Temple Gardens Creation

Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, Year 1 students will use their previous sketches and watercolour skills to create an artwork inspired by Paul Klee’s ‘Temple Gardens’. This activity encourages exploration of composition with an emphasis on lines, shapes, and colours, linking directly to the National Curriculum for Art and Design. The lesson ensures students can express themselves creatively while developing foundational artistic techniques.

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National Curriculum Objectives

Art and Design - Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
  • Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
  • Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
  • Learn about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Use watercolour paints to fill shapes with controlled brush strokes.
• Combine lines and geometric shapes in a balanced composition.
• Select and mix colours purposefully to create mood and interest.
• Talk about the choices made in their artwork and link them to Paul Klee’s style.
• Demonstrate an understanding of simple art vocabulary such as composition, lines, shapes, and colours.

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Resources

• Watercolour paints (primary colours plus black and white)
• Water pots and brushes (various sizes)
• A4 heavyweight watercolour paper (one per pupil)
• Pencils and erasers
• Previous lesson sketches of ‘Temple Gardens’ inspired shapes
• Example images of Paul Klee’s ‘Temple Gardens’ (teacher’s reference only)
• Smock/aprons for pupils
• Paper towels
• Colour mixing charts (visual aids)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Briefly revisit Paul Klee’s ‘Temple Gardens’ and look at key characteristics: use of geometric shapes, lines, and bright colours.
• Show examples of pupils’ sketch work from previous lessons and explain that today they will bring these sketches to life using watercolour paints.
• Highlight key art words: composition (arrangement of shapes and lines on paper), and how lines and colours can make art interesting.

Engagement Strategy:
Ask, “What shapes do you see in Temple Gardens? How do the colours make you feel?” to activate prior knowledge.

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2. Demonstration (10 minutes)

• Demonstrate basic watercolour techniques focusing on:
  • How to hold and control the brush for filling shapes without going out of lines.
  • Mixing primary colours to create secondary colours (green, orange, purple).
  • Using lines and shapes to create balance in composition.
  • Emphasise the joy of experimentation and “happy accidents.”

Key Teaching Point:
Show layering colours lightly to create depth without spoiling paper texture.

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3. Main Activity - Creating ‘Temple Gardens’ Artwork (30 minutes)

• Children will use their sketches and apply watercolour techniques to paint their interpretation of ‘Temple Gardens’.
• Encourage students to think about:
  • Placement of shapes (composition) to fill the paper harmoniously.
  • Colour mixing to recreate bold, bright colours like Klee.
  • Using lines either to outline shapes or as additional design elements.

Differentiation:

• Support available for pupils needing help with brush control.
• More able pupils encouraged to experiment layering colours and adding extra details.

Classroom Management Tip:
Play gentle, instrumental music inspired by the era of Paul Klee to maintain a creative atmosphere.

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4. Reflection & Sharing (10 minutes)

• Invite children to pair up and describe their artwork using new vocabulary: “I used red and green to make the garden bright,” or “My lines help the shapes stand out.”
• Select 3-4 volunteers to share their work with the class, focusing on their composition and colour choices.
• Praise risk-taking and effort, reinforcing that every artwork is unique and valuable.

Assessment:

• Formative observation during work: assess brush control, colour mixing, and compositional planning.
• Use questioning in reflection to check understanding of vocabulary and artistic choices.

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Assessment Criteria

Criteria	Emerging	Expected	Exceeding
Brush control	Paints with shaky or uneven lines	Uses brush with reasonable control	Consistently clean, controlled brush strokes
Colour use	Uses only primary colours	Mixes some secondary colours	Mixes colours confidently and uses layering
Composition	Shapes placed randomly	Shapes arranged with balance	Shows deliberate, thoughtful composition
Use of vocabulary	Minimal use of new vocabulary	Uses terms like line, shape, colour	Explains artistic choices with confident vocabulary

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Extension Ideas

• Create simple 3D paper sculptures of shapes inspired by the artwork next lesson (Lesson 5).
• Use digital drawing tablets to replicate watercolour effects for a tech-integrated art project.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Maths: Shapes and spatial reasoning
• PSHE: Expressing feelings through colours
• History: Introduction to artists and cultural context

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Teacher’s Notes:

• Ensure pupils wear aprons to protect clothing from watercolour.
• Plan seating to avoid over-crowding and allow easy access to shared resources.
• Use positive language to encourage creativity and risk-taking.
• Repeat key vocabulary often to embed new terms.

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By following this detailed plan, teachers will engage Year 1 pupils creatively and confidently, meeting the national curriculum’s aims and encouraging artistic development inspired by Paul Klee’s expressive style.