Lesson 1: Temporary Treasures
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
Students will collect and organize natural materials to understand that art can be made from anything in the environment, focusing on arrangement and transience.
1. Can we make art without using glue or markers? 2. How can we organize things we find outside (by color, size, or shape)? 3. What happens to our art if the wind blows or it rains?
Temporary, Natural, Collect, Arrange, Environment.
VA:Cr2.3.HS1 (Collaboratively develop a proposal for an installation); Environmental Stewardship.
Biology: Identifying plant parts and local ecosystems. Earth Science: Understanding the natural cycle of decay and weather.
Students go on a "Nature Walk" to gather leaves, stones, sticks, and petals. They then arrange these items into patterns or mandalas on the ground or a tray. Purpose: To reduce the "pressure" of a permanent product and focus on the meditative process of arranging. DOK Level 2.
Sand Mandalas in Tibetan culture; Rangoli patterns in India; the way birds build nests or how we arrange flowers in a vase.
That art must be something you take home in your backpack. (We will use photography to "save" it!).
Physical: For students with limited mobility, bring a "Nature Bin" (pre-collected items) to their desk so they can arrange them on a Sticky Board (contact paper) or a tray.
Visual: Use high-contrast backgrounds (like a black tray for light-colored stones/petals) to help items pop.
Sensory: Focus on the "smell" and "texture" of the items (the scent of pine, the crunch of dry leaves, the smoothness of river rocks).
Student will create a "Nature Arrangement" and use a camera/tablet to photograph it, demonstrating their final composition before it is returned to the earth.