Lesson plans using art to prompt discussion and imaginative thinking.

1. IMAGINE YOU ARE IN THE PAINTING- LESSON PLAN

2. Lesson aim: Using classic paintings to get my student talking, using descriptive vocabulary- adjectives, vocabulary expansion- similes.

Expressing opinion,

“I think the picture is…”

“In my opinion, the picture looks….”

Grammar – Present Simple and Continuous. “In this picture I can see a man sitting in front of a table. The picture is very beautiful…”

Imaginary language- 2nd conditional, “If I were in this picture I would….

Prediction language , “I think the man is going to…”

3. Give student a print of/ or show image using laptop or IPad :

Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,”

Monet’s “Water Lilies”

Munch’s “The Scream” for this activity.

4. Student looks at paintings one by one and writes 10 adjectives to describe each painting. -5 MINS

5. Discuss with teacher why he chose the adjectives to describe the painting. 5 MINS.

6. Find synonyms- using English – English dictionary -5 MINS

7. Ask students what their opinion of the picture is. Check they understand meaning of opinion and elicit from them how they can express their opinion, using “In my opinion.” “ I believe that..” “ in my view the picture shows…” etc. -5 MINS.

8. Ask student to imagine they are in the painting. Direct them to talk about why they are there and what they see. Prompt them by asking questions, “What would you do if you were in this picture?” -5 MINS

9. Plenary -Student writes a short story about the painting and what they think will happen next. – Prediction language / Future tenses.

Check student understands how to use future tenses for prediction by asking, “What do you think is going to happen next? “ To elicit, “I think he is going to …”

2. Interview the Subject.

(Extra activity if time- 20 mins.)

Practice of asking questions, doing interviews, writing and using reported speech.

1. Student will be looking at a portrait and interviewing the person painted in it. You will need one portrait for each person. You might consider using the “Mona Lisa” or other any other classic portraits.

2. Before the activity, brainstorm a list of interview questions with your student.

3. Show portrait to your students.

4. Tell student to imagine that they are interviewing the person in the painting. Choosing five to ten interview questions and write down a fictitious interview between them and the person in the painting.

5. Student imagines how their subject would answer the questions and write those questions down.

As they write, they should use either direct quotations or reported speech. In doing so, they will get practice asking questions, doing interviews, writing and using reported speech.