Art and Design · Year 7 · The Natural World: Ethics and Aesthetics · Summer Term

Art and Climate Change

Investigating how contemporary artists use their work to raise awareness about environmental issues and climate change.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: Art and Design - Contemporary Practice
• KS3: Art and Design - Ethics and Sustainability

About This Topic

Year 7 students investigate how contemporary artists raise awareness of climate change and environmental issues through their visual work. They study artists like Chris Jordan, whose large-scale prints depict the scale of plastic pollution, and Heather Ackroyd, who uses grass and light to create portraits warning about carbon emissions. Students examine techniques such as exaggerated scale, recycled materials, and bold colors to understand how these choices communicate complex messages about deforestation, melting ice caps, and biodiversity loss. This analysis addresses key questions on art's effectiveness in advocacy.

Aligned with KS3 Art and Design standards for contemporary practice and ethics in sustainability, the topic builds skills in critical evaluation and creative response. Students first annotate artworks for emotional impact, then sketch initial ideas before producing final pieces that advocate for a chosen issue, like ocean acidification.

Active learning benefits this topic because students handle sustainable materials in collaborative prototypes or lead peer critiques during gallery walks. These hands-on methods make ethical concepts tangible, encourage debate on art's societal role, and inspire authentic designs that connect personal creativity to global challenges.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how art can effectively communicate complex environmental messages.
2. Evaluate the role of artists in advocating for environmental protection.
3. Design an artwork that addresses a specific aspect of climate change.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how specific artistic techniques, such as scale exaggeration or material choice, are used by contemporary artists to convey messages about climate change.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in raising public awareness and advocating for environmental protection, citing specific examples.
• Design a preliminary artwork concept that addresses a chosen aspect of climate change, incorporating at least two identified artistic strategies.
• Compare the approaches of at least two different artists in their representation of environmental issues.
• Explain the ethical considerations artists face when addressing sensitive environmental topics.

Before You Start

Introduction to Contemporary Art

Why: Students need a basic understanding of what distinguishes contemporary art from historical art movements to contextualize the artists studied.

Elements and Principles of Art

Why: Knowledge of elements like line, color, and texture, and principles like balance and emphasis, is necessary for analyzing how artists use them to communicate messages.

Basic Research Skills

Why: Students will need to gather information about specific environmental issues and artists to inform their analysis and design work.

Key Vocabulary

Environmental Art	Art that is made with the intention of addressing environmental issues, often using natural or recycled materials and focusing on ecological themes.
Sustainability	The practice of using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Climate Change Advocacy	The act of supporting or recommending a particular cause or policy related to climate change, often through public awareness campaigns or artistic expression.
Biodiversity Loss	The decline in the variety of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or the entire Earth, often caused by habitat destruction or climate change.
Carbon Footprint	The total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, that are generated by our actions, such as burning fossil fuels.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Art cannot influence environmental policy or behavior.

What to Teach Instead

Many artists, like those in this unit, have sparked campaigns or exhibitions leading to real action, such as reduced plastic use. Group debates with evidence from artist case studies help students revise this view, building persuasive skills through active discussion.

Common Misconception

Climate change art must look realistic or photographic.

What to Teach Instead

Contemporary works often use abstraction or installation for greater impact. Hands-on material experiments let students test symbolic approaches, like using blue plastic bags for ocean pollution, revealing how stylised forms engage viewers emotionally.

Common Misconception

Only famous artists matter in advocacy.

What to Teach Instead

Student-created works can amplify messages locally. Collaborative prototyping shows emerging artists' value, as peers vote on most effective designs, fostering confidence in their own voices.

Active Learning Ideas

Gallery Walk: Climate Art Analysis

Print or project 6-8 contemporary artworks. Students walk the room in groups, pausing 2 minutes per piece to note visual techniques and messages on sticky notes. Groups then share one insight per artwork with the class.

35 min·Small Groups

Pairs Sketch: Response to Artists

Pair students with one artist each. They spend 10 minutes sketching a direct response to the work's climate message, using similar materials if possible. Pairs swap sketches and discuss changes they would make.

25 min·Pairs

Small Groups: Prototype Design

Groups select a climate issue and brainstorm an artwork idea using recycled materials. They build a 20-minute prototype, photograph it, and prepare a 1-minute pitch explaining its advocacy message.

45 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Peer Critique Circle

Students display prototypes in a circle. Each shares their work briefly; the class offers one strength and one suggestion using sentence stems like 'Your use of color shows...'. Rotate until all heard.

30 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Museums and galleries worldwide, like the Tate Modern in London, curate exhibitions specifically focused on environmental art, showcasing works that prompt dialogue about climate change.
• Environmental organizations and activists collaborate with artists to create public installations and campaigns, using art to visually communicate urgent issues like plastic pollution in oceans or deforestation for organizations like Greenpeace.
• Designers and architects are increasingly incorporating principles of sustainability and using recycled or reclaimed materials in their projects, influenced by artistic movements that highlight ecological concerns.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Present students with images of two different artworks addressing climate change. Ask: 'Which artwork do you find more impactful and why? Consider the artist's choice of materials, scale, and message. Be prepared to justify your choice with specific observations.'

Quick Check

Provide students with a worksheet featuring short descriptions of artworks. Ask them to match each artwork description to a specific climate change issue (e.g., plastic pollution, deforestation, melting ice caps) and briefly explain their reasoning.

Peer Assessment

Students share their initial artwork sketches addressing climate change. In pairs, they provide feedback using these prompts: 'What is the main message of this artwork? What specific artistic technique makes this message clear? Suggest one way to strengthen the artwork's environmental message.'

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Year 7 students evaluate contemporary climate art?

Guide students with focused prompts: identify materials, analyze color choices for mood, and assess message clarity on a 1-5 scale. Model annotations first, then have them apply in pairs. This scaffolds critical thinking, linking visual elements to ethical intent while building vocabulary for KS3 standards.

What active learning strategies work best for Art and Climate Change?

Station rotations with artist spotlights, material hunts using classroom recyclables, and peer prototype critiques keep energy high. These methods turn passive viewing into creation and dialogue, helping students internalise art's advocacy power. Track engagement through exit tickets on 'one new idea about art's role,' ensuring deep connections to sustainability themes.

How to connect this topic to KS3 ethics and sustainability?

Frame discussions around artists' material choices, like biodegradable inks or found objects, and link to UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students reflect in journals: 'How does my artwork promote protection?' Assessments reward ethical reasoning alongside technique, reinforcing curriculum aims across terms.

What are simple ideas for student climate artworks?

Suggest series like 'before/after' collages showing habitat loss, sculptures from waste materials depicting pollution scale, or digital edits overlaying local landmarks with flood predictions. Provide rubrics focusing on message, technique, and innovation. These accessible prompts yield diverse, meaningful outcomes tied to personal environments.