MiSs Rs ArT RoOm

Winter Value Paintings 

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Winter Value Paintings using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use color combinations (neutral, monochromatic, grayscale), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and value (lightness, darkness, tonal, tints, shades) inspired by American Photographer (1902-1984) Ansel Adams 
• Use photography techniques (exposure, dynamic, speed, rule of thirds) and design principles (movement, composition, emphasis) based on American Conservation Movement
• Define Tonal (the lightness or darkness of a color or area called value)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Young Oaks In Snow (1938) Ansel Adams 

2. Read First Edition Trees: Ansel Adams by Ansel Adams

3. Discussion Questions "How does an artist create a feeling of mood and drama without using any color? What words (cold, bright, majestic, silent) come to mind when you look at this snow? Why would capturing the beauty of nature might make people want to protect it? How did Ansel Adams use his art to show love and protection for nature? How does looking at a winter landscape make you feel? How can we arrange our trees so that some look very close to us (foreground) and others look far away (background)? How did limiting your palette to just values (black, white, grey) change how you focused on the textures (trees, snow, bark) in the value painting? In what ways did your painting capture the grand, powerful feeling of nature that Ansel Adams loved?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use ruler, compass, or straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Winter Value Paintings

2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants) within the positive space (foreground, trees) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Paintings

3. Use permanent marker to outline the positive space (foreground, trees) and scenery (middle ground, background, foreground) of the Winter Value Paintings 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Winter Value Paintings for Assigned Tables

2. Oak Tree, Snowstorm (1948) Ansel Adams

3. Discussion Questions "Why might an artist choose to work outside? What mood do you feeling when looking at Ansel Adams' black and white photographs? Why do you think Ansel Adams chose to focus so deeply on nature and national parks? Where do you see the brightest whites and the darkest blacks in the snowy landscapes? How does light change the way the tree trunk looks when it is covered in snow? How can you use brushstrokes to show the texture of rough bark versus soft, fluffy snow? What happens to your horizon line when you want to show a vast, heavy winter sky versus a massive blanket of snow? How does removing color help us notice details like texture, shape, and light that we might normally ignore? Do you think Ansel Adams work was purely about documenting nature, or was he trying to tell a story?"

Lesson Activities

1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stripes, stars) to the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Paintings

2. Use color combinations (monochromatic, analogous, neutral) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes 

3. Use color combinations (monochromatic, analogous, neutral) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes 

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Winter Value Paintings for Assigned Tables 

2. Set Up Studio Area (paintbrushes, tempera paint, water buckets, pencils)

Lesson Activities

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source, cast light) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes

2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes

3. Add details (animals, buildings, people) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes 

Artist Examples

Student Examples 

Sunflower Sunsets

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Sunflower Sunsets using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use color combinations (warm colors, earth tones, analogous colors), line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), and shape variation (geometric organic, free form) inspired by Post Impressionist Painter (1853-1890) Vincent Van Gogh
• Understand painting techniques (overlapping, cropping, layering) and design principles (composition, movement, repetition) based on Post Impressionism
• Define Brushstrokes (the mark, trace, or configuration left on a surface by a single application of a paintbrush) 

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Sunflowers (1889) Vincent Van Gogh

2. Read Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story About Vincent Van Gogh by Laurence Anholt

3. Discussion Questions "Did you know Vincent Van Gogh created seven distinct versions of sunflowers within his series of sunflower paintings? Did you know Van Gogh saw sunflowers as a metaphor for the cycle of life? Did you know his bold use of yellow became a hallmark of his style? Did you know sunflowers are the national flower and an important symbol in Ukraine? Did you know Van Gogh saw sunflowers as a symbol of gratitude and decorated his friend Paul Gaughin's guest room with them? What do you notice about the way the paint has been applied to the painting? How does scientific information inform art? Did you know his sunflower paintings are dispalyed in museums all around the world from Tokyo to Amsterdam? Did you know one of his sunflowers painting was lost during World War II? How do artists use perspective, along with different shapes and colors, to add dimension to paintings? What kinds of lines did Van Gogh use to paint those sunflowers? What do you think Van Gogh used concentric circles to paint them? How can you infuse your own thoughts, emotions, and memories into your paintings?" 

