SETI Lecture, Using Visual Arts in the Language Classroom, V4

Seoul Education Training Institute (SETI)

Presenter: Aidan HammondLanguage Education InstituteSeoul National University

Part 1: December 15, 2011Part 2: December 22, 2011

Workshop:

Using Visual Art in the Language Classroom

Art gives new meaning or understanding to the world

Art is a form of communication

Art takes into account our senses

Art isn’t always pretty

Art makes you think

Art is open to interpretation

Art is another kind of language

Why use visual art in

the language classroom?

• Responding to art can be stimulating and lead to many different activities

• Provides a change of pace

• Creating art can be motivating for students

• Using language outside of the classroom

• Can help students overcome their own stereotypes about learning

• Introduce culture in vibrant and exciting way

• Responding to art develops students’ critical thinking skills

Part 1• Familiarize participants with

basic Formal Analysis strategies

• Learn how to describe art works

• Learn how to discuss art works

• Introduce several techniques and activities that use visual art in the language classroom

Part 2• Apply formal analysis

strategies to the language classroom

Workshop Goals

What do you think about when you go

to a museum or gallery?

Why do people think this painting is

great?

This is beautiful!

I love it!

How will I ever understand this

artwork?

They all look the same to

me.

Where is the food court?

I really should put some clothes on –

It’s cold in here

What is formal analysis?

Formal Analysis is a way of looking at,

and comparing, artworks.

Okay, but what is it?

You start with the principles and the

elements of design.

Tell me more…

Elements:• The “phys-

ical” tools

Principles:• The “ab-

stract” concepts

The lan-guage of the visual

artist

The Elements and Principles of Design

Line, color, texture, shape & form,

space

balance, direction, emphasis, movement,

proportion, scale, unity, variety

Line

Shape &

Form

Space

Color

Tex-ture

Lines can be horizontal or diagonal; straight or curved; thick or thin

Shapes are closed lines; they can be geometric, like squares or circles; or organic like free-from or natural shapesForms are three-dimensional

Space is the area between and around an object; Space around an object is called negative space

Color is the light reflected of an object;

Texture is the surface quality of that can been seen or felt.

Elements of Design

Elements of Design:

LineVincent Van Gogh, Wheat field with sheaves and Arles in the Background, 1888

Balance

Empha-sis

Move-ment

Pattern

Repeti-tion

Variety

Unity

The distribution of visual weight

The part of the design that captures the viewer’s attention.

The path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art.

Repetition makes the work of art seem active. It can unify the work

Variety is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention.

Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol over the artwork

Unity is the feeling of harmony between parts of the artwork.

Princi-ples of Design

Vincent Van Gogh, Wheat field with sheaves and Arles in the Background, 1888

Discussion:

1. How would you describe this drawing using the principles of design?

2. What examples of the principles do you see here?

Claude-Joseph Vernet, A storm on the Mediterranean, 1767Describe the painting using the principles and elements of design

Vincent Van Gogh, Irises, 1888

Wrapped Reichstag, 1995Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Ted SabaraseEvolution Series, 2011

Fernando BoteroThe Widow

Describe using the Elements of design

1. Describ

e

Analyze using the Principles of design

2. Analyze

Form a opinion

about the work

3. Interpr

et

Describe why the work is

successful

4. Evaluat

e

How to talk about an artwork

4 Steps

Scene: This is scene of a field with a city in the background. In the foreground we can see the grain has already been cut and gathered. in the mid-ground we can see some farmers cutting and gathering the grain. Texture: There is a city with factories billowing soft smoke in the background. The curved lines of the smoke makes it feel soft and fat. The vertical lines of the cut grain make the texture hard and sharp.

Line: The dots in the sky give us the feeling that the sky is grey.

Color: The warm tones of the drawing give the “autumn” feeling.

What do you see? Describe the artwork objectively.Use the elements of design to describe parts of the picture

Describe1. Analyze2. Interpr

et3. Evaluate4.

Movement: The open space in the middle pulls our eye through the picture.

Scale: The scale of the lines gets smaller as your eye moves towards the background. This helps create a sense of perspective.

Repetition: The shape of the bushels of grain and the farmers are similar. This helps give the drawing some balance.

Variety: The different textures of the land, building and sky keep the viewer’s attention.

Pattern: The different patterns describe the grass, buildings, sky, etc.

