The history of Pop Art
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the origins and key characteristics of Pop Art and how it influences artists today.
Key learning points
- Pop Art began in the UK and USA in the mid-20th century and reacted to consumer culture.
- Pop Art often uses bold colours, repetition, and everyday imagery.
- Pop artists use mass production techniques like screen printing to mass produce artworks.
Keywords
Pop Art - a modern art movement that emerged in the 1950s-60s, using imagery from popular culture like advertisements, celebrities, and comics
Mass media - forms of communication (TV, newspapers, etc.) used to reach large audiences, often influencing Pop Art themes
Mixed-media - combining different artistic materials (e.g. paint, collage, sculpture) in a single artwork
Iconic - something instantly recognisable and widely admired
Repetition - the repeated use of elements (images, colours, text)
Common misconception
Pop Art is just cartoon drawing or copying famous things.
Pop Art uses familiar imagery to comment on culture, not just to copy it. Artists chose their subjects carefully to reflect society’s values and consumer habits.
Teacher tip
Challenge pupils’ thinking through asking questions such as “Why do you think Warhol chose a soup can?” Guide them to consider message, not just image.
Equipment
Magazines, newspapers for collage references. Drawing materials (pencils, sketch paper, colouring pens). Internet access for research if available or art books. Optional: stamps, stencils, sponges.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a sculpture?
Q2.What is a sketchbook mainly used for in art?
Q3.Put these steps for drawing in the correct order.
Q4.Match the art word to what it means.
a book for testing and recording creative ideas
using lines to represent shapes or forms
looking at images or objects to inspire your artwork
Q5.Match the tool to what it helps you do.
Sketch shapes and ideas.
Stick materials into a sketchbook.
Erase mistakes.
Q6.Put these art steps in the best order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the term Pop Art stand for?
Q2.Which of the following is a technique often used in Pop Art?
Q3.Match each term to the correct definition.
art based on popular culture, adverts and mass media
communication like TV, magazines, or social media seen by many people
artwork made using more than one material or technique
something or someone well-known and easy to recognise
Q4.What does repetition mean in Pop Art?
Q5.Match the artist to their style or material.
repeated prints of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe
comic-style paintings with dots and speech bubbles
uses repetition with dots and patterns in 3D form
Q6.Put these steps in order for creating a Pop Art inspired mixed-media collage.
To help you plan your 6 art and design lesson on: The history of Pop Art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 art and design lesson on: The history of Pop Art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 art and design lessons from the New Pop Art: sculpture and mixed-media unit, dive into the full primary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.