Lesson Activities

1. Divide the painting paper into three parts (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Sunflower Sunsets 

2. Use observational drawing techniques (contour, gesture, outline) to add shape variation (geometric, organic, free form) to Sunflower Sunsets 

3. Add directional lines (diagonal, vertical, horizontal) to remember the highlights (light source, reflective light, cast light) of the Sunflower Sunsets     

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Sunflower Sunsets for Assigned Tables 

2. Still Life Vase With Fourteen Sunflowers (1889) Vincent Van Gogh

3. Discussion Question "Who was Vincent Van Gogh? Did you know who he really was? Would you like a painting of sunflowers in your room? Why did Vincent Van Gogh become so famous? What did Vincent Van Gogh like to paint? How can we paint the sky like Vincent Van Gogh? Where do you think Van Gogh was when he painted this picture? What colors did Van Gogh use in this painting? What kind of place do you think this was? How can we create the same feeling of movement in the sky to tell our own story? Where did Van Gogh get his inspiration? Do you think Van Gogh was inspired by the harvest work? What is happening in this picture?" 

Lesson Activities

1. Use warm colors (red yellow orange) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, sunflowers) of the Sunflower Sunsets

2. Use warm colors (red yellow orange) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Sunflower Sunsets

3. Use different mark making techniques (dashes, scratches, loose lines) to add designs to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, sunflowers) of the Sunflower Sunsets 

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Sunflower Sunsets for Assigned Tables

2. Set Up Studio Area (tempera paint, paint brushes, oil pastels, erasers)

Lesson Activities

1. Add patterns (stripes, swirls, dots, waves) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, sunflowers) of the Sunflower Sunsets

2. Add highlights (reflective light, light source, cast light) and shadows (cast shadow, reflective shadow, shadow) to the Sunflower Sunsets

3. Add patterns (stripes, swirls, dots, waves) to the negative space (background) of the Sunflower Sunsets

Artist Examples

Student Examples

Flanders Fields Poppies

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Flanders Fields Poppies using painting techniques learned in class
• Use color combinations (complementary, analogous, primary), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and texture (actual, visual, implied) inspired by French Humanitarian (1878-1961) Madame Anne Guerin
• Use landscape techniques (perspective, layering, spatial awareness) and design principles (proportion, composition, balance) based on Commemorative Activism
• Define Landscape (a genre that depicts natural scenery such as mountains, trees, rivers, and forests) 

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Poppy Field Near Argenteuil (1873) Claude Monet

2. Read The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael And Her Tribute To Veterans by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh 

3. Discussion Questions "How did Anna Guerin's idea for an Inter Allied Poppy Day differ from Moina Michael's initial Victory Emblem concept in the United States? In what ways did her plan create a charity model by paying French widows and orphans to manufacture artificial poppies? What strategies did Madame Guérin use to pitch the poppy flower to the veterans organizations of different nations? Why did her distribution of French-made poppies phrase out as Allied nations like the United States and Australia set up their own local veteran factories? What does her travel record reveal about her personal commitment to the Allied cause? How did her prewar work promote French culture in Great Britain help build the networks she later relied on for her humanitarian campaign? Why was Madame Guerin's name lost to history for a century compared to other wartime figures?"

Lesson Activities 

1. Use ruler, compass, straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Flanders Fields Poppies

2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants, landscape) within the positive space (foreground, middle ground, flowers) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies 

3. Use oil pastels to outline the positive space (foreground) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Flanders Fields Poppies for Assigned Tables 

2. Poppy Field (Giverny) (1890-1891) Claude Monet

3. Discussion Questions "How do modern grassroots research projects help to uncover identities of women lost to history? How does Madame Anne Guerin's personal legacy fit into Remembrance Day? How does the historical narrative of the remembrance poppy flower vary across different countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia? How do poppies represent world history, gratitude, and peace to various people? Did you know poppy flowers are France's official national symbol of remembrance for veterans? Did you know the blue cornflower, bleuet de France, is the flower for war victims? Did you know a French woman named Madame Anna Guerin helped turn red poppy flowers into a global symbol of remembrance? How did her experiences shape her career as an educator and public speaker? How did John McCrae's iconic poem In Flanders Fields inspire Madame Guerin to transition from handing out charity buttons to distributing artificial flower boutonnieres?" 

Lesson Activities

1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stars) into the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies 

2. Use color combinations (analogous, complementary, primary) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies

3. Use primary colors (red yellow blue) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies 

 Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Flanders Fields Poppies for Assigned Tables

2. Set Up Studio Area (watercolor, paint brushes, water buckets, oil pastels) 

Lesson Activities

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies 

2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies

3. Add details (animals, buildings, flowers) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies

Artist Examples

Student Examples 

 Provence Lavender Fields Paintings

Learning Targets 

I can...

