Autumn Zentangle Landscapes

 Third Grade 

2 Class Periods

50 minutes per class

Autumn Zentangle Landscapes, Third Grade Art Lesson

Day 1:

We begin this lesson with a discussion on the parts of a landscape.  I created a powerpoint that identifies the parts of a landscape (foreground, middle ground, background, and horizon line).  After going through the parts, I call students up to the board to identify the parts on several landscape images that I have selected to practice on.  Once, I feel students are ready we begin our project.

I have various colors of 12 x 12 inch construction paper cut for this lesson in shades and tints of blue and gray.  Colors that would make good sky colors.  I also have several colors of construction paper in shade and tints of greens and brown cut in 4 x 12 inch pieces for the ground.  Students pick one sky paper and one ground paper of their choice.  They can cut the horizon line on their 4 x 12 inch paper into rolling hills if they do not want the horizon line to be a straight line.  Glue the foreground paper (4 x 12 inch paper) to the background paper (12 x 12 inch paper).

Next, I give students scraps of white and yellow paper to create clouds, a sun or a moon.  This is an optional step.  Students may add just clouds, or just a sun or moon, or all the above.  They may also, leave their sky empty.  I have them glue these objects to the top of their paper.  These items are in the background of the composition.

I have various square and rectangle shapes of construction paper cut in autumn tree colors: reds, yellows, oranges, greens, browns.  I demonstrate to students how to change the shape of these squares to represent different tree shapes.  Students are instruction to cut and glue 6 to 7 shapes to the middle ground of the composition to represent the treetops.  Students are shown how to overlap and are encouraged to even go off their paper.  

Day 2:

Before we start the second part of this lesson we do a quick review on the parts of a landscape and the steps we did in the previous class.  Students are then shown how to create tree trunks for each tree created the class period before.  We used a sharpie marker for this step.  I remind students that the trees that are in the foreground need a longer trunk than the trees in the middle ground and background.

I share with students the beginning part of this Zentangle YouTube link.  It is short, but it gives a nice introduction on Zentangles.  Zentangles.  I then share with students some examples on creating Zentangles.  I created a handout with possible Zentangle designs to give them a head start in their creations and to help students that seem stuck.  I tell them the handout is just a reference.  They are free to create their own Zentangles or combine some of the Zentangles on the handout in new and exciting ways.  BE CREATIVE!

Student Examples: