art esl lesson plan

“I paint flowers so they will not die.” Frida Kahlo (1907 – 1954), Mexican artist
  • December 1, 2020
  • General English

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LESSON OVERVIEW

This free ESL lesson plan on art has been designed for adults and young adults at an intermediate (B1/B2) to advanced (C1/C2) level and should last around 45 to 60 minutes for one student.

Art has existed since the dawn of mankind with simple cave paintings depicting a way of life. Art has helped society cope with difficult times through history and has given hope and inspiration to countless people. Yet for many, art remains a bit of a mystery, pretentious even when the understanding is lost. In this ESL lesson plan on art, students will have the opportunity to discuss and express their opinions on issues such as their art preferences, museums and the purpose of art.

This lesson plan could also be used with your students to debate these issues for  World Art Day , which takes place in April. For more lesson plans on international days and important holidays, see the  calendar of world days  to plan your classes for these special occasions.

For advice on how to use this English lesson plan and  other lesson plans  on this site, see the  guide for ESL teachers .

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITIES

Reading activity Before the English class, send the following article to the students and ask them to read it while making a list of any new vocabulary or phrases they find (explain any the students don’t understand in the class):

GQ | “A gentleman’s guide to modern art”

The article talks about the language people use when describing art so that even the most uninitiated can talk about it. Find some examples of modern art like what was described in the article and ask the students to ask questions about it or describe it based on the vocabulary in the article.

Video activity To save time in class for the conversation activities, the English teacher can ask the students to watch the video below and answer the listening questions in Section 3 of the lesson plan at home. There are intermediate listening questions and advanced listening questions so teachers can decide which would be more appropriate for their students. Check the answers in the class.

The video for this class is called “What is art for?” by the School of Life and offers five different purposes for art including to give us hope, to reassure us, to act as a counterbalance for what is missing in our lives, to glamorise the ordinary and to act as propaganda fro what is truly important.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

The focus in the class is on conversation in order to help improve students’ fluency and confidence when speaking in English as well as boosting their vocabulary.

This lesson opens with a short discussion about the article the students read before the class. Next, the students can give their opinion on the quote at the beginning of the lesson plan – what they think the quote means and if they agree with it. This is followed by an initial discussion on the topic including how interested the students are in art, their favourite pieces of art or favourite artists and their experiences visiting museums.

After this, students will learn some vocabulary connected with art such as painting , portrait and abstract . The vocabulary is accompanied by a cloze activity and a speaking activity to test the students’ comprehension of these words.

If the students didn’t watch the video before the class, they can watch it after the vocabulary section and answer the listening questions. Before checking the answers, ask the students to give a brief summary of the video and what they thought about the content.

Finally, there is a more in-depth conversation about art. In this speaking activity, students will talk about issues such as the meaning of art and how it makes them feel, whether or not modern art is real art and why some works of art can sell for millions.

After the class, students will write about their favourite piece of art. This could be a short paragraph or a longer piece of writing depending on what level the student is at. The writing activity is designed to allow students to practise and improve their grammar with the feedback from their teacher. For students who intend to take an international English exam such as IELTS or TOEFL, there is an alternative essay question to practise their essay-writing skills.

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3 thoughts on “Art”

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Van Gough? I think it is important to spell names correctly! How about: “van Gogh”?

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Well I’ll make the change, but are you certain it’s not Darren Van Gough, Barnsley’s most celebrated artist?

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Great reply!

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17 Amusing Art Activities for Eager ESL Students

From glittery Easter eggs to dried pasta necklaces, art activities are not only memorable, they’re incredibly beneficial for ESL students.

Art-based activities can teach your students essential language skills in a new way, forming the base they can fall back on when in a real-life English situation years down the road.

I’ve picked out 17 ESL activities that creatively combine art with language for some unforgettable ESL lessons!

1. Holiday Themes

2. simon says art, 3. starry night at home, 4. learning the body, 5. wish you were here, 6. coloring with words, 7. interview the subject, 8. texture study, 9. mapping your town, 10. visit an art museum, 11. favorite fruits, 12. student art show, 13. i am collage, 14. match the picture, 15. story swap and sketch, 16. picture bingo boards, 17. pictionary, tips for using art activities in your esl class.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

blindfolded cupid statue about to shoot an arrow for valentine's

Holiday themes are exceptional ways to not only allow your students to create fun artistically minded projects, but it also helps them assimilate a bit more into English culture.

ESL art activities for holiday themes can cover a wide array of holidays, including Easter , Christmas , Thanksgiving , Valentine’s Day and many more.

One holiday theme that can work for all ages and ESL levels is Valentine’s Day.

For this project, your students will be crafting a Valentine’s Day card for someone they care about. This can be easily entertaining for students of all ages, since love is the second universal language to English.

Essential Materials

  • Pink, red, blue and white paper
  • Scissors and glue
  • Assorted markers

Instructions

  • Give a bit of history about Valentine’s Day and how it’s practiced in North America. You could even see if your students have a similar holiday to compare it to.
  • Next, bring in and show your students a Valentine’s Day card you created prior to the class. This will give them a visual to work from.
  • Before they begin crafting, cutting and glittering away, have a classroom brainstorm session about what they want to write. Let students share the emotional words related to such a holiday theme. You can even put them in groups and let them discuss what might go into a great Valentine’s Day card.
  • After the brainstorming is complete, let them loose to begin creating their very own Valentine’s Day card for a loved one. 

It goes without saying, this art activity works best when done around Valentine’s Day, but why wait? It could be fun to express love at any other time of the year as well.

I have no doubt that you have played Simon Says in your ESL classroom. It’s a great way to practice listening skills and  get students moving , and you can adapt it to be more art-oriented. 

  • White paper for each student 
  • Colored pencils, crayons, markers or drawing pencils
  • Prepare vocabulary words related to colors, shapes and prepositions of location that you’ll be using for the instructions. 
  • Before the game, consider reviewing your students on these vocabulary words, whether by simply repeating and practicing the words out loud as a class or using visual aids.  
  • Distribute the sheets of paper among the students, then tell them you’ll be giving them directions for what to draw instead of directions for body movements. For example: Simon says draw a line here. Simon says draw a circle in the top left corner.
  • For an extra challenge, you can try playing “big art” or “art outdoors” in Simon Says format. This way, students can have more space to draw (or even do fingerpainting) or even draw on the ground with chalk.
  • After the game, give students the option to display their artworks in class, then ask them about any confusing instructions and discuss those together.

What’s great about this activity is there are a lot of ways the students can interpret the instructions, so they can exercise both their listening skills and creativity.

van gogh - starry night painting

In this art and language activity, students will create their own starry night inspired by  Van Gogh’s well-known piece .

  • A large picture of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”  
  • Pictures of cityscapes for reference 
  • White paper (two sheets for each student)
  • Blue and black paint 
  • Small pins 
  • Have students tell a partner first about their home.
  • Show students “Starry Night” and discuss how Van Gogh used colors to convey emotions. You might also have students talk about how different colors elicit different emotions in them and in others.
  • When you’re ready to start the creative portion of the lesson, ask students to draw a cityscape along the bottom of a piece of white paper and then cut it out. It might be a city they know or one they imagine. You might want to have a few pictures available in class for students to reference.
  • When their cityscapes are drawn and cut out, students should blob blue and black paint on another piece of white paper, fold it together and smear the paint around so it resembles the sky of Van Gogh’s painting.
  • If you like, invite students to scratch swirls and other marks into the paint using the head of a pin or other object.
  • When the paint is dry, students should glue their cityscape to the bottom of the painted paper to create their own starry night. 

