Art Analysis Activity
Worksheets
30 minutesGrades9, 10, 11, 12English Language Arts, Visual and Performing Arts
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Written by Kara Hisatake
About this activity
In this activity, students analyze and reflect on representations of the climate crisis as interpreted by a range of visual artists working in a variety of art styles. The Art Works for Change gallery used in this activity includes artists’ statements with suggested climate actions.
Everything you need to teach it
- Art Analysis ActivityView Activity
Teaching tips
- Students select a work of art from one of the Artist Galleries and analyze the piece using the questions from the worksheets.
- Alternatively, students can select an artwork from one of the links in the activity. Teachers can assign students to analyze and compare artworks in different mediums, such as murals and photography.
- Students can listen to the podcast How the Artist Captures Climate Change to hear an interview with artists using their art to raise awareness and inspire action.
- Students can create their own work of art to inspire climate action, and write an artist’s statement to reflect on their message, their artistic choices, the emotion they want to evoke and the action they hope to inspire.
From the scientist review
With the use of art, students may comprehend the main climate stressors that are affecting their surroundings. The activity has strong artistic content that would help laypeople understand climate science. This is a teaching activity that we suggest.
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About the teacher writer
Kara Hisatake
Teacher
Kara Hisatake holds a PhD in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has more than six years of experience teaching high school English Language Arts for grades 9–12. Her expertise is in literature and English language arts education.
