Activities and Discussion

Activity: Responding to Works of Art

Rationale

Many teachers ask students to critique their classmates’ work. Many non-arts teachers, however, may not be familiar or comfortable in guiding students to respond to works of art, whether student work or professional work.

Set up (Prior to Session)

Ask one of the school’s arts specialists (dance, music, theatre, or visual art) come to the session prepared to share a work of art with the group -- and her/his procedure for helping students respond to it.

Respond to a Work of Art (15 - 20 minutes)

Have the art specialist lead the group in analyzing a work he/she has brought in – e.g., a video clip of a dance, a music recording, a clip of a theatre performance, or a drawing/painting/sculpture -- following the same procedure she/he uses with students in the classroom.

Discussion (15 minutes)

Afterwards, talk about similar or different procedures participants use with their own students.

For more information and practice with responding to artworks, go to the Responding to Works of Art interactive on the program website.

 

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