Unit Title: The Art of Nature

Nicole McCauley
Target Grade Level: Elementary School

Unit Summary:
Fredrich Froebel believed that through nature children would not only learn the secrets of the
world around them, they would learn about themselves and their unity with the world (Strauch-Nelson,
2012, p. 35). I believe that this is an extremely important idea to teach students, starting at a young age,
so that they can begin to understand their individual impact on the environment. The conversation
around the environment is moving from needing to convince people of the seriousness and significance
of environmental challenges to a focus on what can, and must, be done (Blandy, 2011, p. 245).
Discovering and expressing a relationship with nature through art is a great foundation for understanding
the delicate balance between all of us. Hopefully, this can help us raise an entire generation of green-
thinkers that can help restore the natural world. During this unit, students will explore our relationship
with nature by viewing diverse environmental or nature-based artworks, by discussing current
environmental issues and solutions, by creating original works of art that express a personal relationship
with nature, and by engaging in the creation of a plan for a community art project.

1. What overarching understandings are desired?

We have a symbiotic relationship with nature
Artists reference or use nature in their art
We can use art to promote environmental sustainability

2. What are the overarching essential questions?

How do we depend on nature for art?
What are some ways you can express your relationship with nature?
How can we help the environment by making art?

3. As a result of this unit, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of:

Our relationship to nature and how it can be expressed through art
How creating art in certain ways can promote environmental sustainability
How to create art within a community setting

4. What essential and unit questions will focus this unit?

How do different artists use nature in their artworks?
How can our relationship with nature be expressed through art?
How can we promote environmental sustainability through our artworks?

5. What evidence will show that students understand the connections between nature and art?

Performance Tasks/Projects:


Lesson #1: Expressing with Nature

Essential Questions: How can our relationship with nature be expressed through art?

Artists/Artworks: Travis Bedels Anatomical Collages, Meredith Woolnoughs embroideries,
Giuseppe Arcimboldo's Four Seasons

Process: Day One- Begin by asking the essential question for this lesson: How can our relationship
with nature be expressed through art? Engage the class in a discussion and write a list of answers to the
question. Show artist examples: Travis Bedels Exhale 2014 and/or Zombie 2014, Meredith
Woolnoughs Ginko Circle and/or Sea Spiral 2013 (or any other from her website) and Giuseppe
Archimboldo Spring 1 1573 (or any other from his Four Seasons series). Ask the students to speculate
on the different artists relationships with nature and to explain their reasoning through class discussion
(referring to the list that was built earlier). Students will then brainstorm ideas and create preliminary
sketches for a 2-D or 3-D artwork that expresses their personal relationship with nature. Day Two-
Instruct students to continue developing their ideas and choosing materials for their project. Students
may begin creating after explaining their project to the teacher. Day Three & Four- Continue working
on projects and gauge time needed for completion. Day Five or Six- Students will complete a self-
assessment before presenting their artwork to the class.

Assessment: Class discussion, art project, class presentation, self-assessment

Project: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of how or why artists reference nature in their art
by creating an original 2-D or 3-D artwork that expresses a personal relationship with nature. Students
will present their art to the class, will explain why they chose their materials and subject matter, and will
share about their relationship with nature.









Lesson #2: Interacting with Nature

Essential Questions: How do different artists use nature in their artworks?

Artists/Artworks: Andy Goldsworthy, Red Earth Environmental Arts Group

Process: Day One- Begin by asking the essential question: How do different artists use nature in their
artworks? Engage students in a discussion about the materials that nature can provide for us to create.
Show artist examples: Andy Goldsworthys digital catalogue and portions of his video Rivers and Tides
and explore the works of the Red Earth Environmental Arts Group. Discuss the work of the artists and
ask students to speculate on their relationship with nature. Engage students in a brainstorm activity to
come up with possible ideas for a land art project. Day Two- Take students outdoors to a designated
and safe area to create their ephemeral works. Use a classroom camera or personal camera to take
photographs of student work. Day Three- Create a slideshow of student work while they complete a
self-assessment. Show images of student work while they explain their idea, process, and challenges.

Assessment: Class discussion, brainstorm activity, ephemeral art project, class presentation, self-
assessment

Project: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of how nature can affect what and how artists
create by using found natural objects to construct an ephemeral work of art (in a designated area of the
school). Students will only have one class period to create their artworks and will use a class camera to
take a photograph. Students will present their artworks to their classmates via slideshow and will
explain their process and subject matter.












Lesson #3: Working for Nature

Essential Questions: How can we promote environmental sustainability through our artworks?