What are the relationships between the elements?Use the principles of design to describe parts of the picture


et3. Evaluate4.

In this drawing, Van Gogh was trying to show a typical harvest scene. We get the feeling that he was standing in the field, drawing the farmers as they worked. Through his use of line, he could communicate the hard, sharp texture of the dry, cut grains.We can also get a feeling that grains are going to be transported to the city in the background. We can also get a feeling of the time of year – autumn – form the warm color of the ink and paper, as well as the dark sky.

What is the meaning of the work? Make a hypothesis – a guess – about what the artist was trying to communicate.


et3. Evaluate4.

I think this drawing communicates the atmosphere of the harvest seasons. Through this drawing, I can feel the weather, the texture of the grass, and the location.

What is the meaning of the work? Make a hypothesis – a guess – about what the artist was trying to communicate.


et3. Evaluate4.

Describe using the Elements of design

1. Describ

e

Analyze using the Principles of design

2. Analyze

Form a opinion

about the work

3. Interpr

et

Describe why the work is

successful

4. Evaluat

e

How to talk about an artwork

4 Steps

3 ways

to incorporate art into the classroom

1. Looking at Art

2. Sharing Art

3. Creating Art

3 ways


① A ranking discussion where students compare various artworks and select one for the “grand prize”. Variations: students could choose from works hanging in their school, from a gallery, or by a specific artists

② Students choose a character from a painting or sculpture and write a biography of that character

③ Compare two artworks with similar characters or subject matter; practice using comparative language and adjectives

④ Students look at the website of a gallery and write a quiz for the other students to complete. Variations: students could preview the website before a visit to the gallery. They then make quiz questions which are then completed during the gallery visit

⑤ Write questions to ask an artist or a character in a painting.

1. Looking at Art

3 ways


① Ask students to bring into class an artwork. Make a gallery in the classroom.① Variations: Students can group artworks

together, either by artist, country, etc., and then write a compare-contrast description.

② Students can hold an “art auction” on the works in the collection

③ Students can have a debate to select the one art work to hang in their school

② Have students to bring a photograph they have taken and have another student write a short story about the events up to the moment the photo was taken. (practice past and present tenses)

③ Have students bring a piece of art that represents their childhood; ask students to form sentences about what they “used to do” and to write questions to ask the person who brought in the artwork.

2. Sharing Art

3 ways


① Have students record vocabulary by writing a word that expresses the meaning of the word in a visual way.① Variation: Have students take a passage

of text or a quotation and reproduce it a visual way that communicates the meaning.

② Have students visualize the most beautiful picture they have seen; ask them to describe it to a partner who then draws it.

3. Creating Art

3 ways


1. Looking at Art

2. Sharing Art

3. Creating Art










Potential Problems and

Solutions

• Students may be reluctant to express their opinions about an artwork– Encourage students to select the works of

art they discuss; present a variety of styles; – choose art that is relevant to the students

in some way.

• Because of the subjective nature of art, students may feel reluctant to express their opinions about an artwork they don’t understand or don’t “like.”– Remind students that it is okay to not like

something; – encourage students to be critical thinkers

about the artwork by supporting their reason.

• Students may not perceive art-related activities as being useful for language learning.– Combine discussion of artwork with a lesson

on functional language (like expressing opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, etc.)

– Use the art as a “jumping-off-point” to another lesson; e.g. using a portrait to introduce a language lesson on families, personalities, or similarities and differences.)






Part 2• Apply formal analysis

strategies to the language classroom

Workshop Goals

Bring an artwork to class

• Select an artwork that you think could be used in a language classroom activity

• Consider how the artwork could be used in a language classroom (Discuss, share, or create)

• Print out 2 copies of the the artwork on A4 paper (1 artwork per page)

Next Class…

• Teaching resources:– The J. Paul Getty Museum: Collection of

hundreds of lesson plans incorporating visual art and language, history, science, and performing art; some very creative approaches to teaching • www.getty.edu/education/teachers/

index.html

– Using Modern Art to Teach Language and Culture to ESL Students, Diane Watt: Lesson plan that incorporates modern art into the ESL classroom:• http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Watt-

ModernArt.html

• Visual Art resources– Wikipaintings: An online collection of

world famous paintings; high quality images; free to use:• www.wikipaintings.org

– Artchive: Links to art galleries, museums and collections around the world.• www.artchive.com

Resources

Thank you

Seoul Education Training Institute (SETI)

Presenter: Aidan HammondLanguage Education InstituteSeoul National University

Part 1: December 15, 2011Part 2: December 22, 2011

Workshop:

Using Visual Art in the Language Classroom






Part 2• Apply formal analysis strategies

to the language classroom• Practice using these strategies

with various artworks• Generate ideas for using visual

art in the language classroom

Workshop Goals

Do you remember anything from the previous class?