Your students will love this creative activity that lets them describe a place and connect a piece of their home with a classic piece of art.

In this activity, your students will create a small skeleton and discover new vocabulary relating to the different parts of the body. This is a great activity for Halloween , since skeletons are closely tied to this North American holiday.

It’s appropriate for students of all ages, since I have met many adult professionals who have fumbled with the word for arm, hand and leg.

  • You will need to draw out different body parts on a piece of paper or find a worksheet on the web. They don’t need to be huge by any means, only large enough for your students to write the name of the body part in the designated areas. 
  • Colored pencils, crayons or markers
  • First, give your students the tools for success. Presenting vocabulary is the best practice, but only use your body as a reference. Let them look at their skeletons with a keen eye when it comes to naming the different body parts.
  • Once all body parts have been discussed, pair your students up and pass out the skeleton worksheet filled with assorted body parts scrambled about.
  • Instruct your eager students to collaborate with their partners and begin cutting and gluing their skeleton together.
  • Once they feel good about the anatomical correctness of their creations, instruct students to begin naming the different body parts using multiple colors to identify each. For example, arms will be green and legs blue.
  • Float and answer questions as needed. You can even correct a few arms which should be legs as well.

This activity is a great way for students to practice writing and spelling, since they write down new body vocabulary in each section. It’s a wonderful activity to increase practical awareness and give students a visual to draw from later in their English lives.

monet - water lilies painting

Whether you consider yourself an art aficionado or not, you will love how classic paintings can get your students talking.

  • Pictures of classic paintings for each pair of students 
  • A list of questions for discussion 
  • Bring in some pictures of classic paintings, at least one for every pair of students in your class. You can have everyone use the same painting or have different options. You might want to consider Monet’s  “Water Lilies” series  or Munch’s  “The Scream” for this activity.
  • Give each pair of students one painting to look at.
  • Have the students imagine they are in the painting.
  • Direct them to talk about why they are there and what they see. You can get them talking by giving specific discussion questions, like “How do you feel when you look at this painting?” or “Imagine you’re a character in this painting.” 

Aside from speaking practice, this activity is a great way to practice present and present progressive tenses , and to introduce and use unusual vocabulary depending on what painting students are discussing.

This vocabulary-focused activity is great for ESL students from kids to teenagers, and works best when discussing animals and scenery. It involves taking a predesigned picture and writing the words over and over in order to color in the specific feature.

For example, a mountain would be colored in with brown. Your students will color in the mountain by writing the word “mountain” over and over in brown.

  • Worksheet containing mountains, rivers, grassy plains and maybe even a few animals. You can design your own worksheet or find a plethora of printable coloring sheets on the web. Keep in mind that you want the features in the worksheet to be large enough for your students to write the corresponding vocabulary words a few times in each area.
  • Colored pencils, markers or crayons
  • In your presentation, have your students discuss as a class the different visuals you will show them. If the worksheet has mountains, you will discuss mountains. You will want to give your students the vocabulary (and spellings) necessary to succeed in the activity.
  • Put the students into groups. This allows them to discuss, share their thoughts or ask questions while working on the project.
  • Once they’re in groups, students can begin. Challenge them to really fill in the features completely. You can even show them that linear is not always the best way to create a three-dimensional picture. Give them the opportunity to write mountain diagonally and grass horizontally to add a more artistic touch.

This art activity introduces your students to new vocabulary and spelling skills essential for their growth.

It’s often difficult for young ESL students to recall the names of animals or geographical features on the spot. This activity gives them something to fall back on in those times when they’re trying to describe a vacation or maybe their hometown.

This activity is also perfect for any new vocabulary words relating to features of the home, town or even specific places like a hospital, school or supermarket.

mona lisa painting

This is another art activity that uses classic paintings, but this time students will be looking at a portrait and interviewing the person painted in it. You might consider using the “Mona Lisa” or any other classic portraits.

  • One portrait for each student
  • Sheets of paper for writing 
  • Before the activity, brainstorm a list of interview questions with your class.
  • Once you have a good bank of questions, give out the portraits to your students.
  • Have each person imagine that they are interviewing the person in the painting. They should choose five to ten interview questions (or whatever you think is appropriate for your students’ language level).
  • Students will then write down a fictitious interview between them and the person in the painting. They should imagine how their subject would answer the questions and write those questions down. As they write, they should use either direct quotations or reported speech.

This activity gets students to practice asking questions and doing interviews. They also get to use reported speech or indirect communication in the form of “He / She said…” 

In this activity, you’ll be giving students a much more vivid understanding of texture words in English by having them draw these words. 

  • Copies of West Branch School District’s   texture handout for each student
  • A list of vocabulary words related to texture   
  • Sheets of white paper
  • Black pens or fine-tip markers 
  • Give the texture handout to your students and let them read about texture on the worksheet. 
  • Write down a list of words related to texture on the board, such as rough, smooth, slippery, scratchy, grooved, etc. 
  • Then have students try their hand at creating their own textures on, well, their hands. Students should trace their hand on the white paper.
  • They can then fill in each finger with a different texture. They can use the textures on the handout or create their own.
  • Pair students to talk about the textures they drew and what items have those textures. Encourage your students to use the words on the board.

Your students might not use texture words as much in casual conversation, so this activity will expand your students’ vocabulary and improve their descriptive skills in English. 

town view of adelaide, australia

This activity is a great directional activity and allows your students to craft semi-detailed maps of their town. It’s also a wonderful way for your students to pick up some essential vocabulary regarding areas around their town, such as hospital, church, post office, gas station, park and many more.

  • Large rectangular paper, which will act as the drawing board for your students’ maps. It’s great to have each student name their town on the top-center before they begin to create their map.
  • An assortment of pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons and rough-draft drawing pencils
  • Optional: A worksheet with the different areas one may find on a map. This will help guide your students and allow them to think about the different places they can reference on the worksheet and how it may relate to their home, which will be used as the starting point.
  • Give your students a detailed visual of what they should create. You can make a map of your town to show them.
  • Use your map to present the different types of places that can be found around your home. A good example of this would be the very animated tourist maps you may find when traveling to touristic towns. They are often more fun and have a comical three-dimensional feel.
  • Present the worksheet and the different types of places found in an average town. Have them go down the list with you and the class and check off or circle the specific places that are near their home.
  • Have your students place their home in the center of their map as the starting point. Instruct them to choose an initial place they can draw, which is just a street away from their home.
  • After all questions are answered and they have a visual reference in mind, let their creative map-making skills run wild.

This vocabulary-building exercise can easily be coupled with a directional activity after your students have finished designing their maps. You could have them present how they get to school using directional vocabulary.

Your students will also practice writing as they label each place on their map, and gain the practical skill of giving directions.

