New
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Lesson 3 of 5
  • Year 4

Recording environmental textures

I can identify and record a range of natural and human-made textures, and capture these textures using photography.

Lesson 3 of 5
New
New
  • Year 4

Recording environmental textures

I can identify and record a range of natural and human-made textures, and capture these textures using photography.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Observing and identifying natural and human-made textures helps us understand the world around us.
  2. Drawing and recording different textures can help artists remember places and ideas.
  3. Using photography techniques like zoom and careful composition captures detailed textures for artwork.

Keywords

  • Texture - how a surface feels or looks

  • Natural - something that comes from nature and is not made by humans

  • Human-made - something created or built by people

  • Zoom - to make something appear closer in a photo

Common misconception

Pupils might think that anything found outside is natural, even if it is actually human-made. For example, bricks, fences, playground equipment, or painted surfaces.

Remind children that natural means it comes from nature and wasn’t made by people. Human-made means humans designed or built it, even if you find it outside.


To help you plan your year 4 art and design lesson on: Recording environmental textures, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Teacher to source best options for camera e.g. digital tablet.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Photo capturing device (tablet or camera).

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is plastic waste?

new toys
Correct answer: old plastic things people throw away
fresh fruits
trees

Q2.
True or false? Artists can use plastic waste to make new artworks.

Correct Answer: true

Q3.
Which part of a plastic bottle might look interesting in a close-up photo?

the cap
the label
the crinkled surface
Correct answer: all of the above

Q4.
When taking photos, we can use __________ to make the object look closer and see more details.

zoo
zap
zone
Correct answer: zoom

Q5.
Where is Henderson Island?

in the middle of the city
Correct answer: a remote island in the Pacific Ocean
a desert in Africa

Q6.
How can artists help people understand the problem of plastic waste on islands like Henderson Island?

by making artworks from plastic waste
by taking photos of polluted places
by sharing stories about pollution
Correct answer: all of the above

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is a natural texture?

brick wall
Correct answer: tree bark
fabric
concrete pavement

Q2.
True or false? Using digital zoom always makes a photo clearer.

Correct Answer: false

Q3.
When taking a photo of texture, it’s good to __________ in to fill the frame and show details clearly.

zone
Correct answer: zoom
zap

Q4.
Match the keyword to its meaning:

Correct Answer:texture,how a surface feels or looks

how a surface feels or looks

Correct Answer:zoom,to make something appear closer

to make something appear closer

Correct Answer:human-made,something created or built by people

something created or built by people