One word Connections

A few years ago I just couldn't leave Target without this Thought Bubble White Board, and I finally found a use for it that I like.

Now I can display artworks and allow students to choose appropriate descriptors. The more they search for words that work the more they will see in the artwork itself.

This ties in nicely with a little game I like to play called "Tell Me what You See".
I often play this with my students when looking at a new work of art. The First phase of art criticism is Observation. In this game students are asked to tell me what they see in as close to one word as possible. For the artwork above students might call out words like "rain", "buildings", "dark", "glow".... I think this is a fun way to get students to notice something new in art without having to point it out to them.  Ultimately the more words they come up with the more the students SEE.

Above Post From Olive Art! Do You??? Monday, August 19, 2013

I now keep this board in my Free Art Station for a fun activity for students to do when they finish a project early.

New Idea:

These magnets could easily be made larger for use on a white board. 

Before presenting a new work of art, give each student a few magnets. They can un-code the work by sharing words that connect, do not connect, and why. 

This would take a little more preparation but once the cards are made, they could be used over and over again in any lesson.

Artist Who?

A while ago I saw a post on Pinterest where a mother made her children their own "Guess Who? " game using pictures of family members. I was inspired to make my own version using artists and their self portraits.

Warning: This was not as quick and easy as I had hoped, but I think it will make a great addition to my Free Art Station. Students will be working through art criticism without even knowing it.

By looking at the works and playing the game students will look at the elements and principles of design, details, styles, materials, ect.

While having fun, they will be participating in art criticism and gaining familiarity with a variety of artists and styles.

Playing with Lines

While presenting art to a group of students, give each student a piece of yarn.

Instruct students to use the the sting (line) to try to convey the way the painting feels.

This is great for looking at artworks that show strong emotions.

When the Art Starts to Move

Select or assign a work of art to interpret (each groups artwork could be different or the same)

Have students look at the work and discuss what would happen if the work suddenly started moving.

This brings up topics of discussion such as, a moment in time, story, personal connections and feelings, ect.

students pose as the artwork and then perform what they feel would happen if the artwork suddenly started moving. 

Pair Interviews

(Compliments of Dr. Marilyn Stewart)

Students should get with a partner.

They should decide who will play the role of the reporter and who will one of the following…

-the artist

-a character or object in the artwork

-the artwork itself

The reporter will interview their partner (acting in their chosen role) and the partner will answer using movement, gestures, and body language.

These interviews could be shared with other groups.

Topics of discussion might include… was it believable and how did it change/influence your view of the work.

Partners could switch roles and do it a 2^nd time assuming different roles.

Strike a Pose

When looking at a work of art that has a lot of action, but little detail, it may be difficult to interpret feelings and emotions. This is when I play Strike a Pose.

Students simply assume the position of the character in the artwork to get a better understanding of/ relate to what the character is doing, thinking, or feeling.

Green Screen News Report

Similar to the radio show and another option with the Green  Screen would be to do a “live””breaking” news report calming that a famous work of art has been stolen from its home museum. In this report we will learn about the art, it’s history, value, relevance, and why it is so important that it be returned safely