Taking a day trip to a museum might not be something you can do at the spur of a moment, but it does make for a great language-focused field trip for ESL students. You might be surprised to find there are more museums near you than you might think.

The works of art do not have to be famous or expensive; even a local museum will serve the purpose here.

  • Take your students to the museum and give them some time to look at the various artworks there.
  • Ask students to make notes on what they see and how the various paintings make them feel. They can also take pictures of the pieces if the museum allows it.
  • Bring students back together either at the museum or in your classroom.
  • Each person should tell the class about how one artwork made them feel without identifying which piece of art it was. Students can give hints about colors and subject matter after they have talked about how the painting made them feel.
  • The rest of the class should then try and guess which painting the person is talking about.

This is a great chance for your students to talk about emotions as well as using descriptive language.

Still unsure about visiting a museum? Take a virtual tour instead. You can view collections at  The National Gallery of Art  or  The Louvre  without even leaving your classroom.

collection of fruits

This activity is an exceptional way for your students to build vocabulary, spelling and grammar. Students will create beautiful displays of artistic fruit and then discuss what they like about each fruit they have chosen to draw.

  • White paper for drawing (2-3 sheets for each student)
  • Colored pencils, crayons, markers and drawing pencils
  • Give students a visual to work from first. Show them a whacky drawing of your own. It can be an oddly shaped apple or skinny pineapple. The key aspect of this activity is fun and creating things differently. 
  • You can even show your students a few famous portrayals of different fruits  drawn or painted by famous artists in your presentation. This may spark more creativity and it will definitely spur some discussion among students.
  • Let each student pick a fruit of their choice to draw and get started. Emphasize that they don’t need to make it in any way how it actually appears. This artistic freedom will allow them to use their imaginations. 
  • After all art has been crafted, ask each student to write the name of their fruit. Then have them flip over their drawing to the blank side of the paper and guide them through a series of questions. For example: How often do you eat this fruit? Why did you draw your fruit this way? What other fruits do you like to eat?

This activity allows your students to build vocabulary, work on grammar and sentence structure and practice writing. It can be done with any type of food, not only fruit. Let your students explore new ways to express themselves through art and English.

Give your students a chance to communicate about feelings without having to use words in this classroom art activity.

  • White paper for drawing (2 to 3 sheets for each student) 
  • Visual aids in the form of example paintings
  • Brainstorm a list of emotions with your class.
  • If you like, take a few minutes before creating to talk about how other artists have communicated emotions through their works. You can show these paintings, such as fear in “The Scream,” tranquility in “The Water Lilies,” etc.
  • Set your students free to create something that communicates one of those feelings with whatever materials you have on hand.
  • Once everyone has finished their projects, give each student an opportunity to present their piece to the class.
  • Let the other students share how that piece makes them feel , then talk about the artist, including how they were feeling and what they were thinking when they created it. 

This activity will give students speaking and presenting practice, as well as giving them a chance to talk about emotions. They’ll also be able to remember each emotion word vividly because they’ll form more intuitive associations with it. 

girl making a collage

How well do your students really know each other? They may learn some interesting things about their classmates when each person makes a collage describing themselves.

  • Paper plates or circular pieces of paper 
  • Pens, markers or crayons
  • Have students draw spokes on the plate to make six to eight sections.
  • Then, students should cut out several pictures from magazines to fill in each section with one color.
  • Once their plates are full, have students cut adjectives out of magazines that describe them, and glue the adjectives on top of the color sections. You can see an example here .
  • You can display these projects in class on a bulletin board or by suspending them from the ceiling. 
  • Let each student share their project with the rest of the class.

Your students will get a good review of parts of speech as they limit their descriptive words to adjectives. It’ll also give them practice introducing and talking about themselves.  

For this activity, students will work in pairs or small groups. In each group, one student will be the speaker while the others listen and draw. It works especially well for teaching prepositions, colors and sizes. 

  • Diverse pictures that students will try to describe
  • Pens, pencils or crayons

For each pair or group, choose a student with stronger language skills or one who’s comfortable speaking as the speaker. Hand the student speaker a picture—this can be anything as long as it highlights the relevant vocabulary. They should look at it but keep it hidden from the other students.

Give the other students their own piece of paper and writing utensil.

The speaker should look at his or her picture and describe it to the other student(s) in the group. The listener(s) should listen closely and draw their own versions of the picture as they hear it described. Allow them to ask questions or for repetition if necessary.

Have all the students in each group share their images. Did they draw the same thing? Why or why not? Let them talk over (in English, of course) what they got right or wrong.

Once your students get the hang of it, you can even switch roles so that each student gets to try being both the speaker and the listener over different rounds.

esl students practicing drawing and storytelling

You can take the previous activity one step further by using stories instead of pictures. After all, storytelling is about more than words—it also exercises students’ imaginations since stories can be visually depicted and interpreted. 

  • 3-4 sheets of paper for each student 
  • Pens or pencils for writing 
  • Crayons or colored pencils for drawing
  • Chalkboard 
  • Ask each student to write a simple story on a sheet of paper.
  • Once they’re done, have the students swap stories. They could randomly switch them around, rotate all their papers around in a circle or choose a buddy—it just depends on how you think they’ll focus best.
  • After these stories make their way around the classroom, have students draw out the stories they’ve received to demonstrate their understanding of the stories.
  • Slap those drawings on the chalkboard and have students guess at what happened in the original stories!

This gives your students two ways to exercise their creativity while honing their language skills: first, writing a story from scratch, then using images to depict that story. 

Here’s a more visual version of Bingo for your ESL class. Instead of simply recognizing numbers or generic images, students have to create their own personalized bingo cards, which stimulates both their listening skills and creativity. 

  • Blank bingo card templates
  • A theme-appropriate image for the squares
  • Create a bingo card template with a blank image filling all the squares except for your free space. For example, if you’ve been teaching about food, put a plate in each square. If you’ve been teaching about emotions, put the silhouette of a face in each square. You can use this Picture Bingo Card Generator to help you out.
  • Give your students a list of terms to use when drawing on their bingo cards. They might draw one type of food on each plate, or one emotion on each face.
  • Once the cards have been filled in, play bingo! Choose items from your list randomly, read them aloud and let students cross them off or cover them when they hear the items on their cards.
  • The goal is to get five drawings in a row—horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The first student to achieve this shouts “Bingo!”

This activity promotes active listening because students have to focus intently on each term called out. For variety, you can even have several rounds with different themes.

students drawing on the board

This classic game can be really fun, and you can adapt it easily for ESL learning. As students sketch out the words and phrases they know, they’ll be reinforcing their vocabulary. 

  • Index cards
  • Markers or pens for drawing
  • Whiteboard or a large paper for drawing

Instructions 

  • Hand out index cards and spend some time brainstorming, as a class, recent vocabulary.
  • Have each student create one or more index cards with the vocabulary on them. These could be linked to a current lesson or other parts of their life (such as slang to use with your friends).
  • Divide the class into two teams.
  • One student from team A comes to the board with their index card and has 1 minute to draw as many words or phrases as her team can guess in that time (use a timer). Team B then takes a turn. Can the students guess what’s being drawn? Each correct answer earns one point.

For added challenge, you can include more complicated vocabulary or reduce the time limit for each drawing. You can also set some ground rules like not using letters or numbers in the drawings.

