Урок "Art" (рівеньВ1)

ART

Olga Rozhkova,

a teacher of English,

the Educational complex,

Brovary

Topic: Is Graffiti a Modern Kind of Art?

Level: Intermediate

Aims:  

• to develop reading and speaking pupils’ skills on the basis of the topic;
• to motivate learners, involving them into the process of communication;
• to practice reading;
• to practice a variety of reading comprehension tasks on people's opinions about the topic;
• to give pupils the opportunity to give their own opinion the subject.

Activity: reading exercises: intensive reading, matching activity and multiple choice exercises, interactive activity, speaking - giving own opinion about the subject.

I Warm-up

II Main  Part:

1. Reading Activities:

1.1.Pre- Reading Activity.

1.2. While Reading Activities. (groups A B C )

1.3. After  Reading Activities. ( new groups)

2. Speaking Activity.

III Final Part:

1. Home  Task  Aid

2. Marks  Motivation

PROCEDURE

Warm-up

Review of giving suggestions "Find your partner". Prepare some sentences, each of which has the word missing. On separate pieces of paper, write the words that have been taken out. Hand each student either a sentence or a word. They have to mingle and find their partner. Then they sit down together and work out where the missing word should go in the sentence. Elicit all the sentences in open class and correct any mistakes.

E.g. sentences:

It's not really my of tea

I'm not about...

I'm not on...

I'd not to do that...

Do you going...?

How meeting...?

That's a idea

cup

mad

keen

prefer

fancy

about

good

1.1. Pre- Reading Activity.

Task 1. Answer the questions.

Elicit ideas in open class.

1. What modern kinds of art do you know?

2. Is graffiti art or vandalism? Why? Why not?

3. Is graffiti common in Ukraine? Where?

4. What do you think of it? Is it beautiful or ugly?

1.2. While Reading Activities.

Task 2. Read the texts A-C below. Then match the writers with points of view 1-3 below.

Pupils have only two - three minutes to read through and find the answer to the questions and they have to underline words which help them to find the correct answer. pupils compare answers in pairs and then as a whole class.

Keys: A3; B1; C2.
 

IS GRAFFITI ART?

 A. Sandra Jameson, art critic of The Times. The other day I saw some graffiti on an old factory wall. It was absolutely fantastic: imaginative and beautifully done. Much better, in fact, than a lot of art that you can see in art galleries and exhibitions. Unfortunately, not all graffiti is so beautiful. Although it is true that some talented artists started their careers by painting on walls, most graffiti has no artistic merit at all. It’s just people shouting to the world, ‘I exist!’ I understand why they do it. Young people don’t own any buildings, and spraying walls is a way of ‘owning’ a piece of where you live. But it’s a pity it’s often so ugly. I think we should tolerate graffiti on old abandoned buildings. After all, they can’t look any worse than they do. But it’s wrong to paint graffiti on the walls of buildings where people live or work.

B. Teresa Powell, Member of Parliament for East Swindon. Everywhere you go, you see walls covered in stupid names and swear words. I don’t know anyone who thinks it is attractive. More importantly, graffiti is a crime. Where do these so-called graffiti artists paints? On private property. And that means they’re breaking the law. I’m sure they wouldn’t like it if I spray painted ‘Teresa is cool!’ on their living room walls. So why do they think it’s alright for them to paint anywhere they want to? Sociologists talk about the ‘Broken Window Syndrome’. When a building is covered in ugly graffiti, it’s an invitation for young people to vandalise it even more. So graffiti encourages more crime. And finally, it’s dangerous – many artists climb high walls or buildings or vandalise trains at night. When they have an accident, we all have to pay their hospital costs. Graffiti is not acceptable and it should be stopped.

