Van Gogh at Primary Schools

The pupils use Japanese prints as inspiration for new work of their own, just as Vincent Van Gogh did. They can do this lesson (with video) on their own.

Age:

10 to 12

Course:

Art and design

60 min

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The yellow, green, pink, blue house?

The pupils paint their own versions of Vincent's yellow house – but they can use any colours they like.

Bedroom poem

Group activity, in a circle: making up eleven-word poems about a painting by Vincent.

Vincent XL

Using a grid drawing made by Vincent van Gogh, the class will enlarge an image of a Japanese figure.

The rediscovered sea view

After learning about Van Gogh's View of the Sea at Scheveningen, the students will draw or paint 'sea views' of their own.

Painting the outdoors indoors

Working indoors, the class will paint a subject from the outdoors – just as Vincent van Gogh often did.

How many sunflowers?

This brief lesson about the number of sunflowers in Vincent van Gogh's most famous painting is easy to combine with other lessons or activities.

The rediscovered church

By studying the painting of a church in Nuenen, the class will find out how Vincent van Gogh created the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. They will learn about proportions and do arithmetic and measurement exercises based on the painting.

Two stolen paintings: colouring pictures

Two colouring pictures of the Van Gogh paintings stolen in 2002, which were rediscovered 14 years later. No specific assignment.

A portrait without a face

This lesson is about a stolen art work that was rediscovered. It focuses on the question: can a painting of a building also be a kind of portrait?

Vincent's collection

After a brief introduction to Vincent's collection of prints, the class will write museum-style labels for objects they have collected.

Age:

7 to 11

Course:

Art and design, English

20 min

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A painting in eleven words

The students write eleven-word poems based on paintings by Vincent van Gogh.

Age:

7 to 12

Course:

Art and design, English

15 min

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Find the five differences: The Bedroom

In this brief game, the class will take a close look at Vincent van Gogh's painting 'The Bedroom' and then find the differences in five modified versions.

Find the five differences: The Yellow House (2)

In this brief game, the class will take a close look at Vincent van Gogh's painting 'The Yellow House' and then find the differences in five modified versions. Set 2.

Before Vincent became an artist

A brief description of Vincent's life before he decided to become an artist, with a short quiz at the end.

Age:

9 to 12

Course:

Art and design, Geography, History

45 min

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A haiku for Van Gogh

The students will write their own haikus, short poems of 17 syllables at most, inspired by Vincent van Gogh paintings.

Age:

10, 11

Course:

Art and design, English, Language Arts

60 min

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Potato eaters in colour

Each student will make a 'colour version' of one of Vincent's most famous paintings, 'The Potato Eaters'.

Vincent's letters

After a brief introduction to the letters between Vincent and his brother Theo, the students write letters about their own art works.

Age:

8 to 11

Course:

Art and design, Handwriting

30 min

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Zoom in

Students discover a painting, starting with the details. During the class discussion, more and more of the painting is revealed. This is based on the Zoom In routine developed by Project Zero, Harvard.

Do you know Vincent?

A short presentation about Vincent van Gogh, for use as an introduction to other lessons about the artist or his work.

Age:

7 to 12

Course:

Art and design, Geography, History

90 min

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Vincent paints himself

Using Vincent van Gogh's self-portraits, the class will learn about the basic proportions of the face. Then they will paint their own self-portraits.

Mealtime! The Potato Eaters (2)

The children will each make a painting based on a sketch made at home (or a photo). This lesson accompanies the homework assignment 'Mealtime! The Potato Eaters (1)'.

Mealtime! The Potato Eaters (1)

The students will each make a sketch at home of the evening meal. At school, they will make paintings based on these sketches in the lesson 'Mealtime! The Potato Eaters (2)'. Suggestion: before assigning the homework, give the introductory lesson 'Do you know Vincent?'.

True or false? The Bedroom

The class will first look at the painting 'The Bedroom' and then decide whether some statements about it are true or false.

True or false? The Yellow House

The students will first look at the painting 'The Yellow House' and then decide whether some statements about it are true or false.

Find the five differences: The Yellow House (1)

In this brief game, the class will take a close look at Vincent van Gogh's painting The Yellow House and then find the differences in five modified versions. Set 1.