:
1. How can respect for the land be shown?
2. What do we look for when setting up a camp?
3. What stories or teachings are connected to key locations in and around our community?
4. How has the land around our community changed over time?
5. Who do we share our community’s lands with?

Sign up for a free account, allowing you access to all of Canada's National ballet School's courses and dance programs for kids.

Once you have signed up for an account, you can access the many cross-curricular dance units created by the National Ballet School. Note: If you are looking to access these units in French, please navigate to the "All course offerings" on the home page and you will find the French version of this course listed.

Great options to consider:
Grade 4: Rocks
Grade 5: Christine Friday Artist Study (Indigenous world-view)
Grade 6: Angela Gladue Artist Study (pow-wow and hip hop) (available in Cree as well)

Register to receive access!

Welcome to Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), where we believe that all Canadians should experience the physical, emotional and social benefits of dance. Access our free resources—designed for educators and community leaders who work with children and youth, as well as specific resources to engage seniors in dance programs—and experience the joy of dance! No previous dance experience required!

You need to create a free account to access the courses and dances.

Once you are enrolled, find for the Dance on Demand Course on the home page. Enroll in this and you will have access to dances, observation checklists, rubrics, etc. for Grades 1-6.

Next, look for Inclusive Dance Practices in the Classroom and Community and enroll in this teacher course. This course will provide you with lots of information about how to make dance accessible for multiple different needs that may be present in your classroom!

A third course to look into enrolling for is the Activity Library: "All young people should have access to the physical, emotional and social benefits of dance and this library will provide you the tools and support to make it happen. The activities are divided into four categories: welcome, warm-up, dance and reflect. Browse through the titles or use the search tools to select activities based on group size, element of dance or age of participants. All activities are supported by video demonstration and detailed, printable activity plans - and some have downloadable music tracks!"

There are many other course offerings on the home page to explore as well.

A cross-curricular project where students engage in a makerspace acitivity learning about electrical science, ELA script planning, and art!

Explore the elements of art, culture, and identity through this guided lesson based on Leah Dorion's "The Giving Tree: A Retelling of a Traditional Métis Story." We are connected through place and culture! The values, beliefs, traditions, religion, natural environment, recreational activities, music, dance, and art that surround us help to form our identity. We share, listen, learn, and grow from and with each other. Students will think about their own identity and the many pieces that make them unique as they create a painting in the style of Leah Dorion's work.

This is a 45 minute virtual field trip.

Your class will explore human rights ideas through an artistic lens. You will use a piece of paper and your thoughts and reflections to explore various artistic ways of expressing human rights. Our program interpreters will lead you through artistic journaling and the exciting views of art and human rights at the Museum.

Students will:

Learn to identify ways that art is used to express ideas for human rights.
Experience exhibits and the inspiring Museum art as if they were at the Museum in person.
Interact with a Museum guide and art journal to better understand how they can take action with art.
Engage in discussion, critical thinking and reflection on their role in expressing human rights through art.

The purpose of this strand in Arts Education is to explore drama and what it means.  Drama is a great tool to explore and express how we feel. It also allows people to explore, form, and represent ideas, feelings and their consequences either symbolically or using dramatic form. Drama begins with observing the world and then telling that story through acting.

The purpose of these lessons is to explore the relationship of music to identity and create music exploring this relationship using the elements of music - rhythm, pitch, dynamics, timbre, tone and texture.

This lesson teaches Cree words through songs. These songs often serve a specific purpose and have great meaning. With the guidance of an Elder, Knowledge Keeper, or singer/songwriter, students will listen to songs and understand the meaning behind the lyrics. Students will consider how cultural identity is reflected in the work.

These 3 - 5 minute YouTube videos show students how to dance the various Pow-Wow dances in a step-by-step instructional video. The Pow-Wow dances include Men's Fancy Dance, Men's Grass Dance, Chicken Dance, Jingle Dance, Double Beat, Crow Hop, Traditional, and Old Style.

This Website allows you to directly locate and find lessons through the SK curriculum and has specific activities aligned with a number of different SK Subject Outcomes.
- Arts Education
- Career Education
- Social Studies
- Science
- Math
- Health
- Practical and Applied Arts
- Cross-Curricular Competencies
- ELA
- Communication Media

Grade 6 Specific Health Related Activities:
o Avatars and Body Image USC6.1
o Gender Stereotypes and Body Image USC6.1 USC6.2
o Image Gap USC6.1
o Introduction to Cyberbullying: Avatars and Identity USC6.1 USC6.2 USC6.5
o Kids, Alcohol and Advertising – Lesson 1: Messages About Drinking USC6.7
o Kids, Alcohol and Advertising – Lesson 2: Young Drinkers USC6.7
o Kids, Alcohol and Advertising – Lesson 3: Understanding Brands USC6.7
o Kids, Alcohol and Advertising – Lesson 4: Interpreting Media Messages USC6.7
o Media Kids USC6.2 USC6.5 USC6.7
o Media Minute Lesson 2: Media are constructions USC6.2 USC6.7
o Mirror Image USC6.2 USC6.1
o Pay for Play USC6.7
o Prejudice and Body Image USC6.1 USC6.5
o Stereotyping and Bias USC6.1 USC6.2
o Tobacco Labels USC6.7
o Understanding the Internet: Communication and Social Media USC6.7

Educational Games:
o Data Defenders
o A Day in the Life of the Jos (same as above – paid for program) USC6.1 USC6.2