Lesson 9 — Activity 1: Looking at the Arts of Different Cultures
Completion requirements
Lesson 9 — Activity 1: Looking at the Arts of Different Cultures
Warm Up
You have learned about how many different groups express their culture with language, customs, and celebrations. Another way for groups and individuals to express their cultural diversity is through literature and the fine arts.
In this
activity, you will look at examples of literature and the fine arts of
different people from various cultural groups. Then you will look at how symbols are used to represent specific countries.
Think about this ...
The five main fine arts include painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry, with the performing arts including theatre and dance. You can also include additional forms such as film, photography, conceptual art, and printmaking.
Here are some examples of works of art from Canadian people from different cultural groups.
creative commons
Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan Canadian award winning poet, novelist, editor, and film maker.
Abęl Makkonen Tesfaye is known professionally as The Weeknd. He is a singer, song writer, and music producer. He had a great start to 2016: The Weeknd won awards at the Grammys and at the Junos. The Weeknd was born in Toronto, Ontario. He is of Ethiopian descent; his parents moved to Canada from Ethiopia in the 1980s.
creative commons
The artist who painted this picture is Alex Janvier. He is a First Nation artist and is considered part of the "Indian Group of Seven".
Certain buildings, pictures, flowers, landscapes, and clothing are often used to represent a specific country. All countries have a symbol that everyone recognizes — their flag. Other symbols develop over time depending on what the country becomes known for.
Digging Deeper!
Think about what a stereotype is.
A stereotype is when a person or thing is portrayed (shown) in a way that is not completely true but is commonly believed to be true. Stereotypes can involve positive or negative descriptions that are not accurate.
Here are some common Canadian stereotypes or symbols. Do you think that everyone who is Canadian identifies with these things?
