SESSION 1

The teacher projects a figurative painting and asks students to write what they see in it and all the elements and ideas that they think are represented in the picture (what could be latently present in the picture).

Students, individually, make their contributions in a padlet or similar platform.

NOTE: The padlet wall for this activity should be created previously by the teacher, and s/he must share the link or QR code to it with the students.  (5´).

The teacher asks about the concept of BEAUTY.

Suggested questions:

• What is beauty? How would you define it?
• Is it objective or subjective?
• Do you think Art involves beauty? In what ways?

OPTIONAL: At this point the teacher may want to leave the discussion at an intuitive level, eliciting from students their thoughts and notions, or use this as the context in which to introduce some sources and authors. (10´).

HANDS-ON ACTIVITY

In order to get a better grasp of the concept of beauty and its relation to Art, the students use the cameras on their mobile phones to take pictures.

As they walk around and explore the school they  carry out the two following tasks individually:

- Take a picture of SOMETHING (THEY CONSIDER TO BE) BEAUTIFUL.

- Take a BEAUTIFUL PICTURE.

Before setting off, the teacher makes sure that they understand the difference between these two tasks.

They are not allowed to use any filters or apps to modify the pictures. (10-15´).

After they have taken their pictures, each student repeats the initial task, noting down which elements they think are present in their pictures.

Suggested questions (individual work):

• Which is the main element in the picture?
• What do you feel when you see the photo?
• Why is it a beautiful picture or a picture of something beautiful?

(5´- End of Session 1)

SESSION 2

Students then keep the notes to themselves but share their pictures in the padlet still shared and/or projected on the board and comment on the pictures taken.

They have to look at the pictures taken by the others and decide, in each case, which is the beautiful picture and which is the picture of a beautiful thing.

NOTE: If there are too many students, three or four sets of pictures could be chosen by the teacher to analyse. Then they would have a discussion in subgroups instead of the whole class.

Once all the students have participated they compare and contrast their ideas and impressions about the pictures (from the perspective of those who took them and those who saw them). They can use their answers to the questions in the last activity of session one to organise their discussion.  (15-20´).

The teacher proposes a discussion to reflect upon the activity, the products and Art.

Suggested questions:

• Did you and your audience have the same opinions about the pictures?
• Were there any differences? Why do you think this happens?
• Did you and your audience coincide in identifying the beautiful picture and the picture of a beautiful thing?
• Do you think your pictures transmitted what you thought they would? Why (not)? If not, how could you improve this?

(5-10´)

Now the teacher asks the students to modify their pictures with editing tools and filters and to upload them again. (5-10´).

The session finishes with a discussion in groups where they analyse the pictures and discuss whether they have become more beautiful or not.

Suggested questions:

• What effect did the editing have on the pictures?
• Are all the elements still there?
• Does technology help or ruin art? Why? How?
• What do you think makes a picture beautiful?
• Do you think the concept of beauty is universal?
•  What elements influence our concept of beauty?

(15´ - End of Session 2)