Viking Longships

This was a super fun collaborative project I did with the Grade 7 Social Studies teacher at my school. He's a very creative teacher and is always looking for ways to incorporate art projects into his lessons. His students were studying the Vikings and their early exploration in Canada (the famous L'Anse aux Meadows site, dated circa 1000 AD, located in the Province of Newfoundland) 

L'Anse aux Meadows is the only confirmed Norse site in North America outside Greenland. It represents the farthest-known extent of European exploration and settlement of the New World before the voyages of Christopher Columbus almost 500 years later.

I was super stoked to teach a Vikings themed art lesson partly because I'm obsessed with the TV show "Vikings" on the History channel. It's a Canadian/Irish production and is beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted. The lead Viking, Ragnar, is amazing!

I showed the kids photos of ancient Viking longships. We learned their features and characteristics.

Then, on thick white paper, students started by drawing out their ship in pencil.

Then they outlined it all with Sharpies.

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They had the option of using pencil crayons or watercolours to colour in the ship.

Then, I demoed how to mix and use watercolours in a wet-on-wet technique for the sky and sea. I encouraged them to have the sea a rough blue/grey colour as it's supposed to be the Atlantic ocean.

I loved how they all turned out. 

 

Of course I HAD to include Ragnar in my display, lol! 

I love walking past him everyday!! (and the artwork too, of course ;)