In this lesson, students will embark on a discovery of the remarkable Hudson River School of Painting. We will discuss the key artists of the movement such as Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Asher Durand, Jasper Cropsey, and Albert Bierstadt. The students will view the breathtaking paintings of America's first art movement, in addition to learning the history behind them. We will learn the components of The Claudian Mode, the formula that Hudson River School painters employed in their paintings. We will explore the environmental activism that was at the very heart of the movement, by reading the artists' own insightful writings. We will also explore other related topics such as manifest destiny and Transcendentalism. After learning the history behind this naturalistic movement, we will connect the forward thinking environmental philosophy with relevant current topics. In conclusion, we will engage in a conversation about how we can use art to preserve and promote the environment today, just as these painters did so many years ago.