Unit Rationale

Rachael Gough Section D

Grade 9 Art Line Unit
This unit on line is essential to building a solid foundation in art
for grade 9 students. The lessons begin by introducing several
techniques to help students learn how to interpret lines, make
purposeful lines, and then apply that knowledge to a final drawing. Art
9 does not have any prerequisites, meaning that a lot of students in
the class will have little to no artistic experience. That makes it
essential to ensure they are getting a full and varied education. It also
means your lessons should be highly engaging to keep students
interested. Another issue with grade 9s is that they are just starting
high school and are therefore very insecure and unsure of themselves.
This unit takes that into account and transitions students in, gradually
scaffolded to ease students into the world of art.
In terms of gender, I have included at least 2 female artists for
each day. Historically females are not well represented in the arts.
However in recent times there are a far higher number of females
enrolled in secondary and post-secondary art classes. This makes it
essential to represent both males and females to the best of my ability.
It also promoted gender equality, and helps promote positive selfimage. I hope that by including it girls will see themselves as equals to
their male classmates. Additionally there is a lot of independence in

subject matter. Students bring in their own self-selected object to draw,

and other than that, they are drawing each other. I have varied the
subject matter of the art I am showing with almost an even number of
males and females in the encounters. I have also ensured that the
subject matter presented does not sexualize the female, or the male
form. For variety, I will also be constructing a seating plan that has
both males and females at each table. Men and women do tend to
think quite differently and I think that having both sexes represented
will ensure a variety of opinions and viewpoints.
I have also accounted for varying socioeconomic levels in my
classroom. Students are provided with all the supplies they need, and
are only required to bring in an item to draw. Should they not have
even that, my lesson plans state that I will always have extra material
for students to use. No use of technology or electronics will be required
by the individual student outside of class time. I have prepared a
presentation of several images for students to consider when engaged
in group discussions. This allows everyone to be on the same level in
my classroom. I also believe that students will build a strong sense of
community with in class discussions and collaborative works. Finally,
although I do not know if I have any FNMI students in my classes, I
have included work by FNMI artists in my encounters for each class
because it is an essential and underrepresented part of our history as
Canadians.

This unit caters to the 21st century learner. Each day the
students engage in hands-on activities followed by discussions. The
unit starts off by students drawing a line and then expanding on
what that means. They will learn how to express meaning through line
requiring critical thinking and analysis. They are also required to
provide written analysis of sketchbook assignments and participate in
table critiques building their oral and written communication skills. The
unit is very exploratory and project based throughout. I am taking
more of a facilitation role, putting students in charge of their own
learning. Students are also partners in their own marking and meet
with the teacher at the end of each month to self-assess, giving them
more responsibility in regards to their own learning. They are being put
in charge, building their entrepreneurial spirit.
I feel this lesson takes many things into consideration in an
attempt to expect the unexpected. I was not able to meet my class or
my TA prior to planning so I have attempted to cover all of my bases.
This unit will engage students and get them excited about art so they
can begin to gain an understanding as well as appreciation. Social
context has taught me a lot and I hope that I can continue to learn and
further my considerations to cover more students than I have in this
unit.