A little…. But… A review would be

good.

Good idea! Let’s briefly review….

You start…

No, I insist… you start…

I still can’t find the food court!

Elements:• The “phys-

ical” tools

Principles:• The “ab-

stract” concepts

The lan-guage of the visual

artist

The Elements and Principles of Design

Line, color, texture, shape & form,

space

balance, direction, emphasis, movement,

proportion, scale, unity, variety

Line

Shape &

Form

Space

Color

Tex-ture

Lines can be horizontal or diagonal; straight or curved; thick or thin

Shapes are closed lines; they can be geometric, like squares or circles; or organic like free-from or natural shapesForms are three-dimensional

Space is the area between and around an object; Space around an object is called negative space

Color is the light reflected of an object;

Texture is the surface quality of that can been seen or felt.

Elements of Design

Balance

Empha-sis

Move-ment

Pattern

Repeti-tion

Variety

Unity

The distribution of visual weight

The part of the design that captures the viewer’s attention.

The path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art.

Repetition makes the work of art seem active. It can unify the work

Variety is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention.

Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol over the artwork

Unity is the feeling of harmony between parts of the artwork.

Princi-ples of Design

Thank you for explaining it to me.

No problem.

FOOD COURT!?!

Example Lesson

Lesson Overview:

• Students can explore how an artist emphasized narrative in a work of art that shows a single moment in a story.

• Students will explain and defend their opinion about a work of art.

Lesson Objectives:

Students should be able to: • interpret or create a narrative

depicted in a work of art

• Give evidence to support their point of view

The Musician’s Brawl, 1625-1630, by Georges de La Tour

The Musician’s Brawl, 1625-1630, by Georges de La Tour 1. Which figures in the painting hold

props? What do the props reveal about the story?

2. Which figures are gesturing and what do their gestures reveal about the action of the story?

3. Who are the main characters in this painting? What makes you say that?

4. Look carefully at the composition and space in the painting. Where has the artist used these elements to focus our attention on certain parts of this painting?

5. What aspects of the story has the artist highlighted using these visual elements?

6. The two men in the center are fighting. What is the reaction of the onlookers? What do their facial expressions convey? What might they be fighting about? What evidence in the painting supports your idea?

The Musician’s Brawl, 1625-1630, by Georges de La Tour No one is sure what is being depicted in this painting. Though the story of the painting is not clear, it certainly is dramatic. According to many art historians, the painting tells one of two stories: A. The two musicians are

fighting over a good corner to play music.

B. The painting is depicting a scene from a popular play of the time.

With your group, you will have 10 minute to prepare an argument for one of the two scenarios. Use visual evidence to support your point of view.

How else could we use this picture in the language classroom?

Language Focus:• Descriptive vocabulary exercise• Narrative telling, time sequences• Grammar tense exercises

Language Use:

Speaking: • Express opinion about the

painting• Debate the real meaning of the

argument.

Writing• Write a description of the

painting.• Write a newspaper report of the

brawl.

Listening • One student describes the

painting to another. They must draw what they hear and then compare their drawing with the original.

3 ways


1. Looking at Art

2. Sharing Art

3. Creating Art

With a partner, discuss ways this particular work could be used in a language class.

① Why did you choose this artwork?② Why do you think it could be interesting to

students?

③ What activities could be created around the artwork?

④ How could you get students interested in the artwork?

⑤ Make a list of ideas, organized around the three ways of incorporating art into the classroom.










Additional Links

Wordle: Great “word visualizer”

Artlady: Extensive collection of art education links

The Artist’s toolkit: games and lessons on the elements and principles of art

National Gallery of Art (NGA, America) Classroom: Good collection of art education activities; lots of variety; many well-known artists and artworks.

http://www.wordle.net/

http://artlady.janishenderson.com/?page_id=584

http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/index.html

http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/

http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/

Thank you

Documents

SETI Lecture, Using Visual Arts in the Language Classroom, V4