• Create an original Provence Lavender Fields Paintings using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), and texture (visual actual implied) inspired by American Artist (1981-Present) Erin Hanson
• Use painting techniques (layering, dry brush, wash) and design principles (repetition, variation, movement) based on Open Impressionism
• Define Landscape (a picture, painting, or drawing that shows outdoor scenery)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Hills Of Provence (2026) Erin Hanson

2. Read Paris Adventures For Kids: Interactive Travel Journal by City Line Press

3. Discussion Questions "What type of brushstrokes did you use for the tiny flowers? How do you make the flowers in the front look closer than the ones in the back? What kind of feeling of memory do you want people to get when looking at this? If someone could step inside your painting, what sounds or smells would the person notice first? What was the hardest part of the landscape painting to paint, and how would you solve this problem? How does the sky change the colors you will see in the field? What can you add to the foreground to make the fields look huge? What kind of weather or time of day does your painting feel like? How will you decide where the land meets the sky? How will you show the way the sunlight hits the top of the pants? What color will you use for the shadows between the rows?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use ruler, compass, straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants) within the positive space (foreground) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings

3. Use colored sharpies to outline the positive space (foreground) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Provence Lavender Fields Paintings for Assigned Tables 

2. Provence Lavender (2024) Erin Hanson

3. Discussion Questions "What are the three parts of landscape paintings? What do you see? What do you think it would sound like in this place? What do you think it would smell like in this place? Is the painting warm colors or cool colors? What season do you think it is in this landscape painting? What would you do if you were in this painting? How does this artwork make you feel? What are the different areas (foreground, middle ground, background) in this painting? What objects, shapes, or colors can you find in these different fields? Is this a place you would want to visit? What would you wear if you were visiting this landscape? Why would artists choose to work outside? What are the different colors and feelings used for different seasonal landscapes?" 

Lesson Activities

1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stars) into the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

2. Use secondary colors (green orange purple) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

3. Use primary colors (red yellow blue) to fill in scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings  

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Provence Lavender Fields Paintings for Assigned Tables 

2. Set Up Studio Area (water bucket, paint brushes, watercolor) 

Lesson Activities 

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

3. Add details (animals, buildings, people) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

Artist Examples 

Student Examples

 Value Snow Landscapes

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Value Snow Landscapes using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), and value (lightness, darkness) inspired by Russian Painter (1877-1932) Ivan Fedorovich Choultse
• Use painting techniques (blending, layering, dry brush, underpainting) and design principles (gradation, composition, proportion) based on Realism
• Define Value (the lightness or darkness of a color)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Garden Under The Snow (1920) Ivan Fedorovich Choultse

2. Read Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer

3. Discussion Questions "What do you notice? What would you pack for your trip (clothing, supplies, gifts)? How did the environment influence your experience? What strategies has the artist used to communicate a sense of space? What do you notice about the view we have of this scene? How might your impression of the landscape change if you were standing on the path in the foreground? What do you notice from this vantage point? What evidence of the human would you see in this landscape? How would you describe the relationship between humans and the natural world in this scene? How does your community relate to this natural environment? What similarities and differences do you notice? What opportunities or challenges might work form sketches in a studio present? How do you think the installation of this work in a dark room with concealed skylights, a huge windowlike farame, and plants impacted viewers experiences?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use pencil to draw the basic shapes (geometric, organic, free form) of the positive space (landscape) of the winter landscapes

2. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to add details (plants, insects, flowers) to the positive space (landscape) of the winter landscapes

3. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to add details (clouds, wind lines, snowflakes) to the negative space (background) of the Value Snow Landscapes

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Value Snow Landscapes from Assigned Tables

2. Rayon Du Matin, Snow Scene (1921) Ivan Fedorovich Choultse 

3. Discussion Questions "Would you like living in a forest? What are some advantages to living in a forest? What are some disadvantages to living in a forest? What strikes you most about this landscape? What mood does this landscape evoke? What is the main idea of this painting? What is the focal point? Where is the highest contrast and sharpest edge? Is there a dominant color temperature in the landscape? What are the dominant atmospheric effects? What are the elements in the landscape? Where is the lightest and darkest part of the painting? What do you find inspiring about winter?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use color combinations (analogous, secondary, intermediate) to fill in the positive space (landscape) of the winter landscapes 

2. Use color combinations (analogous, secondary, intermediate) to fill in the negative space (background) of the winter landscapes

3. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to fill in the positive space (landscape) with winter details (snowflakes, insects, plants) of the Value Snow Landscapes

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Value Snow Landscapes for Assigned Tables

2. Set Up Studio Area (water bucket, paint brushes, oil pastels)

 Lesson Activities

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) to the positive space (landscape) of the winter landscapes

2. Add shadows (cast shadow, reflective shadow) to the negative space (background) of the winter landscapes

3. Use stop motion program (iMotion, FlipaClip, Stop Motion) to add an animation to the Value Snow Landscapes

Artist Examples

Student Examples