National Gallery of Canada's Online Resources for Teachers: An Overview

M.C. Escher Mindscapes is one of the many online showcases
at the National Gallery of Canada

The National Gallery of Canada, located in Ottawa, Ontario, is a fantastic gallery and I urge anyone who is in Ottawa to take your students to see it. Galleries give students a tremendous opportunity to see art of different mediums, cultures, and time periods, and all usually with the help of a docent to focus their viewing of the pieces. However, for those that aren't in the Ottawa area, the National Gallery still provides educators with opportunities to show their students some amazing art through their online resources. 

The online showcases are a way for teachers to show their students some of the permanent collections of the gallery without making the trek to Ottawa. The showcase doesn't just show the artwork but also has interviews with some of the artists, historical background, and explanations for some of the pieces. Its not quite as fun as going to the gallery itself, but it does make art accessible when you simply can't make it to the gallery.

All three overall curriculum expectations can be addressed through the activities and the online showcase on the website. There are several games/online activities students can play on the site that go beyond simply colouring or decorating an image. There are games about recognizing features and symbols in paintings called Eye Spies and Stories in Art respectively. Students are able to learn about the elements and principles of design. They also have the opportunity to reflect on pieces of art and to appreciate the historical and cultural context of those pieces of art. 

The activity I'm most excited about is the Canadian Landscapes activity, which organizes paintings of Canada's landscapes into the many faces of Canada (urban, rural, wilderness). I think this activity would be a good starting point for some cross-curricular exploration of Visual Arts and Social Studies. Students could learn about the different geographic regions of Canada and then create a painting of a region of their choice. 

"Balsam Ave, Toronto." William Kurelek. 1973. Mixed Media

For older students, there are a few activities available as well, one of which is called Deconstructing Art. This activity takes several paintings and then helps students pull apart different sections of those works such as the elements, perspectives, and themes of the painting. I like this activity because its visual organization makes it easy to break down the elements of a painting, even if you aren't a proficient artist or critic. 

I like that the emphasis for much of the resources and lesson plans on the site is about having a personal connection to the artwork in addition to gaining historical and cultural context. I'm a fan of art history and criticism, but not every student is, nor will every student go onto keeping art in their lives after they're finished school. That's why it's important to make sure students have a personal connection and see the value in art. Even if they may not be frequenting galleries or creating art of their own, if they have positive memories of art or can at least gain some enjoyment from viewing art, then you as an Arts teacher has done a good job! 

Ultimately, it all depends on how creative the teacher is when using these activities and lesson plans in the classroom, but the National Gallery lays a good groundwork through their online resources. Even without a field trip, students can have some fun and learn something of value through the National Gallery.

You can access their website here and go to "Learn" to see all the education specific games, podcasts, and showcases.