Wild About The North

Mini Art Unit

Grade 2 lessons for
Art, Music, and Drama

Theme: Wild about the North

Subject: Music
Grade Level: Grade 2
Time Frame: 1 period/ 30 minutes
Materials Needed:
SLO:
k-2 m-CL 3 experiment with
Drums
music to communicate ideas
derived from a variety of
Sand paper sticks
stimuli (ie, visual like artwork;
Ripple Sticks
remembered or imaginary
experiences; poem story, etc.

Behavioural Objective:
Students will be able to use a
variety of instruments to imitate
sounds from every day life
experiences as described to them.

Maracas

Triangle

Finger cymbals

Xylophone

tambourine

-Anything we can borrow from the

music room

Activate:
Talk about music used from the dance lesson and the way it sounds and how it's used
in combination of the movements to create art.
Show images of Northern climates, places, etc, and talk about what it would sound like.
Acquire:
Talk about different instruments, and sounds in every day life.
Ask: What do you hear at home? The phone ringing? What does that sound like?
(emulate it with an instrument). Video games playing? Dinner cooking?
What do you hear when you're walking down the street? Wind? Cars? Foot steps? Dogs
barking?
Apply:
In class/groups will work through different winter scenarios or perform with the
art/drama performances. Use the images to prompt them if needed.
Adaptations:
Allow students to create scenarios.
Assessment:
Observation - see if the students can create scenarios and/or use at least 2 instruments
to add to a given scenario.

Informal
Formative

Additions:
Record the song for the students and make a class CD.

Examples of images to show to brainstorm sound settings.

Theme: Wild about the North

Subject: Art
Grade Level: Grade 2
Time Frame: .5 of a period/ 15-20 minutes for discussion and .5 of a period/15-20 minutes
for dance
Materials Needed:
Images on computer/smart board of art types. Ie, different varietys of sculpting,
dancing, painting, photography, drama clips, poems, etc.
Resources: http://www.etfo.ca/Resources/ForTeachers/Documents/Canadian
%20Aboriginal%20Festival%202005%20Curriculum%20Connections%20%20Aboriginal%20Dance.pdf
Aboriginal Artists: http://www.artistsincanada.com/artist/browse/aboriginal/?
cat=256
SLO:
k-4 A-U2.3 Recognize that visual art is an art form along with dance,
drama, literary art, and music.
Behavioural Objective:
Students will be able to articulate through a mini biography and create at least 3 types
of art (ie. Music, drama, dance, painting, literary art, etc)
Activate:
Discuss previous assignments Drama lessons, music lessons, English lesson of story
telling etc. From earlier points in the year. Review these types of art.
How are these type of arts different?
How are they the same?
Are there other types?
Talk about artists' strengths and weaknesses in different mediums, and how each artist
has their own style.
Talk about artists' biographies
Acquire:
Teach dance as an art form (what other art forms are there?)
Teach Native American dances and explain the different aspects:
These dances are normally in a circle. Circles typically have a sacred role in
Native American culture as it represents that life is infinite with no beginning and no
end, the cycle of life, the four directions, or the four seasons.
Many dances are named after animals or the type of regalia they wear during the
dance.
Types to show with videos, special guests, or field trip:
Hoop dancing This dance manipulates dozens of hoops in an intricate pattern to tell
a traditional story. You start with one hoop and add more to represent one's life
journey and your relationship to people, animals, and the earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXeCovIOqoQ#aid=P-uaAbWnxas How to do a

Behind-The-Back hoop weave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfFJnr0pJ70 A grade 2 class doing a Native
American Dance
Teach briefly how to write a biography

Adapt:
Give options for moves as it may be challenging for some: hoop dancing, or simple
steps, etc.
Apply:
Perform in class with the drama lesson final assignment, or at a school events, parent,
teacher etc. Make it fun and record their dances to put on a CD.
Assessment:
With the story at the back of the book students will write a mini bio and outline their
three favourite types of art (ie, literary, drama, dance, painting, sculptures, music, etc)
Summative (at the end of the unit when the book is done)
Observational (during the dance)
Informal (discussion)

EXAMPLES OF ART TO SHOW & DISCUSS

Theme: Wild about the North

Subject: Drama
Grade Level: Grade 2
Time Frame: 1 period/ 30 minutes
Materials Needed:
Milk Jug Igloo
Igloo making tools
Dog sled (miniature)
animal carving tools
Tools used on animal furs
Different types of animal furs

SLO:
2 DR-Cl.4 Create and experiment with costumes, props, and sets for specific play
experiences.
Behavioural Objective:
Students will be able to use props for their designed purpose and interact in an
appropriate manner based on the given imaginary circumstances/story.

Activate:
Create stage names, and play a quick name game throw the ball to someone and say
their stage name.
Review other SLO's from the PE curriculum to ensure a positive atmosphere for
students to be silly and express themselves.
Example of topics covered in PE: recognize that everyone is unique and able to
succeed. Development of self-monitoring skills. Discuss social factors that affect
groups. Identify responsible and respectful behaviours, positive communication
skills, and situations where friends may be helpful and show appreciation.
Acquire:
Quick explanation of how to act> no back to audience, project voice etc.
Videos, books, and explanations on things from the North: ie, dog sleds, igloo building,
so they have ideas on how to play and communicate in the scenes.
Give students time in groups to do some improv with the items, and do quick switches
(1 minute each, then switch-maybe pairs/threes, etc) to get ideas going. Then break
into groups to discuss what they'd like to do for their drama assignment.
Adaptations:
Allow shy children the option to create stories using all the props/materials and just
narrate as the others in the group act it out.
Offer musically inclined students the often to create music with traditional items to go
with the scenes.
If limited on time, only do the improv once, or skip the improv and have students work
to write/create scenes.

Apply:
each group of 5 create and performs a 3-5 minute scene focused around a particular
item: ie, ice breakers, igloo building, animal hunting, etc.
Assessment:
Peer assessment in their groups
Observational
Informal
Formative
See attached.

Drama Self Reflection

Name: _______________ Date: _______________
The hardest part of this activity was:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
My biggest accomplishment was:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
I could improve by doing:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Peer Assessment
My partner: ______________
Check one
He/she did This was okay He/She let me
this well
down
1. made a lot of good
suggestions
2. worked well with me
3. knew what was
expected
I think this person deserves a... (circle one)
didn't
participate
fully, wasn't
respectful,
didn't know
what to do or
what was
expected.
1

Participated
some of the
time, wasn't
always open to
others
opinions/respe
ctful
2

Fully
participated,
contributed
ideas, listens
to others
suggestions,
was pleasant
to work with.
4