| Viewing Art Works main page |
Preparation | first impression | Description | Analysis | Interpretation | Gathering Information | Informed Judgement |
Including this stage gives students the opportunity to air or record their first spontaneous reaction to a work. Everyone has such reactions, even people with years of experience with art works, and denying students the opportunity to express them will cause frustration.
First impressions can later be used in two ways: students can see how they have grown through the process of viewing a work; students can try to explain their first impressions through further investigation and discovery.
It is important that students understand they are neither expected to change their minds nor expected to find a way to justify their first impressions. Some students will change their impressions; some will not. There are no set expectations either way.
You can solicit students' first impressions by asking, "What is your immediate reaction to the work"? If students have trouble answering that or a similar question, ask them for words which immediately come to mind.
Record students' impressions on chart paper or have them keep track themselves.
Remember, there are no wrong answers. Teachers may want to point out to students that this step is where many people stop when they are looking at art works, but the students will be going further to look at the work of art in more depth.
Teacher Note |
The following are a few examples of what students might say when giving a first impression of this work:
| Viewing Art Works main page |
Preparation | first impression | Description | Analysis | Interpretation | Gathering Information | Informed Judgement |