Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Visual Arts · Grade 5

Landscape Art

Fifth graders learn to draw a landscape step by step — starting with the horizon line, then building the background, middle ground, and foreground — putting depth and space to work in a full scene.

Grade 5Drawing40 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Draw a landscape.
  • ✓Use a horizon line.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Show depth.
Essential Question

A landscape shows a whole scene of nature, with near and far! How do you build a landscape drawing step by step?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Landscape Steps

Project this and have students put the landscape-drawing steps in order — from horizon to coloring.

🏔️ Put the landscape steps in order!Try it
Tap the first step!
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Look · Explore · Create · Share · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Look — A Whole Scene

5 min

A landscape shows a whole scene with near and far — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a landscape.
  • Ask how it was built.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Landscape Steps

10 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Order the Landscape Steps.
  • Order them.
  • Note the horizon.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

11 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Draw a horizon line.
  • Add the background.
  • Add the foreground.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Horizon.
  • Background.
  • Foreground.
4

Share — Share

9 min

Children share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your landscape.
  • Point out near and far.
  • Give feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Point.
  • Feedback.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the first step.
  • Explain the horizon line.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts).

NCAS
VA:Cr2.1.5

Create a landscape with depth.

NCAS
VA:Cr1.2.5

Plan a landscape.

NCAS
VA:Cr3.1.5

Refine a landscape.

NCAS
VA:Re7.1.5

Perceive space in landscapes.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Landscape-step cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, then ___.”
  • Use a landscape example.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with horizon and sky.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Draw a horizon.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add a light source.
  • Use color for depth.
  • Draw a full scene.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🏔️Landscape examples
  • 💻Order the Landscape Steps
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🖌️Color supplies
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

landscapea scene of naturehorizon linewhere land meets skybackgroundthe far partmiddle groundthe in-between partforegroundthe near partdepththe look of near and farscenea whole viewnaturethe outdoor world
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What do you draw FIRST in a landscape?
The horizon line — where land meets sky.
QUESTION 2
What goes in the background of a landscape?
Far things like mountains and clouds.
QUESTION 3
How do you color for depth?
Lighter for far away, bolder for up close.

Reflect: draw a scene.

Have students draw a landscape with a horizon line, background, and foreground. A printable landscape sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Landscape ArtFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Landscape ArtQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Landscape ArtPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: background, depth, foreground, horizon line, landscape, middle ground, nature, scene
  1. where land meets sky
  2. a whole view
  3. the near part
  4. the look of near and far
  5. the in-between part
  6. a scene of nature
  7. the far part
  8. the outdoor world

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What do you draw FIRST in a landscape?
  2. What goes in the background of a landscape?
  3. How do you color for depth?
Answer key — Part A: 1) horizon line · 2) scene · 3) foreground · 4) depth · 5) middle ground · 6) landscape · 7) background · 8) nature
Part B: 1) The horizon line — where land meets sky. 2) Far things like mountains and clouds. 3) Lighter for far away, bolder for up close.