Van Gogh Spark

Overview

Students are introduced to Vincent van Gogh through a short kid-friendly video, then discuss key ideas about his life and artwork. They will complete an artist study workbook section (pages 16–19) and, if time allows, begin colouring an image inspired by van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify and describe features of van Gogh’s visual style and artwork (using appropriate visual arts language).
• Students will explore how artists use visual conventions and materials to create meaning and emotion.
• Students will record their observations and ideas by completing an artist study worksheet.
• Students will create a colouring artwork that imitates a selected visual convention from van Gogh’s Sunflowers (colour, pattern, brushstroke-like marks).

Success criteria

• I can name at least two visual conventions in van Gogh’s work (for example bold colour, energetic brushstrokes, strong contrasts).
• I can describe how van Gogh used colour or brushstrokes to create a feeling (for example cheerful, lively, calm, intense).
• I can complete pages 16–19 with clear sentences/answers that match the prompts.
• I can use colour thoughtfully on the Sunflowers colouring page to show contrast and vibrancy.

Curriculum links

• Visual Arts: Developing Practices — exploring and experimenting with visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to create artworks.
• Visual Arts: Developing Practices — students identify and describe the use of visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials in artworks they create and/or experience.
• Visual Arts: Exploring — using viewpoints to develop questions and strengthen understanding of artists’ practices.
• Visual Arts: Creating — using visual conventions and materials to communicate ideas, perspectives and meaning.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Hook with video. Teacher plays a kid-friendly video about Vincent van Gogh and his art (or the selected class video segment). Students watch and jot one “I notice…” and one “I wonder…” idea on a sticky note.

2. 8–18 min · Guided discussion. Teacher facilitates a whole-class discussion using prompts: Who was van Gogh? Where was he from? What is post-impressionism? What do you notice about his colours and brushstrokes? Students share sticky notes with a partner, then volunteer 1–2 ideas to the class. Teacher uses students’ ideas to build a shared list of conventions (e.g., vivid colours, energetic/swirling marks, strong contrasts).

3. 18–30 min · Quick style input (teacher-led). Teacher briefly models language and examples drawn from the reference content:

• Van Gogh was a post-impressionist painter.
• He used expressive bold brushwork and thick paint texture (impasto) to show movement.
• He used vivid, non-naturalistic colour to show emotion.
• He often used strong contrasts to make parts stand out. Students repeat key terms and point to where they saw these ideas in the video (one example each).

4. 30–45 min · Artist study workbook. Teacher explains: “We will complete pages 16–19 of the Van Gogh Artist Study. Use full sentences where prompts ask for it. Use the style words we discussed.” Students work independently or with quiet table support to fill in pages 16–19. Teacher circulates, prompting with questions like: “Which convention are you describing?” “How does the colour make you feel?” “What evidence do you see?”

5. 45–55 min · Check-in and tidy finish. Teacher stops the class and does a rapid “Gallery of Questions”: students share one completed answer or one question they still have. Teacher checks for completion of pages 16–19 and clarifies any misunderstandings about visual conventions (colour, line/brushwork, contrast, subject/emotion).

6. 55–60 min · Choice task: Sunflowers colour (if finished). Teacher sets up the Sunflowers colouring activity and reminds students to use colour choices to create contrast and vibrancy (matching what they learned about van Gogh’s bold colours and strong contrasts). Students who finished workbook pages begin colouring; others use remaining time to complete unanswered parts.

Resources

• Video on Vincent van Gogh for kids (class projector/speakers)
• Van Gogh Artists Study pages 16–19 (student workbook printouts)
• Student pencils and rubbers
• Sticky notes (for “I notice / I wonder”)
• Sunflowers colouring page (printouts) for early finishers
• Teacher visual anchor chart (or board headings): Colour, Brushstrokes/Movement, Contrast, Feeling/Meaning
• Timer for each segment
• Optional: classroom examples/images of van Gogh for reference (screen-cast or teacher-held print)

Assessment

• Formative during hook/discussion: teacher listens for correct identification of at least one style feature and students’ ability to connect colour/brushstrokes to a feeling.
• Formative during workbook: teacher checks that student answers on pages 16–19 use visual arts language (for example vivid/bold colour, energetic brushstrokes, strong contrasts, emotion).
• Quick end check (last 3–5 minutes): students share one completed statement; teacher notes accuracy and sentence clarity.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for workbook prompts (e.g., “I notice…”, “Van Gogh uses… to make…”, “The feeling in the artwork is…”).
• Support: small-group check-ins for students who are slower (teacher prompts with 1–2 guiding questions at the top of the page).
• Extension: for students finishing early, ask them to add one extra sentence describing the feeling and one visual convention they used in the colouring.
• EAL/SEN: keep discussion prompts consistent, display anchor words on the board, and allow oral first responses that can be written with the starter frames.

Note for teacher pacing

If the workbook is not complete by 55 minutes, continue it next lesson; do not rush colours. The primary focus today is developing practices by identifying/describing visual conventions and recording learning on pages 16–19.