To help students improve their English through the art activities above, keep these points in mind: 

Don’t translate.

The point of teaching vocabulary is for your students to practice using English as much as possible. Avoid translating certain parts of your lesson into their native tongue—this misses the point of why you’re incorporating art in the first place. 

If your instructions are too complicated, then your students aren’t ready for that lesson just yet. Keep it simple, and draw things out step by step.

Encourage students to not be self-conscious.

There is really only one major worry or complaint that you’ll hear from students: “I can’t draw!” This stems from self-consciousness.

I’m not great at drawing either. In fact, my students have spent many happy moments laughing at my drawings, even with stick figures.

So I draw on the board instead—I become human. My students see that I’m not good at everything, and they also see that I’m okay showing this inability to them. This is such an important thing to model for your students—that being lousy at something isn’t a big deal.

Always introduce plenty of art-related vocabulary.

Some art-related vocabulary words you should incorporate in your lessons may include: model, frame, equipment (e.g. paintbrush, pencil, crayon, etc.), stage, performer/actor/actress, artwork, craft and imagination. 

You can get inspiration from this vocabulary list by the J. Paul Getty Museum. They also have lesson plans for beginners and an image bank . 

Explore other interactive resources.

You can combine art activities with other interactive resources, such as music , audio stories and short video clips . For instance, FluentU uses English videos like cartoons to teach grammar and vocabulary, with quizzes and transcripts included.

Even classic card and board games can be adapted for your ESL class. 

With a touch of your own creative side, you can easily craft exceptional activities that drive home some of the most essential ESL skills. 

This way, you switch up the normal pace of ESL class; your students may learn more without even noticing!

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art esl lesson plan

  • Lesson plans and ideas , Teaching

Using Art in the ESL Classroom

Robert WF Taylor

  • Written by Robert WF Taylor
  • Last updated on 13 October, 2023

Using Art in the ESL Classroom

Does art have a place in language learning? I believe it does. Children are naturally creative. They respond to visual images and have most active imaginations. Isn’t creating images what art is all about? Art can assist a teacher with many aspects of teaching English.

You don’t have to be an artist. If you have artistic talents, then you likely already know the value art can have in the language classroom. If not, here are some ideas for you.

Teaching colors

Use art when you are teaching the names of colors:

Primary: White, Black, Red, Blue, Yellow

Secondary: Green, Pink, Orange, Brown, Purple, Gray

What about sky blue, teal, magenta, lilac, scarlet, azure, chartreuse, burgundy, crimson, apple green, lemon or canary yellow, burnt orange, dusty pink, forest green, battleship gray, chocolate brown, mahogany, tan, ivory, off-white, etc.

A color wheel can help you to demonstrate these. Pick up some car brochures from local dealers and see how they describe the colors of their vehicles. These can augment a lesson on using more descriptive adjectives. In one lesson, I first show my class a black and white illustration of a typical office situation with several people engaged in various routines. The students describe what people are doing. Then, I show the students a color version and have them elaborate on their description. Color makes a big difference.

Teaching shapes and tools

You can use art to teach shapes and simple tools artists use (including tools students use every day such as pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, etc.)

Vocabulary building

A book with different styles of paintings makes a great vocabulary building reference tool. Every painting can be a topic for discussion. Even just reading the various descriptions in the book can be a worthwhile language activity.

I had a two-CD set of ‘Great Museums of the World’. You could use your computer mouse to navigate through each museum on the screen, enter different rooms and zoom in on a specific painting – even a section of the painting – which would prompt a pop-up description of what the artist had done. Aside from its artistic merit, what a great teaching tool! Unfortunately, it remained at a former school. I must look for it again.

Drawing programs such as Paint, Corel Draw, ZBrush, Smart Draw, ArtRage and Twisted Brush can be useful if you have artistically inclined learners. Pick a program and open the tutorial section. Students can greatly improve their vocabulary as they learn to use the program. There is a whole world of digital art and digital artists who use these programs to create images for cartoons, animated films and book covers. Creatures that you see in films were more often than not created on a computer. There are special digital art magazines (quite pricey!) and regular art magazines (not so pricey). Any one of these should start our creative and artistic ESL juices flowing. Check out the magazine section of a major bookseller in your area. I have used one of these in an English Conversation class to talk about the images in the magazine.

Speaking practice

If, like me, you are teaching in a different culture, students can be invited to bring in a piece of art and ‘show and tell’. This is a wonderful speaking opportunity. Think of possible related research and writing assignments you could apply as well. Local artists? Local museums or art galleries? Exhibitions? Art schools? Painting clubs? Any of these may have someone who would be willing to come in to talk to your class about what they do – maybe even put on a short demonstration.

Writing practice

Finally, students can use their artistic talents to illustrate their writing efforts – essays, short stories, descriptions of homes, friends, family, vacation, and other such typical ESL topics. I have had students make Japanese scroll stories where they have six or so panels on which to write and illustrate a short story. They then tape the panels together to form a scroll, tying the finished product with a ribbon. In the next class, students untie their scrolls and read their stories to the class.

Art can add another dimension to teaching English and is another way you can take advantage of local resources to support your efforts. Through the Internet, you have the whole artistic world at your beck and call.

If you use art in your class, I’d be interested in hearing from you.

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I’ve used Artrage on Tablet PCs with secondary students a lot, and it really motivates them. Most commonly, I’ve asked them to complete a piece of writing (limerick or haiku works very well) and once they have finished it they can make an illustration using the art software. We then display both the writing and the illustration in a class wiki, or on the wall of the classroom. Of course, this could also be done with paper and art materials, but given that our students are such ‘digital natives’, use of the computer software, plus all of the extra artistic effects it offers, is an important part of the equation”.

I taught a Visual Arts ESOL programme for many years in Sydney at an Intensive English Centre. We prepared newly arrived migrant children for the NSW school system and all teachers had dual qualifications in key subjects plus English as a Second Language training.

Art is a wonderful way to teach English and group projects such as murals encourage co-operation and communication between students of all ages. As making art involves many different processes it is excellent for sequencing and following/giving instructions. It is also an effective way to acquire and implement language of description and comparison and, as you have pointed out vocabulary acquisition for the elements of design (shape, size, colour, texture, tone etc.) is so much more enjoyable if done in a practical and hands-on way.

Expressing ideas and feelings through art is also of immense value where students are at the beginning stages of English language acquisition and for many of my refugee students was a form of therapy. It is also a way to respect, explore and share the cultural traditions of different cultures, both of the host country and of the students themselves. I found your article very interesting! Thank you”.

I use art all the time in my ESL classroom. The one thing you have to be careful of is your students knowledge of the words you are using. I demonstrate and use the words along with what I’m doing and then have them repeat the words. A lot of it for them is memory. They do enjoy doing creative things though at all levels. You don’t have to be an artist to use art! Use the online resources. Crayola.com is a wonderful resource and there are many others”.

As a teacher of both adult beginning ESL students, and high school middle level ELL students, I find that art is an invaluable way to help students focus on the writing process while appealing to other modalities of learning. Having used graphic realia for years to help bring the words alive, I also find that when they can create a visual to go with a story, or when beginners can create murals/collages with pictures of themes (e.g. food) I get more enthusiastic response, and better overall participation and learning. Two modalities simultaneously are always better than one!

