Creating the Culminating Task

Integrated units often end with a culminating task. In traditional backward planning the teacher usually knows what the culminating task will be before the unit begins. The exploratory nature of this project dictated that we had no specific culminating task planned because we were discovering the learning along the way and chose to stay open to the possibilities of the process.

As artists and educators, the teacher and I wrestled with different concepts to bring all the learning together in a final collaborative installation. As we discussed different ideas, he

opened the problem-solving task to the students. Because the project was about sensory arts and student engagement it was important that the teacher and I attended to how the students influenced and informed the learning. The students’ passion for the project resulted in them advocating to create an installation to commemorate Olemaun, the main character in their novel study, and by extension, to memorialize all the children who suffered and continue to suffer as a result of a residential school experience. The students were curious and fascinated with the significance of the inukshuk and wanted to make one.

I remember the two of us trying to figure how is this going to end. We were looking, of course, in class at Inuit culture and how they live and build communities and of course inukshuks had come up and kids were asking, ‘what was the meaning of these inukshuks? - I see them everywhere. What are they and what do they mean?’ (Teacher, Interview three, 2015)

The teacher and I agreed that it was important to provide some context regarding installation, cultural appropriation, and postmodern art principles (Gude, 2004). Before the students could begin to conceive the creative work they had to research the history, significance, and

appropriateness of creating an inukshuk. The teacher and I also agreed that in order for the students to experience success they needed to feel confident that they had the skills and the ability to carry out the project (see Figure 4.6). The culminating task was an opportunity for the students to engage in creative and critical thinking and to work individually and collaboratively to solve the aesthetic design and practical construction problems associated with the

installation (see Figures 4.7 and 4.8).

Figure 4.6 Students Prepare Individual Stones and Poems for Collaborative Installation

Students conducted independent research and participated in creative processes, writing, constructing individual pieces, collaborative creation of installation, and hosting the exhibit. The students demonstrated intrinsic motivation to research, construct, and complete the task.

They were immersed in creative processes and felt passionate about the importance of what they were creating. It was not just about making something nice; it was about standing up and making a statement.

Figure 4.7 Grade Six Students Assemble Installation

4.2.4.1

Description of the Installation

The entire classroom was cloaked in panels of white sheets. The cold breeze through the open window caused the panels to sway and ripple. The effect was that the entire room was

breathing. Desks were grouped together in the centre of the room. Atop the desks presided the giant inuksuk, comprised of handmade paper-mache stones with poems written on them. The inuksuk, Olemaun’s protector and guide stood proud, strong, and reverant. It was surrounded by images that the students had drawn and painted while listening to Dennis Saddleman’s

Monster, an evocative poem that personifies the residential school as a monster. The drawings were placed all around as if they had been scattered on the snow. Tanya Taqac’s haunting throat-singing piece, Rabbit, used as a reference to Olemaun’s fascination with Alice in

Wonderland, played on an endless loop adding to the mystery and reverence. Students hosted the exhibit, and acted as docents, answering questions about the meaning of their art

installation. This was their response to what they had learned about residential schools and about a part of Canadian ‘history’ that they wanted others to know. It was very sophisticated and heart-felt. The teacher felt extremely proud of the entire experience (see Figure 4.9).

Figure 4.9 Grade Six Installation

It was powerful because my kids were all a part of it. They all wanted to be a part of it and they were there to explain to the public what this was all about. And just listening to the kids talk about what they had learned and how they felt about the subject and doing real thinking and real opinions about this subject matter, to see the reaction of adults and how they were taken aback by this presentation was amazing. But then to see the kids the next day and how we as a group could make a piece that could start such a conversation amongst all these kids was - I can get emotional right now - but it truly was strong and powerful to see that and to see my kids talking to other children, younger than them and seeing them being able to talk to these kids appropriately about what happened in residential schools. It was really powerful” (Teacher, Interview three, 2015).

A few weeks after the exhibit the teacher and his students received an unexpected honour in connection with the work they had done.

Our installation made it to the cover of the yearbook - that caused a lot of excitement, too. None of us knew. I think that the impact of that installation resonated with a lot of people at the school and so when we got the yearbook we were like WHAT? (laughing). We’re on the cover - oh my God the kids went crazy - they were just so happy. It sort of solidified all their work. It made it seem like our community found what we were doing important. So it was really cool (Teacher Interview three, 2015).

As we reflected, the teacher went through the arts experiences,

We did so much we touched on dance, we did visual arts, I don’t teach music but we did sound and music, drama, we touched on all those, we did language reading, writing there was oral and listening - so all the language was looked after - we did a little media literacy with them and worked on posters about residential schools that they had learned about so there was so much in it that we integrated and then, of course, social studies - learning about the Inuit culture - not just the novel study but that expanded to learning about the culture and the realization with what is happening with Indigenous People in Canada. So it turned out to be, yes it was

Fatty Legs the book, but oh my goodness, it was like Fatty Legs in 3-D. (Teacher Interview three, 2015)

I showed the teacher a chart (Figure 4.10) of one way to consider the planning, integration, and potential direction for the project and we discussed our approach.

Figure 4.10 Possible Ways to Envision Integrated Planning Novel study

Novel study + social studies

Novel study + arts (various curriculum strands/disciplines) Novel study + sensory awareness

He pointed out all the ways we satisfied the most comprehensive level of the plan.

We did a novel study - we added the sensory-based approach to the novel study, which made the novel come to life and a reality. Then we took what we learned from our senses based on the information - we then created pieces of art that were amazing both visually, dance, sound, music process which were outstanding and believe it or not I have these kids so wrapped up in this part of history for social studies that last component of your equation there that I could not have done this with a textbook. How could I have ever gotten these kids so interested in this if it wasn’t the use of all of these things like - using the arts as a way to express their feelings, using the arts to express how the character - putting themselves in Olemaun’s shoes - I think that’s … we fully accomplished this in a great way - in a great way - they have learned so much (Teacher Interview two, 2015).

The teacher and I discussed how he might use these approaches again in his future programming.

Next year by the time I get to the novel study, Fatty Legs, I’m hoping that my kids

would already have the vocabulary and some of the experiences. We will have already know what being engaged and being in the flow is. I want them to already have validated each sense although we’ve discussed this before sometimes the subject matter is what is going to introduce the sense that we are going to look at but then sometimes it could be the other way around” (Teacher Interview three, 2015).

The teacher and I discussed how the senses and the arts programming made the difficult issue of residential schools more accessible to the students,

Honestly, doing those assignments really got them to be in Olemaun’s shoes… all just worked out because this was just the best way to really work with all of this…I don’t think they will ever forget that book…will never forget what they have learned about residential schools I feel like we can walk away proud this year that we really educated kids about the truth about the history of Canada and we did it through this character Olemaun and using the senses and making this experience real for the kids so that they could connect with this character and really connect with the issue. There is the big umbrella and then there are all the little steps that we took to get at the issue but really it has been Olemaun that has taken us (Teacher, Interview two, 2015).