We often find that students may be more reluctant to speak in a group but are willing to engage their bodies. We also recognize that older students might be more reluctant to express themselves through movement or sound. But more often that not, with a few tweaks in terms of facilitation, we find that even older students enjoy and welcome the chance to express themselves in a form of communication that is more kinesthetic. "Follow a Line" is an activity that I find especially helpful for teaching with abstract works of art like One Number 31, by Jackson Pollock. After I give the students time to look at and discuss the painting, I then have them choose one line at a time and follow it with their finger and their eyes, mapping the trajectory of the line through space in front of them. Once they follow their line, then I have them jump to another and repeat this process for a few minutes. This guided looking gives them time to consider the qualities of their chosen lines. Are they thick or thin? Solid or intermittent? Does their line travel over or under other lines? What does the quality of the lines, tell us about the artist process? These are all questions that can be discussed just from looking closely. For any age student, this is a great activity for practicing observational skills and recording visual information with the body. It's also an example of an activity that gives a sense of the importance of movement and gesture in the artist's process. Getting students physically engaged can be challenging, but often times, I find it one of the most effective ways to encourage students to interact. Some of us are more kinesthetic type learners, who benefit from exploring concepts through the use of movement. To engage these types of learners, you can create a "Living Sculpture". As always, we start with our observational techniques. For example when looking at this Brancusi sculpture, have your students consider the material. How does what the sculpture is made of, affect its form? Is it solid? Heavy? Tall? Short? Now you will allow individual students or groups of students to take on a pose, gesture, or form that they observe in the work of art. Have your students take on a pose or gesture that embodies what they observe with their eyes. Having the chance to embody the artwork allows for a very different experience, one that you can't always get from just visual observation alone. Sound is another great way to engage students' senses. You can have your students observe works of art and assign sounds to the visual elements that they see. Yellow. Beep Beep. Blue. Whosh. Yellow. Beep Beep. Red. Grr. By assigning sounds and having students repeat them, they will learn about the relationship between color, form and pattern. This painting, it is part of the artist's intention to illustrate a connection between pattern and rhythm. I encourage you to try making up your own twists and variations on all of these activities. Don't be afraid to test out different ideas. You can also change the prompt or directions in the moment based on how your students respond.And remember, don't be afraid to jump in and model sound and movement for your students.