Art and Design · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Environmental Installations: Andy Goldsworthy

Active learning works for this topic because Goldsworthy’s art is about process, place, and impermanence. Students need to touch leaves, balance stones, and walk the land to grasp how materials and location shape meaning. These hands-on steps make abstract ideas about transience and context concrete and memorable.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Sculpture and Installation
• KS2: Art and Design - Environmental Art

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Material Hunt: Natural Forage

Students pair up to explore the school grounds or nearby green space, collecting natural items like twigs, leaves, and stones without harming plants. They sort finds by color, texture, and size in sketchbooks. Back in class, pairs share selections and discuss potential uses.

Reflect on how it feels to create art that is designed to disappear over time.

Facilitation Tip

During the Material Hunt, give each group a small bag and ask them to find at least three items that show color shifts or interesting textures, not just the biggest or prettiest pieces.

What to look for

Before students begin designing, ask them to sketch two examples of natural color gradients they observe on the school grounds. Have them label the colors and indicate the direction of the gradient.

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

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gradient Build: Color Focal Point

In small groups, students arrange leaves or petals in a color gradient leading to a central natural form, like a stone spiral. They test placements to create visual flow. Groups photograph before and after wind exposure to note changes.

Explain how we can use color gradients found in nature to create a focal point in an installation.

Facilitation Tip

When building gradients, have students place their materials on a piece of paper first to plan transitions, then arrange them outdoors to test how light and background affect the effect.

What to look for

After installations are complete, facilitate a class discussion using prompts like: 'Describe the feeling of creating something that will not last. How did the location you chose affect the story your artwork tells?'

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

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Whole Class

Site Critique: Location Walk

Whole class walks to potential sites, discussing how each spot changes a sample installation's mood, such as sheltered versus exposed areas. Students vote on best locations and justify choices. End with quick sketches of envisioned works.

Analyze in what way the location of an artwork changes its meaning and impact on the viewer.

Facilitation Tip

On the Site Critique walk, pause at each installation and ask students to close their eyes for 10 seconds, then open them and describe what first caught their attention and why.

What to look for

Students take photographs of a peer's installation from two different viewpoints. They then write two sentences explaining how changing the viewpoint altered their perception of the artwork's meaning or impact.

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

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Individual

Ephemeral Journal: Reflection Log

Individually, students build a small personal installation, photograph it daily for a week, and journal feelings about its decay. They note weather effects and share one entry in a class gallery.

Reflect on how it feels to create art that is designed to disappear over time.

Facilitation Tip

After each day’s work, have students jot one sentence in their Ephemeral Journal about a challenge they faced and one idea they will try tomorrow.

What to look for

Before students begin designing, ask them to sketch two examples of natural color gradients they observe on the school grounds. Have them label the colors and indicate the direction of the gradient.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should focus on process over product, emphasizing observation, trial, and reflection rather than a polished final piece. Avoid rushing students to finish; instead, build multiple short sessions where they revisit their work and adapt it. Research suggests that outdoor art-making strengthens spatial reasoning and ecological awareness, so let the environment be both studio and text.

Successful learning looks like students confidently selecting and arranging natural materials, explaining how their choices create focal points, and articulating how location changes the artwork’s story. They should reflect on change over time and share their insights with peers through sketches, photos, or spoken words.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Material Hunt, students may discard fragile or small items, assuming they are not valuable.

  During the Material Hunt, remind students that Goldsworthy uses delicate leaves and tiny pebbles to create texture and rhythm. Ask them to collect at least one item that is fragile or small and discuss how it might contribute to the artwork’s fragility or intricacy.

• During Gradient Build, students may ignore the background and lighting, assuming their arrangement will look the same anywhere.

  During Gradient Build, have students place their gradient on different surfaces around the site and photograph each. Ask them to compare the photos and explain how the ground color or shadows changed the effect, reinforcing that location matters.

• During Site Critique, students may treat the location as neutral and overlook how it shapes meaning.

  During Site Critique, assign each group a specific viewpoint and ask them to describe how the surroundings—like a tree trunk, a fence, or a slope—frame the artwork. Have them sketch a quick diagram showing the relationship between the installation and its backdrop.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning