A starter activity to engage students and help them think outside the box. I've always found that odd collections of images are of much interest to all students and helps them to try to spot connections, which develops thinking skills and the nature of the activity in making guesses throws up really interesting and unexpected ideas which helps to generate interesting discussion. Working in small groups of mixed ability helps in bringing out ideas and seeing how ideas can be explored in different ways. Suitable for any secondary stage, good for GCSE and A level as a way of processing possible ideas. This is on a power point slide with notes accompanying, and if you search for the Fatboy Slim video it acts as a clue and thinking time.

This starter activity really gets students looking and questioning. I like to make students look beyond the obvious connections and really question what they see in an image - this one works really well in giving students new ideas to explore for AO1 in asking of them what artists are doing in different ways and includes statements by the artists in terms of what the work is about for students to be able to demonstrate Informed responses. This is great for GCSE and A Level but will work with any age group in giving them opportunities to make connections and guesses around what the are seeing, and that's a key thing I think in getting to students to look more closely where they usually only register what they see at first glance.

A starter to engage the students on entry, looking for clues as to what the connection might be with a difficult fourth image which doesn't quite fit. These starters really make the students look and think and give good opportunities to look across cultures for why artists might choose the subject matter. Suitable for any age group - KS2 KS3 KS4 and KS5, and good for some background knowledge on art history AO1

A starter to engage students on entry - looking for clues for connections they can make between the images and learn a bit about Art History along the way. These starters always go down well even with the reluctant participant because they can look and suggest possible answers, and students can get new ideas on approaches for their own projects.

A starter for any lesson - an excuse to get students exploring possible connections between the paintings. The important thing is not that they get the answer but they ask questions and make suggestions - gets them thinking!

A starter to engage students in thinking about design, hygiene, and different cultures and conditions around the world. Particularly useful if your students are not particularly well travelled as it provides them with basic ideas of how different life can be

A starter to engage discussion and thinking - the criteria for "best" can be left for the students to decide on and justify through the reasoning - can be design, versatility, price etc

A starter of 9 images of artists at work and an open question for students to discuss as to which one best typifies how an artist works. Good for students to consider ways of working and how we perceive artists at work.

A starter to get students thinking about design, practicality, comfort, so the students can weigh these up as to deciding what constitutes best.

A fun starter to engage and get students in a good mood - 10 cities in the fog for students to identify. Can use this as a starter for any subject, and it has a link with Geography obviously.

A starter activity to get them guessing looking for possible connections. This one is based on names and slide 2 has the explanations of origins. This activity has no other questions - it is really about students asking the questions with the odd clue from the teacher thrown in when they get stuck. Gets them thinking about fashion beyond the look of it.

A really simple starter - a discussion generator. They can decide on their own criteria for how to measure "best" - cheapest, most robust, most versatile etc.

A starter for a Photography, Art or any lesson where you want students to challenge and question what they think they see, and make them consider why a photograph may be altered. Engages the students on entry and asks them to choose 3 images where there has been argument over whether they are true or not.

A starter activity - engages students in looking for connections and questioning what they see in what the differences and similarities are in the city views, which are real and which are false - leading into discussions on what the artists are attempting to do. Ideal for KS3, 4 and 5 as a starter for any lesson where you want them thinking as soon as they come in.

A starter to focus students on questioning why people vandalise works of art, thinking outside the box to lead into discussion whether graffiti is art or vandalism, and how can you tell the difference.

A starter activity for students to explore possible connections between the paintings and question what is going on in them. These starters really engage students and when done regularly they begin to catch on that they have to think outside the box and look for clues in the subject matter. Its always useful to make them think!

In 1565 Pieter Bruegel painted a series of paintings dedicated to the months of the year. He broke the cycle of the year into six stages in six paintings, two months per painting. This starter asks students to make connections between the images to spot that they about the seasons and months and this gets them looking more closely at the activity going on in the painting. Suitable for any year group as its really about looking and asking questions.

A starter to engage on entry and stimulate curiosity and questioning on the part of the students. I find these starters great for getting students going as soon as they arrive and good for them to consider looking at images in a different way to the way expect to in art work and so challenge their ideas on wider culture

A starter activity to engage on entry and help get students looking for connections between images. Stimulates curiosity and thinking especially if working in pairs and creates a climate where they are happy to suggest possible answers - working on 2 levels - if they can identify the correct image, they can then puzzle further on what the answer might be. Great for learning about how to question what they are looking at.

Engages students on entry and gets them looking and asking questions - good for getting them to think outside of the box