Technologies · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Telling Stories with Pictures

Active learning works well for this topic because storytelling through pictures relies on visual experimentation and immediate feedback. Students need to test color choices and sequencing in real time to grasp how images communicate emotions and events.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2P04

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs: Color Emotion Swap

Pairs use drawing apps to create two scenes: one happy with bright colors, one sad with cool tones. They swap devices, guess the emotion from visuals alone, and discuss color choices. End with pairs combining elements into a short sequence.

Design a sequence of pictures to tell a story without words.

Facilitation Tip

During Color Emotion Swap, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'Why did you choose this color for the character's face?' to deepen reflection.

What to look for

Students pair up and present their picture sequences. Partners identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story. They then offer one suggestion for how the story could be clearer or more interesting.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Wordless Storyboard Race

Groups of three to four draw a four-panel sequence telling a simple adventure story, like a lost toy's journey. Use image libraries for backgrounds. Groups present to the class, who retell the story to check clarity.

Explain how different colors can make a picture feel happy or sad.

Facilitation Tip

During Wordless Storyboard Race, remind groups to assign specific roles (creator, arranger, presenter) to keep everyone engaged.

What to look for

Display two simple digital drawings side-by-side: one using bright, warm colors and one using dark, cool colors. Ask students to hold up a green card if the first drawing feels happy and a red card if it feels sad. Repeat for the second drawing.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Digital vs Paper Challenge

Project a simple scene prompt. Half the class draws on paper, half digitally; switch after five minutes. Discuss differences in ease of changes, colors, and sharing as a group.

Compare how a digital drawing is different from a drawing on paper.

Facilitation Tip

During Digital vs Paper Challenge, provide a checklist of features (eraser, layers, color palettes) for students to compare side-by-side.

What to look for

On a small piece of paper, students draw one picture that shows a happy feeling and one picture that shows a sad feeling, using only color. They then write one sentence comparing how they made the drawing on the computer versus how they would draw it on paper.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: My Morning Sequence

Each student creates three to five images showing their morning routine without words. Add color to show feelings. Share one panel with a neighbor for quick feedback.

Design a sequence of pictures to tell a story without words.

Facilitation Tip

During My Morning Sequence, encourage students to narrate their pictures aloud as they draw to reinforce the storytelling purpose.

What to look for

Students pair up and present their picture sequences. Partners identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story. They then offer one suggestion for how the story could be clearer or more interesting.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by treating visuals as a language students already speak but need to refine. Start with quick, low-stakes experiments like color swaps to build confidence, then move to sequencing. Avoid over-emphasizing technical perfection in drawing; focus on the clarity of emotion and plot instead. Research shows young students grasp abstract concepts like emotion better through hands-on, collaborative visual tasks than through verbal explanations alone.

Successful learning looks like students using colors intentionally to express emotions and arranging images in a clear sequence to tell a story. They should confidently explain their choices and compare digital and paper methods with thoughtful reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Color Emotion Swap, watch for students assuming color choices are arbitrary or personal preference.

  Use the peer swap to prompt students to explain their color choices out loud, then have partners guess the intended emotion before revealing. Compare class results to show patterns.

• During Digital vs Paper Challenge, watch for students dismissing digital tools as 'less creative' without trying them.

  Have groups create one element both ways (e.g., a sun) and compare the textures and layers. Ask, 'Which version feels more exciting? Why?' to shift their focus to creative possibilities.

• During Wordless Storyboard Race, watch for students treating the activity as a puzzle to solve rather than a story to tell.

  After the race, display one group’s storyboard and ask the class, 'What do you think happened before the first picture? What might happen next?' to reinforce narrative thinking over single events.

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session