This document discusses interpretation and how the same things can be interpreted differently by different people or cultures. It begins with a list of statements about various topics and asks the reader to rate their level of agreement or disagreement. It then discusses how HSBC created advertisements that could be interpreted in multiple ways. Students are asked to reflect on cultural differences and how few things are universally true for all people. They are given tasks that involve interpreting art and poems in order to understand how interpretation can vary between individuals and groups.

1. INTERPRETATION

2. 1 = strongly agree (T)
2 = agree
3 = neutral
4 = disagree
5 = strongly disagree (F)
1. Zoos are just another form of animal cruelty.
2. Justin Bieber is a talented musician.
3. Art is a more important subject than Maths.
4. School uniform should be obligatory.
5. Video games are making children less intelligent.
6. Watching sport is more enjoyable than watching movies.
7. The Eiffel Tower represents peace in the world.
8. Chess is a sport.
9. English is the best language in the world.
10. There is only one God, God.

3. REMEMBER!
Big Idea: Only a very few things are true for all people.

4. Watch this video & share your interpretation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaRYR7wQPsk

5. HSBC BANK CAME UP WITH A LIST OF IMAGES WHICH
PEOPLE INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY
What do you think is the right one for you? Why? (talk to your partner)
Create a mind map with your responses to the images. Focus specifically on these 3 sets of
images that expose the different interpretations and varying truths between cultures.
Reflect on the cultural differences that exist in the world and how they may link to the idea that
only a very few things are true for all people.

6. What do you think is the right one for you?

7. - It could be like the HSBC posters that reflects the idea that things can
be interpreted differently by different people and/or cultures.
- You can use the HSBC advertisements for inspiration, but should try
to come up with something that is original and inventive as you can!
- You should use your mind maps, particularly your ideas about
cultural perspectives, to inspire your work. Once completed, show
your work to the class.
- Discuss your feelings and perspectives and how they may be similar
or different to one another.

8. Task 2.
INTERPRETATION

9. Now that we know “only a very few things are true for all people”

10. Let’s watch this video
Interpreting Art Your Own Way | 2014 WHYY After School (w/subtitles)
Students participating in WHYY's After School program took a look at the varying opinions
about the definition of art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIUFViquyws
Now according to the video, in your notebook, Answer:
WHAT IS ART? (at least 50 words)

11. Look at these images closely and respond by noting down your thoughts and
opinions in a table like the one below. Do not discuss your thoughts with anybody.
Your initial thoughts must be your own and not influenced by others. There is no right or wrong
answer – you should go with your instincts and feelings. First copy this chart.

13. Let’s watch this video
Hirst's Shark: Interpreting Contemporary Art
Beth Harris, Sal Khan and Steven Zucker discuss the Damien Hirst
sculpture, "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of
Someone Living," and issues of interpretation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDuzy-t7GDA
Keyword: formaldehyde

14. Share your responses to the images, first in pairs,
then small groups and finally in whole class
discussion.
Ask your partner:
• In what ways has this exercise supported the idea that only a very few things are true
for all people?
• Why do you think that this is the case?
• Where do our interpretations come from? What influences them? What makes them
different?

15. • Simile: a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the
word ‘like’ or ‘as’. E.g. ‘as white as a sheet’.
• Metaphor: the use of a word or phrase to describe somebody or something, which is not meant literally, but by
means of a vivid comparison expresses something about him, her, or it. E.g. saying that somebody is a snake.
• Personification: the attribution of human qualities to objects or abstract notions
• Stanza: a number of lines of verse forming a separate unit within a poem. In many poems, each stanza has the same
number of lines and the same rhythm and rhyme scheme.
• Rhyme: a similarity in the sound of word endings, especially in poetry
Vocabulary: the word choices within the work
• Structure: the way in which the different parts of something link or work together, or the fact of being linked
together
• Tone: the general quality or character of something as an indicator of the attitude or view of the person who
produced it
• Mood: the style, tone and feeling expressed by the work
1st! REMEMBER: FIGURES OF SPEECH 

16. Create a poem that represents your picture/photo.
1. While writing:
- Try to represent what the picture means to you within your poem, considering
aspects such as mood, tone, themes, message and imagery and use a range of
figures of speech.
2. Once completed:
Share your poem with the class. (Your partners will give their interpretations on it)
3. In Pairs:
- Show your poem to your partner and discuss the differences and similarities in
both of your poems.
- Note down the different interpretation your partner has of your poem.

17. Task 3. ANLYSING POEMS