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Basic 1 · Creative Arts · Appreciating and Appraising

Looking at Art and Talking About It

In this topic you will learn rules for looking at artworks and talking about them kindly.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Agree on rules for viewing art
  • Describe an artwork
  • Say what you like about an artwork politely

What you already know

  • Planning an art display

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
Visual Arts
Sub-strand
Appreciating and Appraising
Indicator
B1.1.4.6.1 – Agree on guidelines for viewing and expressing feelings and thoughts about own and others' displayed visual artworks

Introduction

The class has an art display. Everyone walks round to look. How should we look at art and talk about it?

1. Rules for Viewing Art

  • Look carefully. Do not touch.
  • Walk quietly.
  • Say kind things.
  • Wait for your turn to speak.

2. Talking About Art

Questions to ask
StepQuestion
DescribeWhat do I see? What is it made of?
SubjectWhat is it about?
UseWhat is it used for?
FeelingsHow does it make me feel?
Children quietly looking at drawings on a wall and pointing politely
Figure 1: Viewing an art display Draw yourself looking at an artwork.Illustration: Sirbus

Remember: Say what you like first. Then give a kind idea to make it better.

New words

appreciate
To enjoy and understand something.
describe
To say what something is like.
feelings
How something makes you feel.
guidelines
Rules that help us do something well.

Summary

  • We look at art carefully and do not touch.
  • We describe what we see and what it is about.
  • We say kind things about others' work.

Class activity: Gallery Walk

  1. Walk around the class display quietly.
  2. Choose one artwork.
  3. Tell the class what you see and how it makes you feel.

You need: Learners’ own artworks, Label cards cut from manila paper, String, Clothes pegs

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. What should you do at an art display?

    • A. Look carefully
    • B. Touch everything
    • C. Shout
    • D. Run
    Show answer
    Answer: Look carefullyWe respect artworks.

  2. 2. Which is a kind comment?

    • A. I like the bright colours
    • B. It is ugly
    • C. I hate it
    • D. Throw it away
    Show answer
    Answer: I like the bright coloursKind words encourage others.

  3. 3. We should wait our turn to speak.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueIt is polite.

  4. 4. It is fine to tear a friend's drawing.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseWe must respect others' work.

  5. 5. Rules that help us do something well are ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: guidelinesThat is the meaning of guidelines.

  6. 6. Write one rule for viewing art.

    Show answer
    Answer: Any one: look but do not touch, walk quietly, say kind things.These are viewing rules.

Homework

  1. Look at a picture at home. Tell someone what you see in it.