How can you tell a Rembrandt from a Vermeer? They both are from the same location and same time period, but they each have their own way of painting, and they are each categorized in art history as Northern Baroque, Rembrandt’s thick application of paint and raw emotion is easily distinguishable from Vermeer’s crisp genre…
Art Appreciation Activities
What Makes Art Good? A Lesson and Explanation of Art Theories
Inside: An explanation of four popular art theories and how each of them defines what makes a work of art good. What makes an artwork good? When it adheres to design principles? If it looks true to life? Should it turn our worldview upside down? Must it fill us with emotions? The issue of…
I am… Dorothea Lange: Exploring Empathy Art Lesson
Inside: Explore empathy art with this photography analysis activity. Students study the photography of Dorothea Lange, consider the thoughts and feelings, and write an empathy art poem from the perspective of the people in the photographs. My 8th-grade boys don’t open doors for me. The girls do. The 6th, 7th, and 9th-grade boys do, but…
SPARK: 5 Art Criticism Steps for Inspired Art Connections and Conversations
Inside: Discover SPARK, the complete art criticism and discussion framework that ignites deeper student art connections and more engaging classroom art discussions. Download a SPARK art criticism steps poster and worksheet for your classroom! Many of us are familiar with the traditional Feldman model of art criticism steps: Description, Analysis, Interpretation, and Evaluation. But this…
{Free Training} Curated Conversations: 4 Steps to a Fun & Engaging Art Discussion
Inside: Register to join a free art teacher training webinar about how to lead engaging and educational classroom art discussions. Classroom Art Discussions Have you ever wanted to lead a meaningful classroom art discussion but felt too nervous or unprepared to go for it? Worried you’ll be greeted with silence and blank stares? Concerned they’ll…
6 Juicy Artworks for the First Day of School
Inside: Six works of art with discussion questions and creative activities that make perfect first day of school art activities for art teachers of any grade. August is coming… I know. Summer just started! You’ve barely had a chance to sunbathe or swim, and yet it’s almost time to attend in-service meetings, set up your…