Artists/Artworks: Eve Moshers Seeding the City (2011), DoTank Chair-bombing (Shelton Davis-
designer), Recycle Santa Fe Arts Festival, Tim Noble and Sue Websters Sunset Over Manhattan
(2003), Rodney Rodrigo McCoubrey

Process: Day One- Begin by asking the essential question: How can we promote environmental
sustainability through our artworks? Engage students in a conversation about the environment and
current issues or problems and solutions (i.e., air quality, deforestation, landfills, large-scale farming
near water sources, recycling, conserving, etc.). Show artist examples: Rodney Rodrigo
McCoubreys Fish series and the Recycle Santa Fe Arts Festival, Eve Moshers Seeding the City (2011),
DoTanks Shelton Davis Chair-Bombing, and Tim Noble and Sue Websters Sunset Over Manhattan
(2003). Engage the class in discussion about how the viewed artists helped the environment through
their artworks (process, materials, community outreach, etc.). Split the class into small groups for a
brainstorming activity and encourage them to choose an environmental issue that they feel is relevant to
them and how they could help solve the problem through art. Day Two- Small-groups will present their
ideas to the class and the whole group will vote on which environmental issue we want to tackle in our
community and what type of art project would accomplish our goal. Once a consensus is reached, split
class into different small groups and assign each group a portion to research (i.e., materials, location,
subject matter, community partnerships, timeline). Day Three- Small-groups will share their research
and each student will create sketches for a possible community art project design. Day Four & Five-
Students will vote on their favorite design and will put all of their information together to create a
proposal to be presented to the Board of Education and the City of Bentonville for approval.

Assessment: Small-group discussion, brainstorm activity, small-group presentations, proposal for
community art project with sketches

Project: Students will demonstrate their understanding of how artists can support the environment
through their artworks by creating a written plan for a school or community art project with sketches of
possible designs to be presented to the local board and city.







6. Student Self-Assessments and Presentation Criteria
Students will engage in self-assessments for lessons 1 & 2 (see examples above)
Students will engage in brainstorm activities for lessons 2 & 3 (see examples above)
Students will engage in presentations for lessons 1, 2, & 3 (see example below)



7. Given the targeted understandings, other unit goals, and the assessment evidence identified,
what knowledge and skills are needed?

Students will need to know:

We have a symbiotic relationship with nature
There are currently multiple problems with our environment that need to be fixed
Creating art in certain ways can promote environmental sustainability

Students will need to be able to:

Participate in discussions about artists that work with or use nature in their art
Describe how certain artworks can help the environment
Describe their relationship with or feelings toward nature through writing and artmaking
Brainstorm ideas for community projects that promote environmental sustainability

8. What teaching and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted
understandings and skills?

Examples of artists and artworks showing a relationship with nature
Examples of current environmental issues and their impact
Self-assessments for each lesson, rubrics for each lesson, brainstorm activity worksheets for
Lessons 2 and 3
Art projects and activities that involve expressing a relationship with nature and that promote
environmental sustainability

References
Blandy, D. (2011). Sustainability, participatory culture, and the performance of democracy:
Ascendant sites of theory and practice in art education. Studies in Art Education, 52(3),
243-255.
Froebel, F. (2005). The Education of Man. (W.N. Hailman, Trans.). New York: D. Appleton
& Co. (Original work published 1826).
Grant, D. (2012, April 4). Sustainability has become a growing focus of artists (and art
schools) attention. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Gude, O. (2009). Art education for democratic life [NAEA Lowenfeld Lecture]. Retrieved
from http://www.arteducators.org/research/2009_LowernfeldLecture_OliviaGude.
pdf
Moskin, B. & Oman, K. (Fall 2012). Making the Case for Environmental Sustainability in the
Arts. Retrieved from http://www.giarts.org/article/making-case-environmental-
sustainability-arts
Strauch-Nelson, W. (2012). Reuniting art and nature in the life of the child. Art
Education, 65(3), 33-38.


Resources
England Arts Council
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/our-priorities-2011-15/environmental-
sustainability/
DoTank
http://dotankbrooklyn.org/
Green Muze
http://www.greenmuze.com/art.html
Recycle Santa Fe Arts Festival
http://recyclesantafe.org/art-exhibit-gallery/
The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts
http://www.sustainablepractice.org/
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com

Artist Websites
Arcimboldo, Giuseppe http://www.giuseppe-arcimboldo.org/
Bedel, Travis http://bedelgeuse.tumblr.com/
Davis, Shelton http://www.sheltondavis.com/
Goldsworthy, Andy http://www.goldsworthy.cc.gla.ac.uk/
McCoubrey, Rodney Rodrigo http://www.rodrigosrecycledart.com/gallery.html
Mosher, Eve http://eco-publicart.org/seeding-the-city/
Noble, Tim and Webster, Sue http://www.timnobleandsuewebster.com/ (GRAPHIC CONTENT!)
Red Earth Environmental Arts Group http://www.redearth.co.uk/index.html
Woolnough, Meredith http://www.meredithwoolnough.com.au/index.html