The lessons below form a visual arts unit exploring still-life painting. The lessons build on one another and are intended to be taught in sequence. Teachers who are proficient in teaching studio painting can use these lessons to teach students of all skill levels.

Lessons 1–4 of 4

Still-Life Painting: Arranging Nature—Lesson 1
Grades/Level: High School (9–12)
Subjects: Visual Arts
Lesson Overview: This is the first lesson in a sequential unit. Students look at and discuss still-life paintings and develop a definition for the genre. They then further their understanding of this type of painting and practice watercolor techniques by painting their own still lifes from direct observation. Art production focuses on the tools used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space and convey texture in watercolors.

Still-Life Painting: Arranging Nature—Lesson 2
Grades/Level: High School (9–12)
Subjects: Visual Arts
Lesson Overview: This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students choose meaningful objects for a still-life arrangement and paint it using watercolors. After reflecting on their choice of objects and composition, students begin to write an artist's statement.

Still-Life Painting: Arranging Nature—Lesson 3
Grades/Level: High School (9–12)
Subjects: Visual Arts
Lesson Overview: This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students paint the same still-life arrangement from Lesson 2, but in an opaque medium. They compare similarities and differences of working with the transparent and opaque mediums and refine their artist's statements.

Still-Life Painting: Arranging Nature—Lesson 4
Grades/Level: High School (9–12)
Subjects: Visual Arts
Lesson Overview: This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students display the two still-life paintings that they created in previous lessons along with their artist's statements. They write a review of a peer's work and discuss all of the paintings in a group critique.

Lessons 1–4 of 4