Visual Art Lesson: Art of Climate Change
Lesson Plan
2 hoursGrades6, 7, 8Visual and Performing Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Carolyn McGrath
About this lesson
In this lesson, students investigate the effectiveness of visual art in addressing climate change.
Inquire: Teacher asks students to think about the ways that art about climate change impacts audiences differently from factual information. In what ways can visual art specifically be used to address climate change?
Investigate: Students simulate organizing an art show around the issue of climate change, with some students representing artists and others representing museum curators. Students will research to prepare for their roles.
Inspire: Students who researched an artist will present their work. Students who developed the criteria will evaluate their work.
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Everything you need to teach it
- Teacher SlideshowOpen
- Artist Presentation InstructionsOpen
- Museum Curator Presentation Instructions and TemplateOpen
- Student DocumentOpen
Teaching tips
Suggestions
- The Investigate and Inspire sections can be completed on subsequent days or extended.
- Teachers can highlight specific visual art styles or techniques.
- Students learn about a variety of artists whose work deals with climate change.
- Students can begin to visualize ways that they might make art about climate change, which can serve as a subsequent lesson.
- This lesson is interactive and simulates a real-world situation in the art world, requiring a variety of skills.
- This lesson can be paired with or follow a more in-depth discussion of climate change science.
Prerequisites
- Teachers can arrange student groups ahead of time.
- Students should know how to use Google Slides or a similar type of presentation format.
- Students should have a basic familiarity with rubrics.
Differentiation
- Teachers can provide instruction multimodally.
- Teachers can preview vocabulary with ESL students.
- Teachers can follow up with questions to ensure comprehension.
- Teachers can pair students with helpful peers.
- It can be beneficial for developing students’ interpersonal skills if groups are randomized.
From the scientist review
Simply put, not everyone is swayed by a scientific expert. Often it takes other means to convey a message to someone. That is why is an integral part of climate change communication. Art, scientifically, has a different impact on our thoughts and decision-making than hearing a lecture from an expert. This lesson explores different climate change art projects and shows their potential to reach audiences. This lesson has passed the scientific review process.
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About the teacher writer
Carolyn McGrath
K-12 Art Teacher
Carolyn McGrath has been an art educator since 1998. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art, English, and Psychology from Rutgers University, a Certificate in Art Education from Parsons School of Design, and a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art from the Maine College of Art. She is a certified K–12 Art Educator in the state of New Jersey and has received multiple honors for her teaching, including the Governor’s Educator of the Year Award and recognition from the New Jersey Art Education Association for excellence in arts education.
