Show diverse art pieces. Do not start by teaching the artistic periods or the different mediums that might have been used. Immerse the students in the artwork and ask them to form opinions about what they see. Have your students choose one or two pieces that they like as well as pieces they do not feel strongly about.
Discuss your students' preferences. Find out why the pieces they chose spoke to them and what was lacking in the pieces they didn't like. Don't be frustrated if some students give simple reasons such as the piece has pretty colors or it is ugly. Students might struggle to give you a concrete answer for the basis of their opinion. Realize that some students might not know how to take the time to evaluate why they feel the way they do. Forcing your students to form specific reasons for their thoughts will help them to evaluate their own pieces.
Define "critique" and discuss your definition with your students. Explain that a critique is a judgment that is formed when an artist is forced to give reasons for his position. Stress that there is no right answer when critiquing, as some students might feel shy and afraid of saying something incorrect. Emphasize that each person will feel a different way about a certain piece of work and will have varying reasons for these feelings. Make your students understand that the only wrong way of analyzing is not having a reason to support your feelings.
Teach your students about descriptive methods. Don't allow them to use phrases such as "ugly" or "beautiful" because these words are general interpretations and do not provide any solid foundations for descriptions. Explain to your students that they must be able to accurately describe a piece in order to analyze it effectively. Have your students pretend that they are describing the art for someone who can't see it. Focus on descriptions that include the artist and the title of the piece, as well as the content of the art and any technical aspects and mediums used.
Continue with an analysis. Emphasize critical observations. Have your students explore possible relationships between characters in the piece. Identify any prominent or dominant figures. Explore the scenic aspects of the piece in relation to color and depth. Ask one student to look away from the piece and look back at it, describing how the eye moves about the piece as the student observes it for the first time.
Let your students interpret the piece. Ask your students to guess what the piece is about or what it is referencing. Remember that every student will have a different interpretation of the piece, depending on background and life experiences. Ask how the piece speaks to them and what they like about it. If it is a sad piece in dark colors, a student might say it reminds him of a loss of a relative. Teach your students to interpret art based on their experiences and encourage them to draw certain emotions from the art that can relate to their own lives.
Evaluate. Avoid letting students jump to this step first because they will not have specific reasons to back up their findings. Teach students to analyze and interpret what they see first. After they have a solid understanding of the process, ask them to make a judgment of the quality of the piece. Ask your students to provide reasons to support what they claim.
Apply the process based on sound critiquing princples. Ask students to choose their favorite piece of original work. Take each piece of art and hang it on the wall. Gather your students around the collection and ask them to critique the work of their classmates. Your students will benefit from peer reviews and will learn how to critique their own work.