Teacher Training Institute Workshops

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Earthworks

Class Details

3 Hours

4th Grade to Adult

moderate

Person arranging sticks in snow

How can we explore the relationship of art and the environment through observation and creativity?

Students will experience seeing and expressing themselves creatively through contact with the natural world. Drawing activities, site-specific sculpture, and group discussion generate awareness of one’s own influence on the environment and appreciation for artistic expression.

Lesson Plan

Concepts

  1. There are a wide variety of reasons why people choose to create art.
  2. Art does not have to be permanent. Change through process and decay are common to all living things.
  3. We can learn a lot about our environment by exploring it creatively.
  4. The environment can be explored and known on a nonverbal level that can leave lasting impressions on the artist (but perhaps less on the natural canvas.)
  5. Awareness, knowledge, and appreciation lead to an understanding of our impact on the environment.

Outcomes

  • Discuss various types of art and what it takes to create “art.”
  • Briefly describe the difference between permanent and impermanent art.
  • Have a new understanding of seeing an outdoor space.
  • Create site-specific art using only the materials present, and interpret site-specific sculptures.