Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener
Class theme/topics discussed:
Art & Picture description
Goal of the class:
Students know locations in/within a picture
Students can describe the location of objects to each other (positions)
Students are able to describe a picture
Students can interpret pictures
How did you structure the class?
4.15 – 4.30: Warm-Up: Who are what am I? (students get either the name of one person or one object (e.g. painting, building) or the corresponding description to a person or an object. By asking each other questions they have to “get to know each other” and thereby find out whether their role fits the other person’s role)
4.30 – 4.35: Review: Picture description (short review of important vocabulary when describing pictures and the different directions (e.g. in front of, behind, next to… in the centre/right hand side))
4.35 – 4.50: Describe & Draw (depending on class size either 1on1 or 1 describing and 2 drawing: one student sits with the back to the board and the other one with the front. Then a picture is faded in so that only the student with the front to the board can see it. That student now has to describe the picture to the other student, and he/she/they has to draw it based on the descriptions of the other student. 5min per turn, then they can look at the board to compare how good the drawing was. Then they switch position, and now the other student has to describe and the other to draw. With 3 students, 2 are drawing and sitting with the back to the front and they make 3 rounds with every one describing at least once)
4.50 – 5.05: Group work (students can choose between 6 paintings by German artists and then analyze that picture in 3 steps. They have instructions on the power point and are allowed to use their phones)
5.05 – 5.15: Presentation (each group presents their painting, according to the 3-step-analysis that was given to them)
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?
I taught a similar class last semester, but wasn’t really happy with it – thus, I wanted to teach it again with improvements. These improvements have worked really well! The warm-up was a nice way to walk around the room, talk to each other, ask each other questions, while at the same time starting to familiarize with the topic. The “Describe & Draw” is a really well-working, engaging and fun activity. The group work about paintings from German artists was a well-rounded conclusion to this lesson and put it on a higher level than the first time I taught that class. The students were able to learn about German art, had lots of discussions in class and had to present something as well. Thus, I would say that this class worked really well, I was happy about how it worked and wouldn’t really change anything.
One possible modification: instead of giving them pictures, the group work could also work if they choose their own paintings. Upside: more personalized and individualized, but several risks: no sufficient resources (maybe not everyone has a mobile phone/laptop handy), not sure what paintings, no German paintings.