We All Fit Together

Activity: We All Fit Together

BC Curriculum Big Ideas: 

Art: Visual arts are an essential element of culture and personal identity.

Art: Visual arts reflect the interconnectedness of the individual, community, history, and society.

Social Studies: Understanding the diversity and complexity of cultural expressions in one culture enhances our understanding of other cultures.

EDCI 448/487 Big Ideas:

Exploring our thoughts and feelings through visual media allows us to form a connection to each other as well as our environment, improving our sense of well-being by providing both inspiration and reflection.

First Peoples Principle:

Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.

Activity Purpose and Overview:

• Visual literacy is a great way to engage ALL learners including ELL and has the potential to create meaningful experiences and deep connections in the classroom. This activity was inspired by our course reading  “Hurdling over language barriers” (2017), in which two instructors guided ELL students through a series of visual activities to form relationships and better connections with them as a way to promote confidence and comfortability in their language learning. Our activity has a similar framework and has the potential to engage all students, and connects to multiple disciplines.
• In this activity, students are provided with a large blank puzzle piece and are prompted with questions and ideas to get them thinking about their identity and background (the pieces that shape them). They are then asked to decorate their puzzle piece as a reflection of themselves using words, drawing, collage etc. They will be encouraged to discuss in pairs or groups about their pieces before and while they create to form these connections and relationships. At the end, all of the pieces will be assembled together as a mural on the wall where students can share their experience with the activity and what they included on their pieces. This activity is best suited for an art class but can be modified as a quicker ice-breaker activity in any other class where the art will not be assessed.

Instructions:

• Teacher introduces sharing activity where each student turns to their partner and shares one unknown fact about each other (This will help generate ideas for the students’ puzzle pieces)
• Teacher hands out a blank puzzle piece to each student and explains the activity of creating a puzzle piece that reflects them in any way they choose
• Teacher demonstrates a few art techniques (if art class specific)
• Students are then free to create their puzzle pieces for an agreed upon amount of time (longer if considered a project in art class) and are encouraged to discuss and chat amongst themselves while they work
• At the halfway point, students will have the choice to share their work in progress with a peer to generate other ideas and make connections between classmates
• After the puzzle pieces are complete, the class will come together to assemble the puzzle on the wall
• Students may then choose to share a story about their piece or point out underlying themes and connections between multiple pieces and therefore make connections with other classmates

Equipment needed:

• Cut out paper jigsaw pieces (prep these puzzle pieces ahead of time)
• Art supplies – Scissors, pencils, pencil crayons, paint, collage)

Rationale as an effective ELL activity:

• This activity strongly encourages the trans-disciplinary core competencies of “Thinking” and “Personal/Social”
• Personal and cultural identity: promotes personal reflection and awareness about the language, culture, and values that have helped shape them
• Social awareness and responsibility: encourages acceptance and inclusion and deeper understanding of our differences
• Acknowledges and values diversity
• Alternate modes of communication (visual literacy) allows ELL students to provide their viewpoints without the need for language (Art is universal)
• By combining the puzzle pieces into one large mural it promotes a sense of community of all students and their shared identities coming together

Transdisciplinary Connections

• Art: This project can be used as a larger art project where more time is allotted to the creation of the puzzle pieces using a variety of mediums introduced in the class
• Social Studies: Exploring topics relating to social studies can be a way for students to create their puzzle pieces to tell a story relating to that topic from their varying perspectives
• English: This project can be used in english as a way to tell a story as a whole group, utilizing text and imagery so that the entire puzzle comes together as a storyboard.

Adaptations/Modifications:

• Students have choice of how they decorate their puzzle piece (text, drawing, cut-outs)
• Option to change out their piece as they continue to grow throughout the year
• Provide instructions orally and visually
• Allow extra time for students who have mobility issues (can take home to finish)