There are 6 artists spread over 3 generations in my family. I am not one of them, however, I do use art in the classroom. I visit galleries and exhibition locally and when on holiday and buy cards of interesting pieces to use in class. I teach business English to business people. The course is very intensive and art works as a great diversion and talking point. 99% of people have an opinion some will see it as pointless, waste of time and money etc , while others will see it as an essential part of any culture. Try contrasting Modern Art with the Traditional, Italian, Asian etc. Asian students often have a great knowledge of European art and can put us to shame. I use it to help give opinion and teach them more direct language than they would normally use. Rubbish, garbage, trash, brilliant, awe inspiring, full of life, colourful, inspirational, soul destroying, disturbing, nauseating, worthless, priceless,… I could go on and on. Adjective heaven. For lower levels simple degrees of love/hate, interest/disinterest can be explored. The main thing is to enjoy it!

I have used art a lot while teaching English to students in southern Thailand. One lesson the students particularly liked was one in which I had a picture which I did not show the students. Instead I looked at the picture and described to them what was in the picture, and they had to try to reproduce it. For example you could have a picture of a beach or a park with many things going on. An alternative is to give them a cartoon strip you have drawn but leave the story unfinished so they have to complete it. In the next lesson they write a description of what is happening in their version of the cartoon and then read it to the rest of the class. I also do pictures on flash cards which I later give the students a photocopy of and use the whiteboard a lot to illustrate new vocabulary.

I once went to a session at a conference that discussed using art as a teaching tool. I learned a lot… using a piece of art as a conversation piece, giving instructions on making an object and my favourite thing was drawastickfigure.com. It is a great way to engage students when there is only 5 minutes left in class and their attention is elsewhere.

This is a great article! I too like to use art in the classroom, especially because I believe that it’s more efficient when trying to learn a new language to understand concepts than to try to translate everything. I usually act out new verbs or draw on the board to show the meaning of new vocabulary. I think the visuals help the students remember the meaning better, and it’s also fun.

A creative and innovative concept to use for an effective classroom lesson. It not only provides a field for ideas to keep aimless, wandering minds of students’ busy but is also an efficient tool to explore English language in a new direction. Thanks for sharing the idea.”

Thanks for that, my degree is in art and I have always had a keen interest in teaching english through art. This article was inspiring and now I will feel more confident to use my skills in the classroom.”

Thanks for giving me such original and creative ideas. I’m teaching English as a Foreign Language in Spain. Although I often try to make my classes enjoyable and I like creating projects, sometimes I run out of ideas. I have always liked art and it’s awesome to merge both English and Art in class. I will try some of them! Thanks!”

I think using art in an ESL class would be great way to get students to open up a bit more and to be more expressive verbally, but there are students who are turned off by visual art, like drawing and painting, they are bored by it.

Great subject. I love art and I was wondering how I could use it in my classrooms while I do practical work. You gave me some wonderful ideas. Thanks.

Hello! Thanks for this article and the comments. I wonder if you could provide me references of theoretical “scientific” articles showing that art really helps language Learning and showing how that works. Thanks a lot.

I’m also HOD visual arts and we have many esl students and a separate small section of Japanese and Korean school within our main school. I teach art and use ESL resources a lot together with art to ease them into new language acquisition. Also for my research I’m also looking for scientific articles. If any references will be very helpful.

Thank you for excellent article. I see much potential in using art with storytelling to teach language and literacy.

Excellent article. You are 100% correct. I usually utilize arts in my ELT classroom. It is very easy and fascinating in using arts in teaching almost all four skills. The most interesting thing is the students are delighted in this method of English language learning. Thanks for the fantastic facts you provided!

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Lesson Plans

These lesson plans help you integrate learning about works of art in your classroom. Select an option below to browse lesson plans by grade, or continue scrolling to see all lesson plans.

Lesson plans for elementary school students

Lesson plans for middle school students

Lesson plans for high school students

Elementary School

Figurine of a camel carrying transport amphorae

Ancient Animals at Work

Identify ways animals (past and present) enhance daily life through a close look at an ancient figurine and art making.

An African mask made of carved and painted wood, fabric, and plant fibers

Animal-Inspired Masks and Masquerades

Help students understand the connections between art and the environment of Guinea, animal anatomy, and the cultural context of the Banda mask with the help of viewing questions and a dance activity in the Museum's African Art galleries.

A suit of armor highly decorated with geometrical and floral patterns, blackened and gilded

Armor—Function and Design

Identify moveable and static features of armor as well as functional and symbolic surface details and examine similarities and differences between human and animal "armor" through classroom viewing questions. Enhance the lesson with a sketching activity based on an English suit of armor in The Met collection.

An interior courtyard with pagodas, plantings, ornamental rocks, and a fish pond

The Astor Chinese Garden Court

Explore the Museum's Astor Chinese Garden Court and enhance students' understanding of how traditional Chinese gardens reflect the concept of yin and yang and how material selection and design can convey ideas about the human and natural worlds. Use viewing questions and a storytelling or drawing activity in the Museum's Chinese galleries.

An over-life size bronze sculpture of a group of men chained together in a group, walking in a circle

The Burghers of Calais

Convey the interpretive significance of pose and expression in the visual arts—in the Museum or the classroom—with viewing questions and a story-writing activity inspired by a nineteenth-century French sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

A stone arched doorway with seven fantastic animals carved in relief bordering the arch

Medieval Beasts and Bestiaries

Explore the use of animals as symbols in medieval art with viewing questions and a group drawing activity at The Met Cloisters or in the classroom.

A close-up of a large stone relief panels depicting a long-haired bearded king in a conical cap with a small peak and a long diadem (the royal crown); he holds a bow, and a ceremonial bowl; facing him, is a beardless man carrying a fly whisk and a ladle

Power in Ancient Mesopotamia

Examine how a great ancient Mesopotamian king conveyed power and leadership in a monumental wall relief in the Museum's Ancient Near Eastern art collection and consider how leaders today express the same attributes through viewing questions and an activity.

A close-up of a dark brown, burgundy, olive-green and white carpet decorated in a repeating pattern of geometric motifs

The Nomads of Central Asia—Turkmen Traditions

Students will be able to identify ways art of the Turkmen people of Central Asia reflects nomadic life and understand the functional and symbolic role objects play in their lives.

A hollow, wooden Oceanic sculpture with a bird-like face, large round eyes, sharp down-turned beak, and pointed head

Voices of the Past

Focus on a slit gong in the Museum's Oceanic collection to illustrate the impact of scale in works of art, and consider objects' functions in their original contexts and ways different communities engage with their elders and ancestors. Classroom viewing questions and an oral history activity enhance the lesson.

Middle School

A painting by Claude Lorrain of The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet

Aeneas, Art, and Storytelling

Virgil's epic poem, The Aeneid , has inspired generations of artists and writers. Create your own artwork inspired by the text and consider how artists draw upon and reinterpret stories from the past.

