After reading an article on PBS teachers called The Artist and Their Environment http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7867/preview/ I have an idea for a lesson based on the article. Often landscapes are not exciting projects to students like still life's or the other basic projects.
The point is to see how environment effects an artist. I think you could make this into a fairly elaborate project for advanced art students. Students could pick a landscape artist they find interesting and research their personal life extensively. After researching an artist the student could make a video on the artist's life and how it effected their art. After making the video the student could work on a project that shows their environment's influence on their art. This would be a great way to have students create landscape in a interesting and meaningful way.
Kathleen Dinges. The Artist and Their Environment (2011)
This is a great idea. You are incorporating art history and art production. It is an interesting spin on landscape art.
The students could also make an informational podcast on their artist.