We become art critics!

Author names: Violeta Almor, Ragnhild Andersen, Natalia Ballesteros, Laura Márquez and Alba Martín.

For Teachers 

Short description:

Students will become art critics in a Spatial art gallery. In pairs, they will have to film themselves talking about a specific painting. They will upload the videos to the gallery and assess their classmates. This activity will be done with both 6th groups. However, the artworks presented won’t be the same. The final version will be uploaded in the school website.

Before the session:

• • 5’ Getting an account

  • 10’ Creating their avatar

  • 20’ Becoming familiar with the technology: learn how to move, how to upload things, how to zoom in and out to read the information… 

  • 45’ Create the space students will be using in Spatial (add the artwork's author and date)

  • 5’ Share the link with students so they can join the space

Target Group

• Target Age: 6th graders 

• Target Language Level (based on CEFR): A2

• Location: The activities will take place in the classroom.

• This activity will be done with both 6th groups. However, the artworks presented to them won’t be the same. 

Main Learning Objectives: 

1. To collaboratively write a descriptive analysis of the chosen artwork in order to effectively communicate observations, personal interpretations and feelings.

2. To orally present the descriptive analysis in order to develop speaking skills and effectively share personal feelings.

3. To appraise classmates' video presentation in order to provide constructive feedback, enhancing critical thinking and collaborative learning skills.

LESSON AIMS:

Reception: p. 56

• • LISTENING AS A MEMBER OF A LIVE AUDIENCE: Can follow the general outline of a demonstration or presentation on a familiar or predictable topic, where the message is expressed slowly and clearly in simple language and there is visual support (e.g. slides, handouts). 

Production: p. 70

• • OVERALL SPOKEN PRODUCTION: Can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily routines. Likes/dislikes etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences linked into a list. 

  • WRITTEN REPORTS AND ESSAYS: Can give his/her impressions and opinions in writing about topics of personal interest (e.g. lifestyles and culture, stories), using basic everyday vocabulary and expressions. 

Activity Instructions

We need to be realistic with the students’ English level and difficulty of the activity. Moreover, based on the feedback we received, we restructured the sessions so that timing is realistic. We will devote 4 sessions. As this activity requires a lot of work, it cannot end in the classroom. This is why we need a wider audience, which will be the families. The Spatial Art Gallery link will be shared in the school website. 

Session1

• Pre-task 1h: The teacher will firstly explain what the purpose of this activity is.

“Today, we’re putting on our art critic hats!” Let me walk you through how our activity will go: Let’s begin everything from getting together at our spot, where you can check out the virtual gallery in the Spatial app. Every painting has its characteristics underneath”,

Pupils will get to the meeting point, and they will move around and explore the space. They will have time to examine the different artworks in order to choose one to focus on. These paintings will have the title, author, creation date and artistic movement written below. 

The teacher makes pairs according to the level so that they are balanced and bearing in mind the student's needs. Once the pairs are assigned, they will decide on one artwork they are interested in.  

In order to decide the artwork they will be working, they will need to create a ranking with the paintings they liked the most to avoid repetitions. The idea is that they choose the artworks they like the most according to their emotions, artistic style, etc. The negotiation part with their pair would be done in English and some scaffolding will be provided to ensure that they use the target language. 

• Grouping and class distribution: all together in the class using their computers at their tables.

• Material: computers.

• Time: 1 hour

Session 2:

• 1h 30' Main task: Based on the chosen artwork, they will create a description with the help of a checklist about the things that it should contain and examples on how to do it. As scaffolding, they will use a language frame so that they can make sentences describing and giving their opinion. This session is thus devoted to writing the script, rehearsing and recording themselves to practice. 

The last 15 minutes will be devoted to self-assess their recording with the same peer rubric they will use in the post task. That way, they will practice the target language, gain confidence when filming, self-correcting, become familiarised with the rubric and reflecting on their learning process.

• Grouping and class distribution: in pairs, all together in the class using their computers at their tables but divided in pairs.

• Material: computers, sheets, pens/pencils, scaffoldings (language frame and vocabulary) and checklist.

• Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Session 3:

• 1h Main task

Then, based on their self-assessment and improvement, they will film the final version. The students will have to be organised separately around the classroom (some groups in the classrooms and two could be in the school corridor) so that the sound is not obstructed. They will also use earphones in order that the audio can be heard correctly in the video. Finally, they will upload the video next to the artwork they have worked on. For early finishers, we will allow them to go around spatial to explore their peers videos.  

• Grouping and class distribution: in pairs, all together in the class using their computers at their tables but divided in pairs.

• Material: computers and earphones.

• Time: 1 hour

Session 4:

• Post-task: 

15’: After uploading the video, there will be a discussion about how to provide feedback, the teacher will emphasize what constructive feedback is and will explain how to use the co-assessment rubric. Each pair will assess another pair. The teacher will have already assigned who has to assess whom, one pair assesses another pair -reciprocally. 

30’ In pairs, they will go back to spatial and will watch the video of the classmates they need to assess. After that, they will complete the peer assessment rubric. The aim is that they learn how to provide constructive feedback, applying critical thinking and understanding the information. The teacher will help them in this process, making sure they understand the videos and solving doubts. 

15’ The class will be organised in groups of four -two pairs that have assessed each other. They will orally share their feedback with the help of the scaffolding. That way, we facilitate the process of speaking in English and promoting the target language.

The teacher will be verifying during the whole session how this feedback is being provided, coherence and its quality. What is more, she will be controlling if they are speaking in English and solving technical issues.

• Grouping and class distribution: whole class, pairs and last 15' groups of 4. They will be distributed in around the class with enough distance to avoid noise.

• Material: peer feedback sheet, laptops

• Time: 1 hour

PLAN B:

As teachers, we always need to prepare a plan B in case there are some added difficulties, for example slow internet or, in the worst-case scenario, no internet connection at all. In that case, the teacher will have downloaded the artworks in advance, students will choose and write the script on paper. Then, they can film themselves without Wi-Fi. In the second session, they will upload and go around through Spatial to later on provide feedback. Hence, more time will be needed in this session, 90’ instead of 60’.

Extension activity:

As an extension activity, because this activity will be done with both 6th grade groups, the videos they have uploaded will be shown to the other class. They have worked on different artworks. Therefore, their knowledge will be expanded. The activity will consist on matching their colleagues videos with the artwork they are describing. This way this will be another activity for them to develop listening language skills and keep working on the same grammar structures worked on the VR activity.

Additional scaffolding 

• 1. 1. 1. Language frame 

        2. Checklist

        3. Way of providing feedback

        4. Vocabulary

        5. Guidelines to upload the video

Assessment Ideas 

Students will first self-asses the initial video, with the same peer assessment rubric. Then, they would assess their classmates with the peer assessment rubric. In pairs, students would watch the pair that has been assigned to them and assess their video. Then, the pairs will sit down together in groups of 4 and will orally explain the feedback. The teacher will be verifying during the whole session how the feedback is provided for that she will have  a teacher observation grid.

For Students 

The materials below are what student will see during their activity development. 

Instructions for students:

• Getting an account on Spatial. (5 minutes)

• Creating their own avatar. (10 minutes)

• Becoming familiar with the technology: learn how to move, how to upload things, how to zoom in and out to read the information… (20 minutes)

Video and presentation: