Discovering Kandinsky

Lesson Overview

Subject: Art and Design
Year Group: Year 6
Unit: Kandinsky's Colourful World (Lesson 1 of 6)
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Curriculum Area: National Curriculum for Art & Design – Upper Key Stage 2
Objective: Explore the life, influences, and artistic journey of Wassily Kandinsky, introducing pupils to abstract art and its key principles.

National Curriculum Alignment

This lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for Art & Design in Upper Key Stage 2, enabling pupils to:

• Develop an understanding of great artists.
• Learn how art reflects historical and cultural changes.
• Improve critical evaluation of art, using artistic vocabulary.
• Experiment with creative approaches inspired by famous works.

Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

1. Recognise Wassily Kandinsky’s name, key works, and significance in art history.
2. Describe how Kandinsky used colour and shape to convey emotions.
3. Discuss how his personal experiences influenced his style.
4. Respond to Kandinsky’s work through a group discussion and short creative task.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter Activity – The Mystery Artist (15 mins)

• Objective: Activate curiosity and prior knowledge about art and colour.
• Activity:
  • Display three different artworks (one by Kandinsky, plus two other abstract pieces).
  • Ask the class:
    • What do you notice?
    • How does each piece make you feel?
    • What do you think the artist is trying to express?
  • Emphasise that abstract art is about emotions and movement, rather than realistic scenes.
  • Reveal Kandinsky’s painting and introduce him as the focus of today’s lesson.

2. Introduction to Kandinsky (15 mins)

• Objective: Learn about Kandinsky’s life and inspirations.
• Activity:
  • Brief storytelling session about Kandinsky’s journey:
    • Born in Russia (1866), trained as a lawyer before becoming an artist.
    • Influenced by music—he believed colours and shapes could “sing”.
    • Created some of the first purely abstract artworks.
  • Show images of his work, highlighting key features:
    • Circles, lines, bold colours, movement.
  • Discuss synesthesia (the idea of "seeing" music in colours) and how it shaped his style.
  • Engage pupils by asking, If your favourite song were a colour, what would it be?

3. Sensory Art Experiment (20 mins)

• Objective: Encourage pupils to explore emotions and artistic expression through Kandinsky’s approach.
• Activity:
  • Play two contrasting pieces of music:
    • A soft, slow classical piece.
    • A fast, energetic jazz track.
  • Provide pupils with paper and oil pastels or coloured pencils.
  • As they listen, ask them to draw shapes, patterns, and colours that match the music’s mood (no right or wrong answer!).
  • After both tracks, discuss:
    • How did your drawings change based on the music?
    • Which shapes felt ‘calm’ and which felt ‘exciting’?

4. Reflection and Plenary (10 mins)

• Objective: Reinforce key learning and encourage critical thinking.
• Activity:
  • Quickfire quiz:
    • What was Kandinsky’s original job?
    • What did he believe about colours and music?
    • What made his art different from traditional paintings?
  • Each student shares one new thing they learned today.
  • Introduce the next lesson: Creating a Kandinsky-inspired abstract piece.

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Assessment Opportunities

✔ Active participation in discussion.
✔ Sensory drawings reflecting emotions from music.
✔ Understanding shown in reflection questions.

Required Resources

✅ Selection of Kandinsky’s artworks (printed/images on screen).
✅ Oil pastels or coloured pencils.
✅ A3 paper or sketchbooks.
✅ Two contrasting pieces of music (classical and jazz recommended).

Differentiation & Inclusion

🔹 Support: Pre-prepared vocabulary cards for artistic terms (e.g. abstract, shape, mood).
🔹 Challenge: Pupils write a short reflection explaining how they translated sounds into shapes/colours.
🔹 SEN Adaptation: Offer alternative sensory materials (e.g. textured paper, thicker crayons).

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Teacher's Reflection (Post-Lesson Notes)

✏ What worked well?
✏ Were pupils engaged in the concept of abstract art?
✏ How did students respond to musical influences in their artwork?
✏ Notes for improvement in next session.