Leigh Drake

Merryn, grade four

Photography is a medium my students love to use and one of my favorites to teach. For this lesson, I wanted students to use photography as a documenting tool to create delicate scenes that depict the details of nature.

A Focus on Natural Materials
I began the lesson by asking students to collect items from nature. I explained that these materials would be used as an art form to create a natural scene.
We looked at Andy Goldsworthy’s work and observed how he used natural materials to create beautiful scenes. We discussed how he documented and preserved his work.

Understanding the benefits of using a camera and the need to document and preserve their work is essential for studentsʼ ongoing development.

We also talked about the importance of the camera in documenting our work. Nature is such a fragile element, and because the items we are working with are living, we know that the appearance of something made from nature can change rapidly.

Brainstorming Session
Students brainstormed and researched scenes that they would like to create using natural materials. They were inspired by storybook concepts, places theyʼve traveled to, and images of their own homes. They created thumbnail sketches of what these scenes would look like.

Students arranged the natural items on their sketches so they could see what else they needed, and they provided each other with feedback during a classroom critique.

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