The Temple of Dendur, Roman Period, reign of Augustus Caesar, ca. 15 B.C. Egypt, Nubia, Dendur, west bank of the Nile River, 50 miles south of Aswan. Aeolian Sandstone; L. from gate to rear of temple 24 m 60 cm (82 ft.). Given to the United States by Egypt in 1965, awarded to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967, and installed in The Sackler Wing in 1978 (68.154)

Architecture and the Natural World

How can buildings reflect the relationship between people and the environment? Explore possibilities in this lesson plan featuring an ancient Egyptian temple.

A highly ornate calligraphic Arabic signature in blue and decorated profusely with tiny painted and gilded flowers in blue and white

Art and Empire—The Ottoman Court

Students will be able to recognize ways a tughra functioned as a symbol of power and authority within a culturally diverse and geographically expansive empire.

A large silver plate decorated in relief of two armies engaged in battle

The Battle of David and Goliath

Illuminate strategies for conveying stories through images in the classroom with viewing questions about a large silver plate in the Museum's Medieval collection and an illustrating activity.

A painting with close-up and distant views of the figure 5 in the foreground, middleground, and background

Beyond the Figure

Consider how artists convey personality in nonfigural portraits and the relationship between visual and verbal expression by looking at a painting by Charles Demuth in the Museum's Modern and Contemporary galleries and through a portrait-making activity in the classroom.

Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River

Bravery Stands Tall

Examine a major turning point in the American Revolution through a close look at this depiction of General Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River.

A landscape with a large snow-covered mountain in the distant background, large rocky mountains in the near background, open plains in the middle ground and a lush forest with a raging river and waterfall in the foreground

Composing a Landscape

Study the relationship between the human and natural worlds in art, as well as the techniques artists use to convey ideas, by exploring a painting by Frederic Edwin Church in the Museum's American Wing. Extend the lesson through a writing and drawing activity in the classroom, or a sketching activity outdoors.

A colorful Islamic manuscript page decorated with caligraphic writing and figures in a landscape around a campfire

The Making of a Persian Royal Manuscript

Students will be able to identify some of the key events and figures presented in the Persian national epic, the Shahnama (Book of Kings); make connections between the text and the illustrated pages of the manuscript produced for Shah Tahmasp; and create a historical record of their community.

A highly detailed Islamic manuscript painting of two vultures: one black with a red head and the other light gray with a dark gray head

The Mughal Court and the Art of Observation

Students will be able to recognize ways works of art reflect an intense interest in observation of the human and natural world among Mughal leaders; and understand ways works of art from the past and present communicate ideas about the natural world.

A white stone high relief carved sarcophogus depicting a group of women in classical dress holding various artistic or musical instruments, triumphing over three women with mermaid tails and wings, who have been pushed to the ground

Muses vs. Sirens

Through movement and storytelling, uncover the layers of meaning embedded in a Roman sarcophagus.

A prisoner in arm cuffs exiting the front door of a house, leaning down to kiss a baby in the arms of a woman; on the street, armed guards line the entrance to the stoop of the house

Point of View in Print and Paint

Explore ways that viewpoint shapes the way we picture the past in this lesson plan featuring a depiction of the abolitionist John Brown.

A dark wood African side chair decorated with seated figures and animals on the chair back, and on the rungs between the legs

The Power behind the Throne

Bring the Museum's African collection into the classroom with viewing questions and an art-making activity that cultivate visual analysis and an understanding of how surface detail and composition can express themes of power and leadership.

A wooden sculpture of a bird with a long neck, square wings, and a long, curved sharp beak

A Rite of Passage

Explore the ways rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage play an important role in communities around the world through an investigation of related objects.

A scientific instrument constructed of brass circular plates placed one on top of the other, which can be slid and rotated; the brass is intricately pierced and engraved with Arabic calligraphy and floral motifs

Science and the Art of the Islamic World

Students will be able to identify similarities and differences between scientific tools used now and long ago; and use research findings to support observations and interpretations.

An oxidized copper sculpture of an Indian deity with four arms, standing on one leg dancing, encircled by a ring of stylized fire

Shiva—Creator, Protector, and Destroyer

Inspire students to interpret, communicate through, and personally connect with art through an in-classroom examination of a powerful sculpture in the Museum's Indian art collection and a self-portrait activity.

High School

Cuneiform tablet: administrative account of barley distribution with cylinder seal impression of a male figure, hunting dogs, and boars

Ancient Mesopotamia—Literacy, Now and Then

From cuneiform inscriptions to digital tablets, this lesson highlights changes and continuity in written communications across the ages.

A brass candle stick engraved wtih a zigzag pattern and decorated in inlaid black and red pigment

Arabic Script and the Art of Calligraphy

Students will be able to identify visual qualities of several calligraphic scripts; recognize ways artists from the Islamic world engage various scripts to enhance works of art supporting a range of functions; and assess the merits of several computer-generated fonts in supporting specific uses.

A hyper-realistic modern and austere painting of an industrial building with a cluster of huge white pipes that pierce tall stone towers

The Art of Industry

Use viewing questions and a debate activity to investigate the relationship between art and community values, techniques artists use to convey ideas, and strategies for interpreting an American painting in the Museum's Modern and Contemporary galleries.

Above: Writing board (detail), ca. 1981–1802 B.C. Middle Kingdom. Dynasty 12. From Egypt; Said to be from Upper Egypt, Thebes or Northern Upper Egypt, Akhmim (Khemmis, Panopolis). Wood, gesso, paint, 16 15/16 x 7 1/2 in. (43 x 19 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1928 (28.9.4)

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Art Lesson Plans

The home of quality art lesson plans.

This is just a small snapshot of the hundreds of art lesson plans available on The Arty Teacher website.  Each section highlights some of the best-selling art lessons for that theme. Remember, you don’t have to pay for these resources individually as with a subscription you can download 10 resources a month.

Exciting Techniques and Processes

Experimenting with different media is an essential part of a broad art curriculum.  Many of my resources explore exciting media; the three featured below have been very popular.

art esl lesson plan

Complete Units of Work

These complete units of work are each an entire project. It’s wonderful to be able to teach new projects and to not have to spend hours and hours planning. There are many more complete art units on The Arty Teacher.

art esl lesson plan

Popular Resources

I never know what resources are going to be popular.  The selection below all have received great reviews!

art esl lesson plan

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Art lesson plans for teaching portraits.

