More Creative Themes for Learning
Lower Key Stage 2 Art and Design
The Great Stink!
A blurred dark building sits silhouetted on sunlit glimmering water. We can make out an imposing tall tower on the right-hand side, placed exactly one third in from the frame, with other spires to its left and a shorter tower to the right.
The sun is high in the sky, breaking through the fog. It lights up the main subject of the picture from above, as well as from below in the reflective water. The title of the painting tells us that we are looking at the Houses of Parliament, London. But if you hadn’t read the ‘label’, would you have recognised the shape of one of the most iconic political buildings in the world anyway? As with other London skyline structures, it has its own distinctive contours that have become visual shorthand for the capital city and the values of Great Britain. What do you think these might be? Traditional, bold and distinguished? The Houses of Parliament definitely symbolise democracy.
So, why has Claude Monet, the great Impressionist, painted this building of authority in soft focus? Can we read any meaning into this artistic treatment?
As geographers we will:
Describe and understand key features of human geography, including settlements, land use, economic activity including trade.
As scientists we will:
- .Look at the digestive system in humans
- Look at solids liquids and gases, changes of state, evaporation, condensation and the water cycle.
As an artist we will:
- Learn about great artists designers and architects in history
- Develop and share our ideas in a sketchbook.
As a designer we will:
- Make scaled and unscaled models of iconic buildings in our country.
- We will use a variety of materials and design in different sizes
- We will evaluate our work and improve what we do as a result
- We will cut, shape and join accurately.
Plan adapted from Awesome Art (EI 2016)