Nanuq
Grade(s): 1, 2, and 3
Location: Visual Art Studios at St. Albert Place (Art Gallery of St. Albert)
Duration: 1.5 Hours
Teacher Provides:
Volunteers:
In Canada’s arctic region, the Inuit refer to polar bears as “Nanuq”. Nanuq likes the cold and is perfectly camouflaged in a snowy environment. Students will discuss the most distinguishing features of a polar bear and successfully build their own bear sculpture. Nanuq makes a wonderful hand-built gift
*Note: All in-school and virtual clay programs use air-dry clay which is much less durable than clay that is bisque fired at our visual art studios. We cannot transport clay from in-school programs to the visual art studios for firing, but if your school has a kiln and a technician, we can supply suitable clay for firing at your school.
Curriculum
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Social: communities in Canada; Canada's dynamic communities; Inuit
- Art: refining forms, creative process, expression and celebration, fine and gross motor skill development
- Make experimental and informed artistic choices when creating artworks
Student Outcomes
- Differentiate between two and three dimensional shapes
- Explore how texture can be used to create a visual effect
- Learn what clay is and where it comes from; why it is bisque fired in a kiln; how to use clay and clay tools safely in a professional studio
- Create art for enjoyment
Suggested Pairings
The Inuit – Musée Héritage Museum
*To book an in-school field trip, schools must schedule a minimum of two programs on the same day with a lunch break in between. If booking three programs in one day, the school must provide a room for classes to rotate through for the full day. Please note that if these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to accommodate your in-school program request.
* To schedule a field trip, you'll need to have a teacher account and log in. If you don't have an account yet, you can easily register for one here.
Teacher Feedback
My students loved the field trip. There is a good mix of teaching about the history and hands-on activities.
Perfect project to complement our learning in Science.
The presentation was engaging and informative. It fit in wonderfully with our kindergarten curriculum and was a positive and meaningful experience for my students.
These were valuable and engaging programs for the students. They enjoyed learning a new skill and at the river lots they were encouraged to think critically and reflect carefully.
My students loved it and couldn't wait to go home and show their creations!
This program was fantastic. The students loved the opportunity to be in council chambers.
I have done clay projects with you for as long as I can remember. Once again, everything was AMAZING! We have a new grade partner this year who had never been, and she absolutely loved it! The instructors are always excellent, They explain and guide the students in manageable chunks to make it easy for the kids to follow along. I love that you allow extra parents to come and assist. I especially like that the projects are always connected to the curriculum! Thanks again.
The Peru and Indigenous Peoples of Canada program perfectly connected Gr 3 Social Studies content with some Gr 4 Social Studies content. We had lots to talk about after.
The instructor was amazing. She engaged the students in the Métis culture. The activity was hands on and informative.
Amazing program with a knowledgeable instructor who engaged my students and me too! Thanks so much for offering this field trip.