Most art teachers teach portrait lessons at some point in the year.  Students really seem to love this topic even though it’s really difficult.  Below are three best selling portrait resources.  Click an image to learn more, or click here to see all  art lesson plans about portraits.

art esl lesson plan

Art Lesson Plans for Teaching Colour Theory

Color theory is easy to teach with these resources to help you.  Every resource has the different spelling of ‘color’ and ‘colour’ to keep art teachers around the globe happy!  As well as the best selling resources below, there are more  color theory art resources  on The Arty Teacher.  This includes resources that help teach about harmonious, analogous and complementary colours.

art esl lesson plan

Engage Boys in Art Lessons

Art teachers have told me that boys have really engaged with the resources below. Of course, many girls would enjoy them too.

art esl lesson plan

Art Lesson Plans – Art Literacy

The Arty Teacher is particularly hot on literacy resources because art literacy is integral to most art curriculum’s.  On The Arty Teacher there are resources to do this through discussion, analysis and written tasks.  Click an image below or  browse Art Literacy resources .  You may be interested in art resources that incorporate  Blooms Taxonomy .

art esl lesson plan

Art Assessment Resources

We all have to spend a lot time marking and assessing art work.  Many of the art assessment resources on The Arty Teacher are designed to save you time.  Click the images below or here for all  Art Assessment Resources .

art esl lesson plan

Art Sub and Cover Lessons

The Arty Teacher prides itself in having helped hundreds of art teachers access sub/cover lessons when they need them the most.  You’ll find many of them will fit in with what you are teaching and will continue to teach your students the skills they need.  3 popular sub lessons are below or you can find lots of  art sub lessons  here.

art esl lesson plan

Zentangles worksheets really seems to engage students.  These three resources are all on the zentangle theme.  Click on the images below, or there are more  Zentangle Art Resources  on The Arty Teacher.

art esl lesson plan

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3.5.1 Styles of Art Lesson Plan

In the BrainPOP ELL movie Styles of Art (L3U5L1) , Ben is trying to paint Moby’s portrait, but first he has to get Moby to sit still. To help Moby focus, Ben shows him his art history book and shares his knowledge of the subject.  In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-8, students learn about famous artists and different styles of art.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:.

  • Brainstorm prior knowledge of artists and art styles.
  • Take notes on a graphic organizer while watching the movie.
  • Match artists, works of art, and art styles.
  • Create a word map for abstract academic vocabulary.
  • Do a research project on a style or period of art, and explain the style using first conditional sentences.
  • BrainPOP ELL
  • Four Column Chart
  • Word Map Graphic Organizer

Vocabulary:

Preparation:, lesson procedure:.

  • What Do You Know about Art? Before watching the movie Styles of Art (L3U5L1) , activate students’ prior knowledge. Display images of famous paintings (see Preparation). Prompt a discussion about the paintings and art styles as a class or in small groups. Ask students to match each painting to a style, or assign each group a different style to discuss, and conduct a Think-Group-Share or K-W-L activity .
  • Find the Information. Distribute the Four Column Chart . Have students fill it out while watching the movie Styles of Art (L3U5L1) . Suggested column headings are: Art Style or Period , Characteristics, Artist, Example .
  • Map the Words. Have students choose one of the academic vocabulary words from this lesson Styles of Art (L3U5L1) (impress/impression, influence, abstract, or concrete), and either do a Word Map or the Word Map Group Summaries . Students can use the Word Map Graphic Organizer for help.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

  • Have students make a poster representing an artist or a style of art.
  • Have students create a game about styles of art with images they find and print out from the Internet. Instruct them to label index cards with the names of famous artists and styles of art. They can play various games with the images and cards, such as matching, sorting, or Odd Man Out.
  • Students can design their own Game Up Sortify game about art by following the directions in this link . For example, the different styles of art can be the categories of the bins, and the tiles can be artists' names and examples of their art.

BrainPOP  Movies Cubism Impressionism Leonardo da Vinci Portraits  

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art esl lesson plan

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Trending Post : 12 Powerful Discussion Strategies to Engage Students

Reading and Writing Haven; English Teaching Ideas

Incorporating Art in ELA Class: Lesson Plan Ideas

It’s hard to find a student that doesn’t like some form of art. Incorporating art in ELA classes is beneficial for several reasons. For one, it gives students who like to be creative an outlet. Plus, pairing art with traditional texts encourages divergent thinking. And still, the arts help students to think critically, to build analogies and metaphors, and to synthesize their learning.

But. Incorporating art in the classroom doesn’t mean that we should expect students to be wonderful artists, nor should we grade them upon their artistic abilities. Consider this…

When I first began teaching, I had students complete parts of speech posters. Some of them added color, bedazzled them with scrapbooking supplies, and wrote in gorgeous lettering. However, when I really stepped back and analyzed what my students had learned from the assignment, I wasn’t impressed with myself in the slightest for assigning it.

And I thought…

Students spent quite a bit of time doing lower-level thinking by regurgitating notes in an isolated grammar experience that turned out to be – quite simply – arts and crafts.

I wasn’t proud of this realization, but when we know better, we can do better. The ideas I’m sharing in this post are ways I’ve found art to be a beneficial learning experience for students. I recommend always prefacing these assignments with two important notes for students:

  • There is a difference between effort and art. While I wouldn’t grade students on either, I do expect to see their learning related to the standard we are studying. In some cases, I want to see detailed thinking.
  • If students choose to spend extra time on their assignment because they love being artistic, I don’t discourage them, but I do encourage them to balance their time. After completing the assignment myself, I have a better idea of how long it should take them to complete.

So, let’s explore the activities and assignments then. Below, you’ll find eleven engaging ways to bring the arts into your ELA lessons through drawing, photographs, graphic design, and theater.

Meaningful ways to incorporate art in English class #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA #ArtinELA

Students don’t have to be expert illustrators to ask them to draw. Drawing has the power to improve memory and deepen understanding through color and connections, which makes it ideal when trying to add art in ELA.

Sketch Notes

Recently, I’ve introduced students to sketchnotes . They are – in essence – notes! Sketchnotes are not supposed to be graded and it doesn’t matter whether or not they make sense to anyone other than the creator. The basic idea is that students are using words and phrases, sketches, and structure to synthesize what they are learning. The emphasis is not on the drawing, although it can be fun to give students a few minutes to play with a tool like Google Quick Draw to kickstart their imaginations. Instead, the emphasis is on showing students how to create meaningful mnemonics that deepen their learning.

One pagers are a refreshing break from writing essays, with the same focus on literary analysis. Simply choose the story elements you want students to analyze (in fiction or nonfiction ), and let students convey their thinking on a single page. With one pagers, I’ve noticed students who tend to be perfectionists can spend  way  too much time on the assignment. Help them to reign in their need to stay up late creating a work of art by focusing the rubric on the content.

Associations

When we want students to learn and remember new terms, it helps to incorporate art in English class ( or any class, for that matter ). Ask students to draw examples, non-examples, and other associations with the terms. Here’s a free vocabulary resource that you can use with any Tier 2 word list. It brings in various aspects of art through learning styles and a brain-based approach.

Meaningful ways to incorporate photos in English class #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA #ArtinELA

When we use photographs as art in ELA, we are providing students with tools to visualize more deeply. Plus, they are an easy and effective engagement strategy.

It’s not too much of a stretch to incorporate art in ELA lesson plans when we are reading and analyzing poetry. Poetry is, in many ways, a work of art itself. Sometimes, when students don’t connect with poetry, it helps to show them images. For one, we can use photos as inspiration for writing . Students can write poetry focused on standards by using precise language, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language. Pictures can also provide the context students need to comprehend a complex text.

Project photos when students are learning new words. For example, while reading “The Scarlet Ibis ,” students may not understand what a palm frond is. Show them! Spark curiosity with vocabulary lists by projecting an image or sharing photographs on task cards , and ask students to justify which words on their list relate to that word. Tie it to standards by having them talk about how the connotation of a word is reflected in the photograph or ask them to use the word in a paragraph about that picture.

Reading Hook

To hook students at the beginning of a new text, use pictures! Project images. Or, make it interactive by creating QR codes that lead to images or by pasting them onto chart paper. Arrange the codes or the paper around the room, and have students explore them in a gallery walk format. With any of these approaches, students can generate questions, predictions, and connections about the text they will be reading.

