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"Water lilies, effect in evening"
Claude MONET 1897
Musée Marmottan, Paris

The Changing Garden


Objectives

Students will:

  • observe the changes in the garden throughout the day and year.
  • understand and appreciate that nature is constantly changing.
Standards Addressed: click here

Central Concepts

  • The garden is a dynamic environment that changes in appearance daily and seasonally.

Materials

  • drawing paper
  • an easel or clipboard
  • colored pencils

Discussion Topics

  • What are some of the changes that take place in our garden?
  • Does the garden look the same in the morning as it does in the afternoon?

Activity

Claude Monet was famous for garden paintings. Many of his works featured the same scene or subject, but were created at different times of the day and year, thus showing the influence of light and the passage of time on the appearance of the garden.

1. Show your students a few examples of his paintings available in books or online:

Japanese Footbridge over the Water-lily Pond in Giverny

Poplar Series, Trees and Poppy Field in Giverny

Grainstack Haystack Series

Water-lily Series I Painting in Giverny

Water-lily Series II Painting in Giverny

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2. Take students out the garden and ask them to pick a spot in the garden that they would like to observe and draw throughout the year. Give each student drawing paper, an easel or clipboard (you can also use old cafeteria trays or other create your own from cardboard), and colored pencils.

3. Give students time to observe and then express those observations through art. Ask them to record the date and time on the corner of the picture.

4. Provide additional opportunities for students to observe and draw their spot at different times of the day and the year.

5. At the end of the year have students compile all their drawings into a journal. Ask them to write about their experiences. You can prompt them using the following questions:

  • What is the same about each picture?
  • What is different about each picture?
  • How did your observations change over the year (more detail or less detail)?
  • What are your feelings about your special garden spot?

Extensions

English: Include studies of famous artists and their works in your garden program. See book list on Page 1. Suggest students record their thoughts about their readings as a supplement to their garden art journals.

 Science: Track the temperature and light intensity of your garden throughout the day. Visit the garden every two hours and record the temperature using a thermometer and the light intensity using a light meter. Graph the results and discuss the impact the changes have on your garden both scientifically (e.g., how much water plants need) and visually (e.g., how light affects the appearance, causing differences in perceptions of colors).


Copyright© 2006 National Gardening Association