TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH ART

MATERIALS

• A reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom
• 1 sheet of paper per student
• Crayons or coloured pencils

LEAD-IN

• Show students a reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom. Give them some time to look at and react to the painting.
• Ask: What can you see? Is this bedroom similar or different from yours?
• Pair students up and have them discuss the similarities and differences between the painting and their ownbedrooms. You can suggest that they create a Venn diagram to register what they discussed, comparing the pieces of furniture they can find in their bedrooms and in the painting.
• Conduct a brief whole-class discussion on what students observed. You can suggest that they create a Venn diagram to register what they discussed, comparing the pieces of furniture they can find in their bedrooms and in the painting.

DEVELOPMENT

• Ask: What pieces of furniture are there in this bedroom? Is this type of furniture common in bedrooms?
• Ask: In your opinion, who sleeps in this bedroom?
• Explain that this was a painter’s bedroom.
• Ask: Do you think the bedroom would be different if it belonged to an athlete? Would it be different if it belonged to your grandmother?
• Give students paper and crayons/coloured pencils. Ask them to think about a person and draw a bedroom for them.
• Have students share what they created.
• Organise students in small groups and ask them to describe the person who sleeps in the bedroom they created.

DISCUSSION

Conduct a class discussion:

• Do you think our bedroom reflects our personality?
• How can we express our personality?