Grades: 	Upper Elementary (3–5)
Subjects: 	Visual Arts, English–Language Arts, History–Social Science 
Time Required:	5–6 class periods, plus independent research 
Author: 	J. Paul Getty Museum Education Staff

Lesson Overview 
Beginning-level students will compare and contrast different uses of land in the state of California and write a letter about a modern-day environmental issue. 

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
•	compare and contrast the shapes, lines, and points of view in two photographs.
•	contrast a photograph of a protected natural area with a photograph of suburban development.
•	discuss how development can impact the environment and human lives.
•	discuss how powerful imagery can influence governments and lead to new laws.
•	write a letter to a U.S. Senator or Representative.
•	create artworks about a modern-day environmental issue.

Featured Works of Art
Tutucanula - El Capitan 3600 ft. Yo Semite, Carleton E. Watkins
www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=62140

Trenching Lakewood, California, William A. Garnett
www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=136935

Materials 
-	Reproduction of Trenching Lakewood, California by William Garnett  
-	Background Information and Questions for Teaching about the photograph  
-	Additional images from Garnett’s Lakewood series (optional)
-	Student Handout: What’s in a Community?  
-	Pencils
-	Recycled paper
-	Google Earth software (http://earth.google.com)
-	Reproduction of Tutucanula - El Capitan 3600 ft. Yo Semite by Carleton E. Watkins
-	Student Handout: Background Information about Yosemite
-	Digital camera for each group of three students (optional)

Lesson Steps

1.	Display a reproduction of Trenching Lakewood, California by William Garnett. Instruct students to take the time to look closely at the work of art, then ask them the following questions:
•	What do you see in this photograph?
•	What shapes do you see?
•	What kinds of lines do you see? (Short, long, parallel, and diagonal lines.)
•	Which lines and shapes are repeated and thus form patterns? 
•	How do you think this photograph was taken? Why? Imagine where the photographer would have to be to take this image. 

Explain that the photograph depicts an aerial point of view. Tell students that the artist William Garnett made several photographs of Lakewood, California, while flying a small, single-engine airplane. Point out that Garnett shot the photograph in 1950. By 1953, about 17,500 houses were built in Lakewood. Ask students if they recognize any of the shapes and lines in the photograph. Do the shapes and lines remind them of anything (i.e., roads, telephone poles, yards, neighborhoods, a maze, etc.)?

2.	Pass out photocopies of the photograph. Ask students what they think Lakewood looked like before the houses were built. Why do they think so? Instruct students to look closely at the picture, and ask them what they think happened next. Why do they think so? Tell students to draw on their photocopies what they think Lakewood looked like when all the houses were built. You may wish to display reproductions of additional images from Garnett’s Lakewood series (www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=256209) to show how the area progressed from beet fields to 3,500 acres of hundreds of rows of houses. In less than three years, Lakewood changed from a small village into a town of 70,000 residents. By way of contrast, students can discuss what shapes and lines they see in images such as Finished Housing, Lakewood, California (www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=136939), which was taken several months after Trenching Lakewood, California. For more information about the history of Lakewood, visit “Lakewood Community History” at the County of Los Angeles Public Library Web site (www.colapublib.org/history/lakewood), or listen to a discussion about William Garnett’s Lakewood series on the Getty Web site (www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/recent_acquisitions/lakewood_series.html). Students can also search for images of Lakewood in the Los Angeles Public Library’s Photo Collection (www.lapl.org).

3.	Tell students that the thousands of new houses in Lakewood provided needed housing for families, but there are environmental consequences to such big changes in land use. Pass out the handout What’s in a Community? or complete the graphic organizer as a class. Ask students to brainstorm what needs to happen to make a community by asking them the following questions:
•	What do you need to make houses in a community? (Land, timber, wiring, etc.)
•	What services and resources are necessary? (Schools, libraries, parks, roads, restaurants, garbage removal, electricity, gas, water, etc.)

Ask students how the environment can be affected by these things (i.e., destroyed habitats, displaced wildlife, deforestation due to timber use, additional trash in landfills, increased air pollution from cars, use of nonrenewable resources such as oil for electricity, etc.). 

4.	Conduct a search for “Lakewood, California,” in Google Earth, which is software that allows you to explore maps and satellite images of any site on the planet. (You can download the software for free on the Google Earth Web site, http://earth.google.com.) Show students what Lakewood looks like today and discuss how the area is similar to and different from the depiction in Garnett’s photographs. Ask students to speculate what the environmental impact is now.

5.	Display a reproduction of Tutucanula - El Capitan 3600 ft. Yo Semite by Carleton Watkins and tell students to spend time looking closely at the work of art. Explain that the photograph was taken in Yosemite Valley in California (now part of Yosemite National Park). Lead a discussion with the following questions:
•	What do you see in this photograph? 
•	What shapes do you see? (Triangles, organic shapes, etc.)
•	What kinds of lines do you see? (Curvy lines, vertical lines, etc.)
•	Which lines and shapes are repeated? (Triangles, vertical lines, etc.)
•	What do you notice in the foreground, middle ground, and background? 
•	How are the shapes and lines different than in the photograph by Garnett? 
•	This photograph was made in 1861. How does it contrast with photographs made today? (Black and white, sepia tone, curved image at the top two corners.)

6.	To give students a sense of the time frame during which this photograph was made, explain that California had only been a part of the United States for about 10 years, and the region surrounding Yosemite was still populated by Native Americans. This picture was taken during a time when a camera was as big and heavy as a large television. Instead of camera film, mammoth plates weighing about four pounds each were used. Further explain that there were no roads to these areas of Yosemite. 

