Onsite School Programs

Art
Adventure

Grades 1–3 Grades 4–6

A dynamic introduction to the Gallery’s  collections. Through guided discussions and hands-on activities, students consider 6 to 8 artworks and develop their visual literacy skills.

Choose the collections that will best suit your students’ interests and your objectives:

Canadian, Indigenous and Contemporary Galleries
European, American and Contemporary Galleries

ONTARIO curriculum links

• Consider the elements of art (line, shape, and colour) and the principles of design (contrast, rhythm, balance).

• Creatively examine a variety of art works from diverse cultures, times and places.

QUEBEC curriculum links 

• Employ pertinent visual arts language (e.g., elements of art, spatial organization, gestures, materials) to communicate experience.

• Appreciate works of art, traditional artistic objects, and media images from different artistic periods, places and cultures.

Gallery Highlights

Grades 4–6 Grades 7–12 / Secondary I–V

An introduction to the National Gallery of Canada, its extraordinary glass building and several iconic artworks in the Gallery's collection. Throughout the tour, students consider the notion of originality, the role of a museum and what makes a work of art great using guided discussions. 

ONTARIO curriculum links

• Investigate and apply a critical analysis to a variety of art forms, styles and traditions from diverse cultures, times and places.

• Use appropriate terminology to describe elements, principles and other components related to visual arts (e.g., techniques, materials, tools)

QUEBEC curriculum links 

• Appreciate works of art from the world’s artistic heritage, including cultural objects, media images or productions from different periods, civilizations and cultures, as well as their sociocultural and historical contexts

• Apply visual arts language (e.g., elements of art, spatial organization, gestures, materials) to communicate visual arts experiences while exercising their critical and aesthetic response.

Highlights from the Indigenous and Canadian Collection

Grades 4–6 Grades 7–12 / Secondary I–V

The Indigenous and Canadian Collection presents a broad range of artworks that date from time immemorial to today and includes artistic practices that operate outside the established western canons of art history. In this guided program, students will consider some of the iconic artworks that give voice to the artists’ visions.

ONTARIO curriculum links

• Investigate and apply a critical analysis to a variety of art forms, styles and traditions from diverse Canadian and Indigenous cultures, time periods and places as well as their sociocultural and historical contexts, while using appropriate terminology to describe elements, principles and other components related to visual arts (e.g., techniques, materials, tools).

• Analyze the historical perspective, significance and change and continuity in Canadian society while considering the perspectives of different Indigenous groups and communities.

QUEBEC curriculum links 

• Encounter a variety of works and learn how these works contain sociocultural references indicative of the periods in which they were created. Students will identify thematic, material and visual language elements, comparing the visual arts productions and associating them with sociocultural references.

• Identify expressive or symbolic elements in images to construct and determine meaning and cultural relevance.

Indigenous Expressions

Grades 4–6 Grades 7–12 / Secondary I–V

First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists from Turtle Island/North America have been creating since time immemorial. In this facilitated program, students will be introduced to Indigenous artwork so that they may appreciate the worldviews of First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, past and present.

ONTARIO curriculum links

• Investigate and apply a critical analysis to a variety of art forms, styles and traditions from diverse Indigenous cultures, time periods and places as well as their sociocultural and historical contexts, while using appropriate terminology to describe elements, principles and other components related to visual arts (e.g., techniques, materials, tools).

• Analyze the historical perspective, significance and the change and continuity in Canadian society while considering the perspectives of different Indigenous groups and communities.

QUEBEC curriculum links 

• Encounter a variety of works from Canada’s Indigenous artistic heritage and learn that these works contain sociocultural references indicative of the periods in which they were created.

• Observe and examine visual arts productions, identify thematic, material and visual language elements, compare these as they occur in different visual arts productions and associate them with sociocultural and historical references.

• Identify the expressive or symbolic elements in images to construct and determine meaning and cultural relevance for Indigenous peoples.

Click to access Riopelle Studio, an initiative of the Fondation Jean Paul Riopelle in partnership with the Art Canada Institute and the Government of Canada.  Riopelle Studio is a free online educational platform offering art projects, online activities, historical and technical videos and more.

Play with Clay

Grades 1–3 Grades 4–6

The Gallery’s rich collection of sculptures include works made from metal, stone, wood, bone and lots more. Students see a variety of sculptures and recognize how artists use the elements and principles of design to create a three-dimensional object. Using critical inquiry and hands-on activities, students visit a selection of sculptures throughout the Gallery to inspire their own clay sculpture. 

ONTARIO curriculum links

• Assess how the elements and the principles of design (e.g., shape, form, texture, and balance) are used in sculpture.

• Investigate and apply a critical analysis to a variety of three-dimensional art forms from diverse cultures, times and places and the techniques and materials used to make them

• Create a three-dimensional art work on a theme or topic using a variety of materials, tools and techniques.

QUEBEC curriculum links 

• Develop critical thinking and aesthetic sense through appreciation of works of art, traditional artistic objects, and media images from different artistic periods, places and cultures.

• Produce of creative works from memory, observation and imagination and the account of various viewers, using the appropriate gestures, materials, tools and elements of visual arts language

Printmaking Stories

Grades 1–3 Grades 4–6

For Inuit artists, prints are a compelling extension of a rich storytelling tradition full of fascinating transformations, beautiful and frightening legends, otherworldly creatures, and practical and peaceful depictions of everyday life. Students will take inspiration from the Gallery’s rich collection of Inuit prints and be guided through the printmaking process to visually convey a personal story using a technique similar to that of Inuit artists.

ONTARIO curriculum links

• Investigate and apply a critical analysis to a variety of art forms, styles and traditions from diverse cultures, times and places, and the techniques and materials used to make them.

• Create a narrative art work on a theme or topic, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts.

QUEBEC curriculum links 

• Develop critical thinking and aesthetic sense through an appreciation of works of art, traditional artistic objects, and media images from different artistic periods, places and cultures (including those of Indigenous peoples).

• Produce a creative work from memory, observation, imagination, and the accounts of various viewers, using the appropriate gestures, materials, tools and elements of visual arts language.