Visual Thinking Strategies uses open-ended questioning to guide students in carefully observing and discussing works of art. Teachers ask what is happening, what evidence students see, and what more can be found, while paraphrasing and linking comments. Students look closely, discuss interpretations, and consider different views. Other activities include using art to spark wonder questions, collaborative storytelling, and acting out imagined continuations depicted in images.

3. Visual Thinking Strategies
• Teachers are asked to use three open-ended questions:
• What's going on in this picture?
• What do you see that makes you say that?
• What more can we find?
• 3 Facilitation Techniques:
• Paraphrase comments neutrally
• Point at the area being discussed
• Linking and framing student comments
• Students are asked to:
• Look carefully at works of art
• Talk about what they observe
• Back up their ideas with evidence
• Listen to and consider the views of others
• Discuss many possible interpretations

4. Stages of aesthetic
development

5. Wonder Questions
• Begin session by asking students to look quietly at
a work of art. Then, ask them to respond to the
following questions:
• What do you see?
• What does this work of art make you wonder?
• Pose follow up questions that help students think
more deeply about their wonder statements.
Examples: Why is that question interesting to you?
What information can you find in the artwork to
help you answer that question? Where else could
we find answers to that question?

6. Other Activities
Exsquisite Corpse
• Divide students into small groups
• Choose a narrative image
• Each group will create a story by adding one line at a time.
Drama Game (from the book Weaving Through Words by Roberta
Mantione and Sabine Smead)
• Choose an image that shows action
• Have students become the characters and act out what they think will happen
next

7. Looking at Art
• Why do you use works of art in your
classroom?
• What methods do you use when you are
looking at art?

8. Student Assessment
• What student learning outcomes (clarifying
objectives) can be addressed through
looking at works of art in the classroom?
• What methods can be used to assess
student learning outcomes?