Place Yourself

Have your students think about the landscapes they saw in Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: Treasures from Kenwood House, London. You may need to remind your students that a landscape is a painting of an outdoor scene.

Open up a short discussion to share some of the scenes that they remember. What was it like? What was the weather like? Was it a sea scene or did it take place on land?

Have your students each choose a landscape they want to focus on. They should jot down words that describe their landscape.

Then, students should write a narrative imagining themselves (or, perhaps, a fictional character—such as one in a book you are reading in class) in the scene. Have them use their five senses: What does it look like, smell like, feel like, sound like? Is there anything to taste?