This sequence of KS2 art lessons aims to help children reconnect with nature. But we’re not reaching for the rucksacks and heading off for a week in the wilderness. Instead, we’re focusing on noticing, appreciating and responding to the natural world that waits just a few steps from every urban environment.
Learning objectives
- Capture contrasts in the environment
- Think about shape and structure in the built environment
- Explore contrasting textures in the environment
- Develop use of line and tone through observational drawing
- Develop children’s thinking about composition
- Think about design
Week 1 activity
Start with a medium that children now use more than any other: photography. While they often use smartphones to create and share images, children rarely take time to pause and reflect on what makes one photograph more interesting than another.
The aim of this lesson is for children to capture the combination of natural and built aspects of their environment through photography.
Take some time to explore pupils’ understanding of what we mean when we use these terms. Next, head outside to explore. The location is up to you. It might be a local park, but any school environment will feature a combination of natural and built elements.
Divide children into groups and provide a tablet or camera for each group. Explain they can take as many photos as they like. However, they will only share a few with the class.
Encourage them to focus on details that capture the contrasts between the natural and built environments. It might be a building half-hidden by trees or a weed growing through a gap in the concrete.
Back in the classroom, ask each group to share their selected images with the class and talk about the decisions they made. What makes their photographs interesting? What makes them different from one another?
Robert Watts is a senior lecturer in art and design education at Roehampton University, where he teaches and supervises student teachers in primary and secondary schools. His recent PhD focused on using photography and interviews to explore children’s perceptions of beauty in urban and rural environments. Browse more KS2 art ideas and ideas for Children’s Art Week.
