Help students discover their unique artistic preferences

What Art Speaks to You? is a highly engaging visual art discovery activity that feels like BuzzFeed meets art history. Students explore a carefully curated collection of 72 famous works of art, trusting their first impressions as they rate each piece before discovering the artistic qualities that naturally resonate with them.

Rather than beginning with artists, art movements, or vocabulary, students begin with their own reactions. This simple shift creates immediate buy-in and leads naturally into meaningful conversations about why different people connect with different kinds of art.

Perfect for back-to-school, art appreciation units, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), art critiques, and building classroom community, this lesson encourages students to look closely, support their ideas with evidence, and discover their own artistic preferences while exploring masterpieces from across history and around the world.

Every artwork includes teacher speaker notes featuring engaging facts, artist background, historical context, and discussion prompts, making it easy to facilitate rich conversations with little to no additional prep.

What's Included

• 72 carefully curated works of art

• Editable Google Slides™ presentation

• Printable slideshow PDF

• Student score sheet (PDF + editable Google Doc™)

• Master catalog of all artworks (PDF + editable Google Sheet™)

• Art History Notes PDF (teacher speaker notes in printable format)

• Interactive artistic preference results reveal

• Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) discussion opportunities

• Art critique and reflection prompts

Ideal For

• Grades 5th–12th

• Back-to-School Activities

• Art Appreciation

• Art History

• Visual Literacy

• Classroom Discussion

• Classroom Community Building