C. Mike Lees, graffiti artist. A politician recently said that graffiti artists were vandals and that graffiti was a crime. I totally disagree. Graffiti is an art form. It’s been with us for thousands of years. Graffiti has been discovered in the ruins of Pompeii, and it tells us more about ordinary life than statues and monuments do. And today graffiti gives colour to our grey city centers. It is true that some graffiti is limited – ‘ Terry loves June’ is not exactly creative. But a lot of graffiti is brilliant and imaginative. It’s radical, it’s fun, it’s beautiful … and it’s free. Many artists in history have been misunderstood. When Vincent Van Gogh was alive, nobody wanted to buy his paintings, and critics said he was a maniac. Today, his masterpieces are sold for millions. One day people will understand that some of the greatest art of our time isn’t in galleries, but on factory walls and urban trains.

Task 3. Work in groups and follow the instructions.

Put students into three groups. They should find the information in the text that corresponds to the answer. Monitor and help necessary. 

Group A. Read text A and circle the correct word or phrases

in the sentences1-5:

1. The best graffiti is sometimes better/worse than "official"  art.

2. Only a few/Many graffiti artists produce beautiful works of art.

3. Most graffiti is attractive/ugly.

4. Graffiti allows young people to express political opinions/ their identity.

5. Graffiti is alright in some places, but not on buildings which are in use/old buildings.

Group B. Read text B and circle the correct word or phrases

in the sentences 6-10:

1. You can find graffiti everywhere/in some places.

2. Most people think graffiti is beautiful/ugly. 

3. Graffiti is important/illegal.

4. People may commit other crimes because they don't like/have seen graffiti.

5. Some graffiti artists risk their health/job when they paint.

Group C. Read text C and circle the correct word or phrases

in the sentences 11-15:

6. Graffiti is an art form which is existed for a short/long time.

7. Graffiti from the past can give us information about ancient cultures/ crime.

8. Graffiti is colouful and attractive/funny.

9. Some graffiti is fantastic and you don't have to go far/pay to see it.

10. People will never understand/understand one day that graffiti is great art.

Keys: A. 1 better, 2 only a few, 3 ugly, 4 their identity, 5 buildings which are in use; B.1 everywhere, 2 ugly, 3 illegal, 4 have seen, 5 health; C. 1 long, 2 ancient cultures, 3 colourful and attractive, 4 pay, 5 understand one day.

1.3. After  Reading Activities.

Task 4. Form new groups with one student from each group in Exercise 3. Tell each other the text you read.

When students form new group, they should tell each other and also read out the section of text which gave them that answer.

Task 5. Read the article again and circle the best answers.

Keep students in their new group of three and let them work together to find the answers.

1. Sandra Jameson:

a) was impressed by the graffiti she saw;

b) saw the graffiti in an art gallery;

c) think there should be an exhibition of graffiti.

2. Sandra think that it is alright to paint graffiti o buildings where:

a) the graffiti artist live;

b) nobody lives;

c) people live.

3. Teresa Powell:

a) doesn't think graffiti artists would like graffiti in their own homes;

b) often paint "Teresa is cool!" on the walls;

c) sometimes paints graffiti in her living room.

4. The "Broken Window Syndrome" means:

a) people only paint graffiti on buildings with broken windows;

b) that one crime can lead to another;

c) sociologists invite young people to commit a crime.

5. Mike Leeds thinks that graffiti such as "Terry loves June" is:

a) limited;

b) quite creative;

c) imaginative.

6. Mike thinks Van Gogh's paintings:

a) are the work of a maniac;

b) were only popular with critics;

c) are more popular today than when he was alive.

Keys:1a; 2b; 3a; 4b; 5a; 6c.

2. Speaking Activity.

6. In groups, discuss if you think graffiti is art or vandalism.

Put students into two groups (hand the cards "It's art", "It's vandalism").

First they think and note down all the arguments in groups. When students have their ideas ready, refer them to the phrases from the beginning of the lesson to remind them of ways of giving their opinion, agreeing and disagreeing. Finally have a whole class discussion. Note their errors for the correction slot at the and.

Home  Task  Aid

Prepare for a discussion "What do you think about tattoo? Is it beautiful or ugly thing on your body?" (Note down all the arguments).

Refer students to the phrases from speaking activity from the lesson.

 Marks  Motivation