Ask students how they think the photographer was able to create these photographs in the wilderness with heavy equipment. After students speculate about and share different possibilities, explain that a photographer at this time would have used mules to transport supplies and the help of several people to prepare and develop glass plates at the site. For more information on the mammoth plate process, see the page "Mammoth Plate Camera" on the Getty Web site (www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/genius/extras_mammoth.html). Ask students what other ways Watkins’s photograph is different from Garnett’s photograph. You may wish to invite students to imagine that they are a bird flying around each scene. What do they notice about each scene? 

7.	Pass out pencils and paper. Tell students to imagine that they are walking around the setting depicted in the Watkins photograph. Have them write three to four sentences describing what they imagine they would do in Yosemite. (Alternatively, for younger grades, have students share their ideas with the whole class while you write down their ideas on the board.) Ask a few students to read their descriptions aloud. In small-group discussions, students will compare and contrast the way land was used in Lakewood versus the way land could be used in Yosemite. Have students share responses and discuss how they think the environment is affected by each type of land use.

8.	Pass out the handout Background Information about Yosemite or share the information in the handout with the class. Explain to the class how a bill becomes a law. For information on this topic, view “How Laws are Made” on the Kids in the House Web site (clerkkids.house.gov/laws/index.html). Revisit students’ responses about how the use of Yosemite could affect the environment. Remind students that many people travel to Yosemite because of its beauty. Even though it is protected, gas is still used when people travel to Yosemite, and people may litter when camping or hiking.

9.	Tell students to work in groups of three. Instruct them to brainstorm ways that the environment is in danger today. What aspects of today’s environment should be protected by the federal government? After students have enough time to brainstorm, tell them to pick one environmental issue that they think is important to address now. Assign the following roles to each student in the small group: researcher, writer, and artist. The researcher will find out more facts about the environmental issue by researching it on the Internet or in the library. Using these facts, the writer will compose a letter to a U.S. Senator or Representative, asking him or her to do something about this environmental issue. The artist will create two drawings on recycled paper or take three to four photographs on a digital camera that could help persuade the government to act. When the members of the group have completed their tasks, the researcher will edit the letter, the writer will choose the best artwork to send with the letter, and the artist will make sure all facts have been covered.

10.	Help students send final copies of the letters and corresponding artworks to a U.S. Senator or Representative.

Assessment
Assess students on their ability to identify lines and shapes in photographs; their use of complete sentences and the inclusion of a date, salutation, body, and closing in their letters; and whether their letters and photographs address a modern-day environmental issue.

Extension
Elementary students could focus on the air-pollution of high-density populations. Dim the lights in the classroom. Being sure to stand at a distance from students, toss a small handful of powder or flour into the air and shine a flashlight on the specks. Explain to students that the powder or flour separates into tiny pieces in the air. These pieces are called particles. Inform students that some particles in the air are harmful to the environment and contribute to air pollution. Air pollution can cause health problems such as lung disease and asthma.

Divide the class into small groups of three students each and instruct them to brainstorm different things that could cause air pollution (i.e., cars, factories, gas stations, volcanoes, fires). After giving students time to brainstorm, ask them to share their responses with the entire class. Next ask students how they think the increased population in Lakewood, specifically, affected the environment—particularly the air quality.

Standards Addressed

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts

Grades 3–5

WRITING
3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing (including multiple-paragraph texts) in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
5.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING
3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
4.6 Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 4 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Visual Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 3
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.5 Identify and describe elements of art in works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, space, and value.

3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
3.1 Compare and describe various works of art that have a similar theme and were created at different time periods.

Grade 4
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.5 Describe and analyze the elements of art (e.g., color, shape/form, line, texture, space, value), emphasizing form, as they are used in works of art and found in the environment.

3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
3.1 Describe how art plays a role in reflecting life (e.g., in photography, quilts, architecture).

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.3 Discuss how the subject and selection of media relate to the meaning or purpose of a work of art.

Grade 5
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.3 Use their knowledge of all the elements of art to describe similarities and differences in works of art and in the environment.

2.0 Creative Expression
2.7 Communicate values, opinions, or personal insights through an original work of art.

History—Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools
 
Grade 3
3.1 Students describe the physical and human geography and use maps, tables, graphs, photographs, and charts to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context. 
2. Trace the ways in which people have used the resources of the local region and modified the physical environment (e.g., a dam constructed upstream changed a river or coastline). 

3.4 Students understand the role of rules and laws in our daily lives and the basic structure of the U.S. government. 
1. Determine the reasons for rules, laws, and the U.S. Constitution; the role of citizenship in the promotion of rules and laws; and the consequences for people who violate rules and laws. 

Grade 4
4.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the physical and human geographic features that define places and regions in California. 
5. Use maps, charts, and pictures to describe how communities in California vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife, climate, population density, architecture, services, and transportation.

4.4 Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development since the 1850s.
4. Describe rapid American immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the growth of towns and cities (e.g., Los Angeles). 

English—Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 3
Writing
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
2.3 Write personal and formal letters, thank-you notes, and invitations

Listening and Speaking
2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
2.3 Make descriptive presentations that use concrete sensory details to set forth and support unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.

Grade 4
Writing
1.0 Writing Strategies
1.7 Use various reference materials (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, card catalog, encyclopedia, online information) as an aid to writing.

2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
2.3 Write information reports.

Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies
1.8 Use details, examples, anecdotes, or experiences to explain or clarify information.

Grade 5
Writing
1.0 Writing Strategies
1.2 Create multiple-paragraph expository compositions.

2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
2.4 Write persuasive letters or compositions.