Part Two: Activities
The activities in each lesson are designed to help students deepen their base of knowledge and test their understanding of the main concepts mandated in the curriculum. You can decide which (and how many) activities you’d like students to complete. There is one recommended activity per chapter that helps link the lessons forward, giving students the opportunity to build towards their final project, which is revealed in Chapter Six.
Decision Time:
Summary: In this activity, students will work with divergent stakeholders to reach a consensus agreement – or not.
Objectives: The aim of this activity is to help students realize that decisions aren’t easy and that problem solving requires creativity. Whether telling a visual story about a decision that should be made, or using artistic skills to help solve a problem, this activity will help students understand the pros and cons of working at different scales and the incredible complexity of the issues we face. By the end of this activity, students will better understand the multitude of voices that have a stake in an issue and gain more empathy for decision-makers.
Skills:
- Research and analysis
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Presentation skills
- Empathy
- Perspective
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Decision-making
Instructions:
Part One:
- Divide the class in half. One half of the class selects a national biodiversity hotspot (ex boreal forest) and the other half picks a local biodiversity hotspot (ex location in the city or community).
- Help students select an issue facing both the national and local biodiversity hotspot they’ve chosen (ex. a species that is endangered in both the community and at the national level). They can use themes from their Inquiry Media if that helps.
- Have students in each group work together to answer the questions listed in #3 of Part One in the activity.
- Each member of each group will select one of the issue’s stakeholders and quickly research their position.
- Next, each ‘stakeholder’ will argue their case to the rest of the group.
- After everyone has made their case, the group will work to find a solution to the issue that every ‘stakeholder’ can agree with. If they can’t come to an agreement, that’s still a result.
- Instruct each group to design a storyboard for presentation that visually explains the problem solving and decision making process, and the outcome they collectively reached. All members of each group have to at least agree on the final storyboard, even if they can’t all agree on how to solve the issue. Be sure students ask themselves: “Do you feel your position is represented in the story?”
Part Two:
- Have a representative from each group present the storyboard to the class, outlining the issue, the viewpoints and the agreed upon solution (or non-agreement).
- After each group has presented, facilitate a discussion with the class on the pros and cons of local-versus-national action, using the prompts listed in the activity.
Wrap-up the activity by asking students how they felt about the decision-making process and what they learned from it. Encourage them to reflect on the different viewpoints they encountered and how they were able to work with people they disagree with. This activity is an experiment and the hope is that students will realize decision-making is hard and so too is creating meaningful impact. Students should understand and weigh this reality when creating a visual story that seeks to advance a specific idea or solution.
- Check-ins during the activity: Observe and listen to group discussions to ensure that all students are participating, engaged and on-task.
- Peer and self-assessment: Students can assess each other’s contributions to group discussions and brainstorming sessions, as well as their ability to work collaboratively with others. The class can also evaluate the presentations based on clarity, persuasiveness and overall effectiveness.
- Presentation: Assess the quality and effectiveness of each group’s agreement, if there is one, and the clarity and creativity of their presentation to the class.
- Reflection: Students can write a reflection on what they learned from the activity, how their thinking has changed, and how they might apply these skills in this class and in their future.
Story Strategies:
Summary: In this activity, students will learn about image development strategies and work to identify their preferred approach to visual storytelling.
Objectives: The aim of this activity is to help students understand and analyze different image development strategies and learn how to use them effectively. By exploring a range of examples, students will learn how designers use different tools to create visual impact, helping them focus on the approach that works best for them.
Skills:
- Analytical skills
- Visual literacy
- Creativity
- Communication
- Digital literacy
Instructions:
- Introduce the concept of image development strategies to the class. Explain each strategy and provide examples of how they are used in different forms of visual storytelling (such as advertising, social media, and graphic design). Use the infographic or slideshow provided to help with the explanation.
- Ask students to find examples of each strategy. They can use their Pinterest account or any other document/software tool to gather examples.
- Encourage students to analyze each example and explain why they think it is a good representation of the strategy. For example, they could consider how the use of contrast makes an image stand out, or how the use of white space makes an image feel more spacious and calm.
- Once students have gathered their examples, have them reflect on which image development strategy is their favourite and why. Encourage them to consider factors such as the impact of the strategy on the viewer, the level of creativity involved in the use of the strategy and the overall effectiveness of the image.
- Have students share their findings and reflections with the class. This can be done through a group presentation or a discussion.
Assessment: Assessment for this activity can be based on both the quantity and quality of examples found by the students, as well as their reflection on their favourite image development strategy. Student assessment can also be based on the level of analysis provided for each example, and the quality of the final presentation or discussion.
Artists Decisions:
Summary: Students will explore how successful visual storytellers settle on an idea worth pursuing.
Objectives: The aim of this activity is to help students learn from the creative works of different visual storytellers. By examining the decisions of other artists, and identifying effective image development strategies, students will decide on the story strategy that works best for them. This can help students become more confident and competent in their artistic abilities, as well as enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Skills:
- Research
- Brainstorming
- Sketching and experimenting
- Collaboration
- Refining
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
Instructions:
- Explain to students that the creative process is highly individual – the key is for each student to find the idea development strategy that work best for them. In this activity, they will explore different strategies that artists use to develop their ideas and learn how to apply these strategies to their own work.
- Discuss with students how artists draw inspiration, as well as the strategies they use to develop a concept. Use the prompts or ideas provided in the activity to help with the explanation.
- Instruct students to find a visual story that relates to or represents the issue they are exploring. It doesn’t have to be the same medium that they’re thinking of using. Then, have students answer the questions listed in the activity.
- Wrap-up the activity by emphasize the importance of finding individualized methods of developing ideas and encourage students to continue exploring different strategies that work best for them.
Assessment: Assessment can be based on student engagement and participation in the activity, their ability to understand the core concepts and the quality of their answers to the questions provided.
Problem Solving: *Recommended*
Summary: In this activity, students will decide on their guiding or better question that will direct their final project.
Objective: The aim is to help students build on the activities they completed in previous chapters and focus in on the one better question that will inform their final project. Students will take the issue they’ve been exploring and work to find the root cause of the problem, before settling on their guiding question they believe must be answered in order to find a solution. Students will then reflect on and potentially refine their question, ensuring it fits with their skillset and this class.
Skills:
- Critical thinking
- Research
- Creativity
- Organization and Planning
- Communication
- Collaboration
Instructions:
- Present or have students carefully review the activity’s preamble in order to understand the purpose of this activity and how it relates to their final project.
Part One
- Students will use the guide provided in the activity to help them uncover the root cause of their issue and the guiding or better question they want to answer through their final project. This task will take some time and you can decide whether the activity should be done in class, with support, or at home as a homework assignment.
Part Two
- Ask the students to reflect on their guiding or better question by answering the questions listed in this section of the activity. Be sure to emphasize that students should be realistic and honest when answering the questions. Rushing this assessment in order to be done faster will only hurt their ability to produce a good final project.
Assessment:
- The use of critical and creative thinking skills to determine the issue’s root cause and the better question they want to answer through their final project.
- The self-assessment of their better question.
NEW STORY AND ACTIVITY: Tariffs: Canada, we have a problem – This new lesson discusses what a tariff is and the implications they have on Canada. It includes one general activity that helps with understanding – this includes definitions, questions and a hands-on activity, as well as mini lessons that relate to the visual storytelling course.
Students also have access to the Curated Library – with featured resources presented in the Further Exploration section found at the base of the lesson page – to help them with the above activities.