Technologies · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Creating Digital Characters

Active learning works because young students learn best when they move, talk, and create. These activities let Year 1 students explore shapes and colors through hands-on tasks like pairing up or moving around the room, which builds understanding faster than passive listening.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2P04

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hundred Languages
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Shape Swap Challenge

Pairs open a shared digital canvas and take turns adding shapes to a base character: one adds circles for friendliness, the other triangles for strength. They discuss and vote on which looks kinder. Switch roles and redraw.

Design a digital character that looks friendly and kind.

Facilitation Tip

During Shape Swap Challenge, ensure pairs have clear roles: one draws shapes first, the other redraws them with a different meaning before switching roles.

What to look for

Present students with 2-3 simple character sketches that primarily use different shapes (e.g., one round, one angular). Ask students to hold up a green card if the character looks friendly and a red card if it looks strong or tough. Discuss their choices.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Hundred Languages
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Color Personality Gallery

Groups use drawing apps to create three characters with different color schemes representing happy, sad, and brave. Each member adds one color layer. Display on class projector for group explanations of choices.

Compare how different shapes can make a character look strong or weak.

Facilitation Tip

For Color Personality Gallery, provide a color wheel handout so students can compare hues before selecting colors for their character.

What to look for

Students draw a simple smiley face on a small piece of paper. They then write one sentence explaining why they chose the shapes and colors they did to make it look happy. Collect these as they leave.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Hundred Languages
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Digital Character Parade

Students draw individual characters then share screens in a class parade. Classmates suggest one shape or color tweak for friendliness. Students apply changes live and explain the impact.

Explain how a character's colors can tell us about their personality.

Facilitation Tip

In Digital Character Parade, have students rehearse a one-sentence introduction of their character using its shapes and colors before sharing with the class.

What to look for

Students pair up and show their digital character designs to each other. Each student asks their partner: 'What do you think my character's personality is, based on its shapes and colors?' The partner responds with one observation.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Hundred Languages
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: My Character Diary

Students create a digital page with their character plus notes on shapes and colors used. Add a speech bubble describing personality. Save and print for portfolios.

Design a digital character that looks friendly and kind.

Facilitation Tip

For My Character Diary, model how to use simple sentences with sentence starters like 'My character is... because it has...' to support reluctant writers.

What to look for

Present students with 2-3 simple character sketches that primarily use different shapes (e.g., one round, one angular). Ask students to hold up a green card if the character looks friendly and a red card if it looks strong or tough. Discuss their choices.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Focus on guiding students to make deliberate choices rather than aiming for polished art. Research shows that when young learners articulate their thinking aloud, their understanding deepens. Keep tools simple and model trial and error to normalize mistakes as part of the creative process. Avoid praising only the final product; instead, highlight thoughtful decisions during creation.

Students will confidently explain how shape and color choices affect their character's personality. They will share ideas with peers and use the digital tools purposefully to create a character that clearly conveys a trait like kindness or strength.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Characters must look exactly like real people to be good.

  During Shape Swap Challenge, remind students that tools let them mix shapes freely. Ask pairs to focus on abstract designs and share how these spark stories, shifting attention from perfection to expression through trial and error.

• Colors are just for decoration and do not change how a character seems.

  During Color Personality Gallery, prompt students to compare colors and explain their choices. Ask, 'Why did you pick blue? What feeling does it give your character?' to build visual literacy through active critique.

• Any shape works for any feeling; it is all about the face.

  During Shape Swap Challenge, have students redraw body shapes and observe peer reactions. Ask, 'Does this oval body still look soft even without a smiley face?' to confirm that body shape impacts mood.

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Methods used in this brief

• Hundred Languages