Explore landscapes with your students by examining the distinct ways artists have portrayed the world around them. By studying landscape art, students gain a sense of nature and history, and learn to see their own surroundings more clearly.

The materials in this curriculum are designed for elementary and secondary teachers to prompt classroom discussion and learning centered around landscape art and artists. Six images have been chosen for their potential as teaching tools. They represent examples from the Getty Museum's collections and from the special exhibition, Courbet and the Modern Landscape, on view at the Getty Center in 2006. Individually, the artworks can assist in teaching a range of lessons that connect to California Content Standards. Studied as a group, they work to examine particular aspects of the history of French landscape painting within a broader conversation on 19th-century history. One American image opens a dialogue with students about American landscapes in the 20th century.

"Questions for Teaching" and "Background Information" about each object are available in the Image Bank. Lesson plans connect to visual arts, language arts, history/social science, and science content areas for both elementary and secondary students in the State of California.