Compare and Connect: What words best describe us? (Ready to Go Resource)
Ready-to-go resources are short, flexible learning activities that center art as texts. In “Compare and Connect” students use a guiding question to compare works of art within the context of a shared theme and produce brief writing examples. The activities are presented in google slide decks with teaching notes to make classroom implementation easy.
Guiding Question: What words best describe us?
Featuring Rodin’s Thinker and Michiel van Musscher’s Allegorical Portrait of an Artist
Make your own copy! Check the slide notes for the teacher’s guide.
Total Activity Pacing: 30 min, over 2 days
Pacing: 1 min
Grade(s): 3-5
Activity Overview:
- In this Compare and Connect activity, students will explore two portrait. The artworks show people that we don’t know much about except what is shared about in the title of the artwork. Students will explore the idea of what words we can use to describe ourselves by using the artworks as an example. The artworks serve as inspiration for an ELA writing assignment.
- In Day One: Discuss, students will be told the titles right away. Students will share what they notice and how the artist created the portrait to match the description in the title. Students will begin to think about words the use to describe themselves.
- In Day Two: Write, students will write a poem using descriptive words to describe themselves.