Lesson Plans - Subject: Science
Ansel Adams and the American West
In this two or three-session lesson, students will be introduced to Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) and the photography of Ansel Adams. Using photographs from his work depicting the American west, students will discuss and analyze the subjects, the time period, and the relationships between nature, the environment, and works of art.
Grades: 4, 5, 6
Medium: Drawing, Photography
Related Subjects: English - Language Arts, History - Social Science, Science, Visual & Performing Arts
Time: 2 X 50 minute sessions
Ansel Adams, American Artist and Activist
In this multi-session lesson, students will be introduced to the work of acclaimed photographer Ansel Adams. Ansel Adams was a dedicated artist-activist who played a decisive role in the growth of environmental consciousness and in the development of a citizen environmental movement in the United States.
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Medium: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Sculpture
Related Subjects: English - Language Arts, History - Social Science, Science, Visual & Performing Arts
Time: 3 X 50 minute sessions
Investigating Light and Color
In this one-session lesson, students investigate the properties of light. They begin with an exploration of the visible light spectrum and follow up with an investigation into the primary colors of light.
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Medium: Sculpture
Related Subjects: Science, Visual & Performing Arts
Time: 1 X 50 minute session
Investigating Shadows
In this two-session lesson, students investigate the properties of shadows. Through a series of hands-on activities, they will become familiar with the formation of shadows and understand that the shape and length of shadows are dependent upon the position of the light source.
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Medium: Drawing
Related Subjects: Science, Visual & Performing Arts
Time: 1 X 90 minute session
Turning a Room into a Camera Obscura
The original camera obscura was a large, walk-in room pierced with a single, small hole in one of its four walls. In this one-session lesson, students will turn an ordinary room into a camera obscura.
Grades: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Medium: Photography
Related Subjects: Science, Visual & Performing Arts
Time: 1 X 50 minute session
