The Arts · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Monoprinting

Active learning works well here because monoprinting’s tactile, unpredictable results demand hands-on trial and adaptation. Students build conceptual understanding through immediate sensory feedback, which clarifies how pressure, tools, and reversed impressions shape the final artwork.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA6S01
• AC9AVA6D01

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Demo: First Monoprint Pull

Model spreading paint on gel plates, drawing lines with sticks, and pressing paper to pull prints. Students replicate with individual plates, creating one print each. Gather to compare results and note unique variations.

Explain how the process of monoprinting allows for unique artistic expression in a single print.

Facilitation Tip

During the Whole Class Demo, pause after each step to let students predict what the transfer will look like before pressing the paper.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to list three distinct tools or objects they could use to create texture on a monoprint plate and briefly explain the type of mark each might make.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Texture Station Rotation

Set up stations with materials like bubble wrap, leaves, and combs for texture. Groups ink plates, press one texture per turn, pull prints, and record effects. Rotate every 7 minutes for four trials.

Design a monoprint that effectively uses texture and line to create an image.

Facilitation Tip

In Small Groups: Texture Station Rotation, rotate tools every 2 minutes so students experience how different objects create varied marks quickly.

What to look for

Display a student's monoprint alongside a similar drawing. Ask: 'What differences do you notice in how the line and texture were created? How does the printing process change the final appearance compared to drawing?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs: Narrative Layered Print

Pairs sketch a simple story scene emphasizing line and texture. One partner inks and textures the plate; the other pulls the first print, then they layer a second color and pull again. Switch roles for balance.

Critique the unique qualities of a monoprint compared to a drawing or painting.

Facilitation Tip

For Pairs: Narrative Layered Print, insist students sketch a simple 3-step plan on scrap paper before starting to build intentionality.

What to look for

Students exchange their completed monoprints. Prompt them to identify one element of line and one element of texture in their partner's work and write one sentence describing its effect on the overall image.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Individual

Individual: Personal Monoprint Series

Students create three sequential monoprints on a theme, varying textures and lines each time. They select their favorite for display and note what made it unique in a quick reflection.

Explain how the process of monoprinting allows for unique artistic expression in a single print.

Facilitation Tip

For Individual: Personal Monoprint Series, provide a two-minute timer between pulls so students practice observing and adjusting rather than rushing.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to list three distinct tools or objects they could use to create texture on a monoprint plate and briefly explain the type of mark each might make.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this unit by framing monoprinting as a dialogue between control and chance. Model how to plan an initial layer but stay open to surprises, using think-alouds to show decision-making. Research shows that iterative pulls help students internalize pressure and reversal concepts more deeply than single attempts, so prioritize time for multiple trials over perfecting one print.

Students will demonstrate growing control over layered images by selecting tools intentionally, adjusting pressure, and reflecting on how changes affect ghosting and texture. Success looks like confident experimentation with distinct marks and purposeful use of plate-to-paper transfer.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Whole Class Demo: First Monoprint Pull, watch for students assuming every print will look identical if they use the same tools and pressure.

  Pause after the first pull and ask students to describe what changed when you increased or decreased pressure on the second pull, pointing out ink spread and ghosting differences to highlight variability.

• During Small Groups: Texture Station Rotation, watch for students treating the plate like a painting canvas where marks stay fixed.

  Have students press a test print after each tool use to immediately see how the transfer reverses their marks, reinforcing the difference between direct application and plate-to-paper imagery.

• During Pairs: Narrative Layered Print, watch for students believing the final image is accidental and uncontrollable.

  Ask partners to compare their first and second pulls, identifying which marks were intentional and which emerged unexpectedly, then adjust their third pull based on this reflection.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning