Unit 06
6—11 | Unit 06

Landscape through My Eyes

Landscape is not only a physical environment, but also a carrier of cultural and spiritual heritage. Only if we have a relationship with the landscape around us will we want to care for it and protect it. Through selected examples of art, pupils are exploring how the relationship between humans and nature is formed.

Age
6—11
Time requirement
5 lessons (45 min each)
Historical sciencesSocial sciencesArts and CraftsPerceptionEmotions

Content

The landscape is not only a physical environment but also a carrier of cultural and spiritual heritage. Only if we have a relationship with the landscape around us will we want to care for it and protect it.

The lesson will introduce pupils to the concepts of landscape perception throughout history through its representation in the visual arts. The lesson proceeds in three steps, each seeking the answer to a question concerning the human-nature relationship with the help of selected examples of art.

1. The Landscape of My Heart (What kind of landscape do we connect with?)
Students will understand that everyone perceives landscape in their own personal and unique way, and that the way we perceive it has changed throughout history.
Selection of works: landscape painting.

2. A Landscape That Interests and Inspires Us (How do we perceive the landscape around us?)
Students will understand that their interpretation of a landscape changes depending on various conditions and that they perceive it through all their senses.
Selection of works: landscape painting with unusual themes (e.g., devastated, urban, industrial landscapes, or nighttime landscapes, ecological themes).

3. Art as a Means of Communication (How can visual art help the landscape?)
Students will try to find inspiration in the landscape for their own (e.g., artistic) expression, or explore ways to convey their experience to others.
Selection of works: land art and site-specific art.

Pupils will:

  • understand that everyone perceives the landscape in their own unique way;
  • understand that the way we perceive landscapes has changed throughout history;
  • understand that landscapes are perceived through all the senses;
  • try to find inspiration in the landscape for their own (e.g., artistic) expression.

Teaching about landscape perception is crucial in the time of climate change because it fosters a deeper connection between people and their environment. It is important to see the landscape not just as a physical environment, but also as a bearer of cultural and spiritual heritage. By truly noticing the landscape around us, we can build a connection with it, which inspires us to care for it and protect it.

Activities

Pupils explore personal interpretation by recreating a projected landscape image, promoting understanding that everyone perceives art uniquely while engaging in a non-judgmental environment.

What landscape do we relate to?
Pupils explore their emotional connections to various landscapes by expressing their likes and dislikes through cards while discussing how perceptions of landscapes have evolved over time and been depicted in art.

How do we perceive the landscape around us?
Pupils analyse various artworks to express their personal perceptions and emotions related to landscapes, fostering discussion on the evolving nature of landscape appreciation and its representation in art.

Pupils explore their subjective interpretations of familiar local landscapes by analysing photographs, assigning emotions, and creating mental maps.

40 minutes

Pupils engage in a sensory walk to explore their environment, utilising sight, hearing, smell, and touch, followed by group discussions to reflect on how their perceptions of familiar landscapes change based on the conditions.

How can visual art help the landscape?
Pupils try to find inspiration for their (e.g. artistic) expression in the landscape and explore contemporary art's role in revitalising or improving neglected spaces.