Meaningful ways to incorporate design and art in English class #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA #ArtinELA

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Visual communication is a growing part of the workplace. Weave art into ELA class by incorporating opportunities for students to learn a little bit about graphic design.

Author’s Craft

Students can write poetry inspired by nonfiction (or any other type of text). I like to incorporate this type of writing during a creative writing unit, multi-genre research project, or genius hour. Have them experiment with colors, fonts, and placement of their message. How does the connotation, voice, and overall impact of the piece change based upon the author’s craft?

Warm students up to this creative style of writing by analyzing mentor texts: children’s books ! So many of the illustrators and designers in children’s literature play with white space, colors, fonts, and arrangement to entertain readers and convey information.

If you’ve never tried booksnaps, here is an overview of a lesson I used when I introduced them to students. Booksnaps bring art into English class because students snap a photo of a part of the text that resonated with them or made them think. It’s a unique close-reading and reflection activity that enhances memory and encourages critical thinking.

Text Features

When we teach students to focus on text features, we are emphasizing graphic design. Essentially, we are asking them to identify the organization of a text and explain how that organization contributes to the overall meaning. Why did the author use this graph? What information does it add to our understanding? Why did the publisher pull out that quote? What is its significance? What is the purpose of the infographic at the end, and why should we not quickly gloss over it?

Of course, there are so many other ways we can add art in English class, like through acting and films.

Most students enjoy movement and collaboration. So, have them create skits to re-write the ending of a play . I did this as a whole class activity with Romeo and Juliet , and my Title I students were completely enthralled, especially when they found out they were performing for other classes! They can participate in tableaux (frozen scenes) to analyze conflict, character, or theme in a text.

Literary Analysis

Use short films to introduce literary analysis . Level up by encouraging divergent thinking:  Pair it with poetry or another genre and analyze!

Adding art in ELA class is a way to differentiate, add choice, encourage deeper, metaphorical thinking, and engage students. Not every student is an artist, and not all students enjoy lessons that incorporate these approaches. Everything, including art, is better in moderation. When possible, artistic elements could be offered as a choice.

Artistic ability should not be prioritized. Always, students’ thinking and skill as they relate to the standards, the learning targets, and the content are the most important. And, if students are spending too much time on the assignment because of the artsy requirements or if we are disappointed about the end result because it’s not as visually pleasing as we had hoped, it’s probably time to revisit the purpose of the activity.

If you’d like to read more about incorporating the arts in ELA, don’t miss this post from Language Arts Classroom.

  • 13 WAYS TO USE MUSIC IN ELA
  • TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE WORD WALLS IN SECONDARY
  • 10 WAYS TO ADD CREATIVITY TO ELA LESSONS
  • ENGAGING ELA LESSON PLANS
  • 11 WAYS TO USE COLOR IN ENGLISH CLASS

11 meaningful ways to add art in English class #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA #ArtinELA

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Art and Architecture Language Exercises and Worksheets

  • Cultural language lessons exploring art and architecture are a great way to get students from different cultures interacting.
  • Lessons can look at different kinds of architecture and housing, landmarks around the world and also attitudes to art.

Famous places/building discussion questions & exercises for ESL students (incl. passive tense questions)

Landmark research notes: quideline discussion questions (PDF)

Famous structure discussion questions worksheet (PDF)

A famous place lesson(Leaning Tower)/passive tense (PDF)

Conversation Questions:Houses & Architecture

Passive tense worksheet (PDF)

Architecture makes an imprint lesson incl. research worksheet (PDF)

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

art esl lesson plan

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Type of English: General English

Tags: art art Vocabulary and grammar

Publication date: 06/10/2020

This lesson explores the different types of modern art and related vocabulary. Students watch a news report, test their listening skills with audio exercise, and view famous works of art while improving their speaking, writing, discussion and comprehension skills. Also included is a fun, optional homework exercise for students to share their favourite piece of artwork with the class.

art esl lesson plan

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This lesson explores the different types of modern art and related vocabulary. Students watch a news report, test their listening skills with audio exercise, and view famous works of art while improving their speaking, writing, discussion, and comprehension skills. Also included is a fun, optional homework exercise for students to share their favorite piece of artwork with the class.

Modern-Art-AE.mp3

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Art or prank?

  • Art & Design

art esl lesson plan

photo of the author

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson plan about Banksy and the other artist Maurizio Cattelan deals with controversial art. The worksheet is based on two videos presenting works of art by these two artists.

WARM-UP & VOCABULARY

One of the works presented in this lesson is Maurizio Catellan’s Comedian, which in a nutshell, consists of a banana taped to the wall with a duct tape. This work of art has been sold for $120k. One of our subscribers came up with a cool warm-up task to this lesson, which we want to share with you. Basically, what you do is you bring a banana to your classroom and tape it to the wall. Ask your students then how much they would pay for it. You can even lead an auction. That’s definitely going to spark their interest 🙂 The worksheet starts with a short discussion based on three quotes concerning art. Then, students move to an exercise on vocabulary that two videos include. Students read some sentences and they have to match underlined words and phrases to their meanings.

VIDEO & DISCUSSION

After that, students move to watching the videos. They have to watch both of them and using vocabulary from the previous exercise, summarize what they’ve seen. The videos present two pieces of art. One is Banksy’s Girl with Balloon which was shredded during an auction. The other video presents Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian: the work of art consisting of a banana taped to a wall with duct tape. After summarizing, students start a discussion on what they’ve watched. Next, they have two more exercises on vocabulary for expressing surprise and shock. First, they need to read a sentence from one of the videos and match the word unfathomable to its meaning. Next, they have another three sentences and need to match synonyms to the following words: unfathomable, shockingly, staggering .

QUESTIONABLE CASES FROM THE WORLD OF ART

Finally, students discuss some interesting cases from the world of art. When appropriate, they should use the words from the previous exercise. They will discuss a restoration failure, a controversial artwork, a prank by two teenagers at a museum and the most expensive sculpture sold by a living artist. We linked to images related to that in the task so either download it before the lesson or open them up during the class to show that weird cases, This lesson plan about Banksy and Maurizio Cattelan ends with a short optional discussion about art in general.

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I’m really happy with the materials lately. You have made the B2 and C1 lessons a bit more complex and that’s exactly what was missing. The vocabulary is a bit more challenging. Just perfect for my Advanced students! Thank you! Wonderful job guys, as always.

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Great to hear that! Look out for more stuff coming this month.

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I’m a real fan of your lesson plans. Well done!

Thanks Angeline! It’s great to hear that 🙂

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Fantastic topic and the real stuff for us to see! Thanks a lot

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What a great lesson plan! So engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring! Thank you 🙂

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Happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us 🙂

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Just wanted to let you know my students loved this lesson especially when I stuck the banana to the board. Such a great idea!!! As a follow up they will research other kinds of publicity stunts that have happened in the past or more recently that they find interesting and explain why.

Thanks so much for your feedback! We’re thrilled the lesson was so successful and that’s a really cool idea to stick a banana to the board – love it!

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  23. Art or prank?

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