PAINTING MY WONDERINGS – Medicine Wheel, Thoughts

Students will be able to:

1. Use watercolours and 4 different combinations of colours to define 4 sections on their artworks;
2. Communicate their personal understanding of the mental (thinking) aspect represented in the medicine wheel;
3. Communicate wonderings, questions, through writing, about each of the 4 elements (air, water, earth, fire);
4. Draw/paint images that represent each of the 4 elements; and
5. Balance and integrate images, words and background using watercolour paints, crayons, and fine black markers.

1. Have students further explore and research one of their questions, wonderings.
2. Take students on a nature walk, observing the natural changes, and reflecting on the 4 elements (air, water, earth, fire). Ask them to reflect on what they saw, heard, smelled, and touched during the walk and write a descriptive piece about the walk in their journal.
3. Invite students to keep a nature journal where they write weekly about their observations and wonderings of the natural world.

1. Prior to the lesson download background information about the medicine wheel. The following is a list of helpful links for developing a deeper understanding of the teachings represented by the medicine wheel:
   - Ojibwe/Powawatomi (Anishinabe) Teaching, by Elder: Lillian Pitawanakwat, 2006 (All rights reserved 4D Interactive Inc.) 
   Ojibwe     
2. Teaching by the Medicine Wheel: An Anishinaabe Framework for Indigenous Education, by: Nicole Bell, 2014 
   Medicine Wheel 
3. Anishinaabemdaa: Medicine Wheel, by: Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, 2014  
   Anishinaabemowin
4. Teachings of the Medicine Wheel is a curriculum unit developed by the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition. On the Main Resources page you can download a student and teacher manual.  
   Teachings
5. If available read The Sacred Tree, by Phil Lane, Jr. et. al., 1989. If not, there is an informative preview of the book at the following link.                       
   Sacred Tree
6. The following link gives a short biography of the Cree artist, Jane Ash Poitras. She has created many mixed media artworks. Jane Ash Poitras' artworks tell stories, they help the viewer understand the history of this land we call Canada. Her artworks teach, and inspire us to  think, question, wonder. Download images from the internet, or find images in art catalogues such as: Who discovered the Americas: Recent Work By Jane Ash Poitras, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1992. The following artworks are examples of mixed media artworks that tell a story through layers, the canvas is divided into sections (each giving a different voice to the story, the history): Living in the Storm Too Long, 1992; 2 C Mother = E, 1993; Transparent Parents Singing Hearts, 1998.
   Jane Ash Poitras
   Living in the Storm
   2 C Mother
   Transparent Parents
7. Download images from the Internet, or find images in books or magazines of the 4 elements: Fire (sun), Earth (animals, plants, land), Water (oceans, lakes, fish), and Air (birds, clouds).
   Fire
   Sun
   Earth
   Black Bear
   Trees
   Heron
   Trout
   Clouds

1. ​Introduce the students to the Cree artist, Jane Ash Poitras.
2. Share Jane Ash Poitras' paintings: Living in the Storm Too Long, 1992; 2 C Mother = E, 1993. Discuss the different sections of each painting, and the meaning communicated by the words, colours, and images. Ask questions,
   - What do you wonder when you view each painting?
   - Whose story is being told?
3. Review the different teachings represented by the medicine wheel. Introduce the students to the 4 different aspects (physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional) that are part of each person, and represented by the medicine wheel.
4. Reflect on each area (physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional) inviting students to share their personal understanding and meaning of each human aspect. The medicine wheel is a symbol teaching us to keep each area healthy and balanced.
5. Focus on the mental (thinking) aspect. Ask students to reflect on how they learn.
   - What life experiences inspire you to wonder? 
6. Discuss the 4 elements (earth, water, fire, air) represented by the medicine wheel.
   - What images come to your mind when you close your eyes and think about each element, picturing it in your mind's eye?

1. Once all the artworks are complete ask students to bring their mixed media artworks into a large circle.
2. Invite each student to share one of their wonderings, questions connected to an element (earth, water, fire, air).
3. Ask students to share a life experience that inspired them to learn.
4. During the circle discussion include references to colour (warm and cool), and the meaning connected to the colours.
5. Ask students to share how they have created balance and used contrast in their artworks.

1. Observe students as they work - exploring, experimenting, adding detail, thoughtful focus.
2. Listen to and observe students as they discuss the artworks - attentive listening, insightful contributions.
3. Use a checklist to track progress (Download - WONDERINGS_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students reflect on their own artworks in their sketchbooks. Ask students: 
   - What worked well in your artwork? Why?                                                                                                                                                                                
   - What would you change or do differently next time?                                                                                                                                                           
   - Explain how you prefer to learn, and what life experiences inspire you to wonder.