SAAE South African Artists in Exile
Developer’s Name:
Sherilyn Lehn, M.Ed., B.Ed., B.F.A., OCT
Audience:
Grades 9 – 12
Lesson Description:
This Art lesson, for grade 9 – 12, is day one lesson. While a visual arts focus, students will be introduced to Nelson Mandela and his struggle to end Apartheid. Teachers will be encouraged to apply South African Ubuntu Epistemology: Activate, Reflect, Connect, and Communicate.
After learning about South African history regarding Nelson Mandela, the struggle to end Apartheid, students will then focus on the topic of South African Artists in Exile. In these three lessons, students will be introduced to Pitika Ntuli. Students will be encouraged to reflect and make connections Pitika’s experiences with Apartheid and being exiled through reflecting, communicating connections with social, cultural, and community based issues as they compare and contrast his story to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Specifically, students shall identify and describe some of the ways in which Pitika Ntuli created sculptures to make a statement about Human Rights.
Students will observe images of Pitika Ntuli’s sculptures and then create a Human Rights themed soap sculpture. Students will be focusing on identifying the elements and principles of design in form, shape, texture, pattern, size, space, and balance. The sculpture must communicate a message about current Canadian Human Rights issues through visual imagery.
Lesson Objectives:
- Become aware of Nelson Mandela and the struggle to end Apartheid
- Critically view works of art based on traditional culture and heritage
- Apply learning to make connections of Human Rights issues to social, cultural and community contexts
Relevant Ontario Curriculum:
- Visual Arts
- History
- English
Relevant Ontario Curriculum Documents
- Ontario Ministry of Education. (2007). The Ontario Curriculum. Grades 9 and 10 English
- Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). The Ontario Curriculum. Grades 9 and 10 Arts
- Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). The Ontario Curriculum. Grades 11 and 12 Arts
- Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015). The Ontario Curriculum. Grade 12 Canadian and International Politics; in Grades 11 and 12 Canadian and World Studies
- Ontario Ministry of Education. (2018). The Ontario Curriculum. Grades 9 and 10 Canadian and World Studies Geography, History, Civics (Politics)
Human Rights Instruments:
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Article 1 – All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
- Article 2 – Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
- Article 28 – Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Resources:
- History Channel: Biography of Nelson Mandela
- Apartheid: History for Kids
- UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Video: RR8036B Pitika Ntuli Artist in Exile
- Biography: Pitika Ntuli
- Article: Pitika Ntuli’s Organic Baggage
- Article: Art That Condemned Apartheid Will End Its Exile
- Article: Censorship: Apartheid Era
- Facilitator’s Guide for the Adolescent Literacy Guide
- Google Search of Pitika Ntuli Sculptures
Lesson Plan Details by Stages of African Epistemology:
Activate
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- On Boardroom paper write the word “Exile” and draw a circle around it. Together as a class allow students to brainstorm ideas and definitions around the word.
- Ask students if they think people live in exile in our recent history? This is an exercise to create dialogue and allow the teacher to gauge how much students know about this topic.
Activate
Real time in the classroom: 3 minutes
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Today we will learn about Nelson Mandela and his struggle defend human rights. He struggled against Apartheid. We will learn about Apartheid and then be introduced to an exiled South African artist who also was working as a defender of human rights. His name is Pitika Ntuli.
Activate
Real time in the classroom: 7 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Introduce the video: A Biography of Nelson Mandela.
Activate
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights aloud with the class. Specifically focus on Articles 1, 2, 9, 18, 19 & 28.
- Allow time for clarification if students need it. Make sure they have a copy on hand to be able to apply to the next few days of lessons.
Activate
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights aloud with the class. Specifically focus on Articles 1, 2, 9, 18, 19 & 28.
- Allow time for clarification if students need it. Make sure they have a copy on hand to be able to apply to the next few days of lessons.
Activate
Real time in the classroom: 7 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Read aloud and discuss connections to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Create a word web as students describe their interpretations, connections, and responses to Apartheid.
Connect
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- As a class, read this article aloud. Allow for students to ask for clarification or discussion.
Connect and Reflect
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Pair and Share:
- Using the Facilitator’s Guide for the Adolescent Literacy Guide, have students discuss the Connections, Points, & Questions Protocol. Ask students to try to make some connections to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Communicate
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Allow students to share/discuss as a class.
Connect
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Resources:
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Read Pitika Ntuli’s Biography together as a class.
Reflect and Connect
Real time in the classroom: 20 minutes
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Students will write:
- Important Biographical information
- His experiences with Apartheid.
- Connections to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Which articles are relevant and why?
- Student opinions/responses to Pitika Ntuli’s biography
Reflect and Connect
Real time in the classroom: 5 minutes
Instructions and Lesson Breakdown:
- Reflect on what was learned this class. Any questions or clarifications? Written reflections should be completed for next class.
