Lesson Plan

Picture Poem

Objectives

• To use our Elements of Art and Principles of Design to visually assess the qualities of the painting
• Discuss the positives and the negatives of the painting
• T write a poem that describes the painting with visual language

Process

As a class we will take a look at Vincent Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night. Using our Elements of Art and Principles of Design we will analyze the painting. How Van Gogh applied the paint, how the image is balanced, why he cropped the image the way he did, the use of color, etc. 10 Minutes

We will then move in to discussing what the positives and negatives are about the piece. Students are asked to give concrete examples about why they liked something or what they disliked. For example say: I really liked the darker colors because it reminds me of a dark evening where the only light is from the stars and moon. Not, I like it because its cool. The word ‘cool’ tells us nothing. 10 Minutes

The last half of the class we will be concentrating on writing a poem. In this poem the students will try to ‘show’ the painting Starry Night with visually descriptive language. I will emphasize the process of good word choice and how it can either make or break the poem. Upon completing the poem the reader should be able to visualize the painting in their head.