Art can be one of the most powerful and relevant authentic resources students can encounter in the language classroom. Authentic art created by Deaf people is also one of the easiest authentic resources to find online. Authentic art is shared all over the Internet. There are a number of things you can do with artwork to help students understand Deaf culture and stay in the target language.
Get pre-made art activities here.
Using images of art is a great way to teach culture. Art has a way of becoming stimulating in the classroom. It can spark great conversations, engage the most unenthusiastic learner, and change up the pace in the classroom.
But I Am Not An Art Expert!
Guess what? you don’t need to be an expert in art to use it in your classroom. It will actually make students feel better that you are not a know-it-all and that you are learning alongside them. If you are still nervous, here are a few books you can check out:
Deaf Artists in America: Colonial to Contemporary
Deaf American Literature: From Carnival to the Canon
Teaching Art: A Complete Guide for the Classroom
Art is 4 Everyone: Art Education Lessons: Including S.T.E.A.M Lessons (Volume 1)
These books are affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might be compensated to support this blog.
So Why Should You Use Art in the Classroom?
Using art in the classroom has many different learning opportunities. Lessons based around art have many benefits for both the teacher and the student.
- Art can lead to a variety of activities (see ideas below).
- Lessons about art change the pace of the classroom.
- Art takes students out of the classroom and into the real world.
- Creating art can lower stress levels and reduce anxiety.
- Art can be motivating by taking off the pressure of language accuracy.
- Responding to art activates engages critical thinking skills and encourages creativity.
How do You Use Art in Your Classroom?
Naturally, with art, the first thing you do is look at it. There are a lot of activities that can be incorporated in the classroom to look at art. These activities can then turn into conversations, reflections, and creations.
Here are 12 of my favorite ways to use art in the language classroom!
- Rank the art – Show students several pieces of art. This can be in a Slide Deck, on the walls in the classroom, or hung around your school campus. Have students rank the art. Find the already created art bracket here.
- Tell about the artist – Students can research and present about an artist from their favorite piece of artwork.
- Create a story – Students can observe and analyze a character from the artwork and create a story about him or her.
- Compare art – Show two pieces of art and allow students time to compare the two.
- Interview the artist – This can be real or fake. If you can get an artist to call into the class, that is rad. If not, have a mock interview. This is a great way for students to practice their questioning skills. Have another student pretend to the artist (match this with #2).
- Write a question to the artist – Use the questions for a whole class discussion. Get student’s opinions while practicing interpersonal skills.
- Fact sheets – Have students create fact sheets about the piece of art and the artists. Hang the work around the room for students to learn from. To make this a signing (expressive) activity, have students summarize the information in a video. Students can place a QR code on their paper for easy access to information. This will be a great practice for presentational skills.
- Create art – Students can make a replica of their favorite art or create an original piece.
- Gallery Walk – Hang art around the classroom and number it. Provide students with a worksheet and some analysis questions. Give them time to look at each piece of art and analyze it. Students do not need to follow the numbers in order.
- Group art – Have students create art in small groups. This takes the pressure off of students who tend to have low self-esteem with their own artistic ability. Doing the work in groups gives additional interpersonal communication practice.
- Art Webquest – Have students research De’VIA art. This makes a great sub-day activity.
- Picture talks – Use the artwork to teach about the culture and what the art represents to the community.
Conclusion
I hope you have found some of these ideas useful for your classroom. Try to implement 2 – 3 in your next art unit or as a breakaway activity in your classroom.
Don’t have time? You can get already made art activities in my store. Try one of these today.
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