Seasons

In the UK, we have four seasons and each season has its own type of weather. These changing seasons are some of the most important markers of the year; Spring is the season of new growth, with buds growing on trees and many animals and birds being born; Summer is the warmest season with plants and flowers growing; in Autumn the leaves start to fall off the trees and the weather becomes colder with some animals going into hibernation; in Winter the temperature drops even further with frost and sometimes snow, and nothing grows because  it is so cold! Each season affects the way plants and animals live, as well as the way we live and the things that we do. The archive documents below provide examples of how life changes along with the seasons. Elements of the seasons, such as the intensity of summer heatwaves, also indicate that the climate is changing and the planet is heating up. How might this change our lives in the future and impact on the natural world?

Big Draw activity:

The colours of these documents perfectly capture the changing colours of the seasons.  Using the documents as inspiration, create four collage trees to represent the seasons.

Draw four outlines of a tree trunk – you can do this free-hand, or even drawing around the outline of your hand and arm.  The shape of your fingers can make realistic branches!

You can use whatever materials you like to create the seasonal leaves on the trees. You could use pencils or felt tips to draw them on, or paper/tissue paper to cut out the leaves and then glue them on.  Perhaps you could find some leaves outside which match the seasons too!

Optional extension: Once you’ve completed the set of seasonal trees, you could add backgrounds to create a whole seasonal scene adding different animals or seasonal activities! For example, a snowman in winter.

Please send in pictures of your seasonal artworks by tagging us on Twitter: @UKNatArcEdu #BigGreenDraw #ClimateOfChange @The_Big_Draw

COPY 1/114 – advert for Spring Bulbs in 1895

COPY 1/292 – travel advert for the resort of Seaford in East Sussex, 1901

NSC 62/8 – artwork of Patterdale, Cumbria for a Post Office publicity campaign called ‘Wherever you go’, 1954

COPY 1/403 – photograph of Henley Reach which had frozen over during winter of 1891