- Definition
Narrative art is simply artwork that tells a story, much like a book or a movie does.
A painting of a child opening a birthday present tells a story about a celebration.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Narrative art is like a picture book page where the drawing tells you what's happening in the story.
Ask your child: What story do you think this picture is telling?
Common mix-up: Kids may think art is just a picture of a thing, like a dog. Narrative art shows that dog doing something or feeling something as part of a story.
Examples
- A drawing of a superhero saving someone tells a story of bravery.
- A sculpture of a family hugging tells a story about love and connection.
- A series of pictures in a comic strip that show a character's adventure.
narrative art is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
