Art and Design · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Land Art: Andy Goldsworthy

Active learning helps Year 1 students connect with Land Art by moving beyond observation to direct experience. Handling natural materials outdoors builds tactile memory, while temporary constructions teach patience and observation skills that photographs alone cannot convey.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Art and Design - Knowledge of Artists and Designers
• KS1: Art and Design - Sculpture

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Small Groups

Outdoor Forage: Material Hunt

Lead students to school grounds to collect safe natural items like leaves, twigs, pebbles, and grass. Instruct them to sort finds by color, shape, and texture on trays. Groups share selections and predict uses for sculptures.

Analyze how Andy Goldsworthy uses natural materials to create art.

Facilitation Tip

During Outdoor Forage, model gentle collection by showing how to pick up only one leaf at a time to preserve the environment.

What to look for

Show students a photograph of a Goldsworthy sculpture. Ask them to point to and name three different natural materials used. Then, ask them to describe one pattern or shape they see.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Sculpture Station: Balance Builds

Set up stations with images of Goldsworthy's stone cairns and leaf circles. Pairs select materials to balance or layer into simple forms. Encourage testing stability and photographing results.

Design a temporary sculpture using only objects found in nature.

Facilitation Tip

During Sculpture Station, demonstrate how to test balance by placing a small stone on a twig before adding more weight.

What to look for

After students have created their own land art, ask: 'What happened to your sculpture after a day or two? Why do you think Andy Goldsworthy's art also changes or disappears?' Record their ideas about weather, wind, or decay.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Ephemeral Frames: Nature Views

Students weave twigs or line stones to frame a natural view, like a tree or sky patch. Place frames in position, draw quick sketches, and note expected changes from wind or rain.

Explain why Goldsworthy's art is often temporary and changes over time.

Facilitation Tip

During Ephemeral Frames, ask students to stand back and look through their frame before adjusting its position.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one natural material they used in their sculpture and write one word to describe their sculpture.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Whole Class

Change Journal: Sculpture Watch

Children build small sculptures, photograph them daily over a week, and journal changes. Whole class compares images to discuss causes like sun or animals.

Analyze how Andy Goldsworthy uses natural materials to create art.

Facilitation Tip

During Change Journal, remind students to record observations with both drawings and words to capture details they might forget.

What to look for

Show students a photograph of a Goldsworthy sculpture. Ask them to point to and name three different natural materials used. Then, ask them to describe one pattern or shape they see.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach Land Art by emphasizing process over product. Avoid correcting students' temporary sculptures immediately, as this disrupts their creative flow. Instead, ask guiding questions during creation and revisit the work later to discuss changes. Research shows young children learn spatial reasoning through hands-on trial and error, so allow multiple attempts without concern for perfection.

Successful learning looks like students confidently gathering materials, balancing shapes deliberately, and discussing changes in their work over time. They should value simplicity and recognize the beauty in their own temporary creations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Outdoor Forage, students may believe they need rare or special materials to make art.

  Remind students that Goldsworthy often uses ordinary leaves, twigs, and stones. Point out how he arranges them to highlight their natural colors and textures, encouraging students to do the same with what they find nearby.

• During Sculpture Station, students might think their sculpture must stay exactly as built.

  Have students gently blow on their sculpture or lightly sprinkle water to show how wind and rain change it. Ask them to describe what happened and why, reinforcing the idea that change is part of the process.

• During Ephemeral Frames, students may assume only perfect shapes qualify as art.

  Encourage students to adjust their frame until it feels balanced to them. Praise unique angles or asymmetrical shapes, showing that Goldsworthy’s work often plays with irregular forms.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning