The Arts · Grade 1

Active learning ideas

Exploring Expressive Lines

Active learning works well for this topic because children need to use their whole bodies and senses to feel the difference between a bold zigzag and a wispy curl. Moving between stations and creating large-scale lines on the floor helps students internalize how lines carry mood and energy in a way that sitting still with a worksheet cannot.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cr1.1.1a

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Line Textures

Set up four stations with different tools like charcoal, thick markers, thin pens, and wet brushes. Students move in small groups to each station to create 'mood lines' (angry, sleepy, or excited) and compare how the tool changes the line's character.

Can you show me a wiggly line? What does it make you think of?

Facilitation Tip

During Station Rotation: Line Textures, set up no more than four stations so students can fully explore each material without rushing.

What to look for

Hold up cards with different line types (e.g., a thick wavy line, a thin zigzag line). Ask students to point to an object in the classroom that has a similar line or describe what feeling the line might represent.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Line Detectives

Show a piece of art, such as a Norval Morrisseau painting, and ask students to find one 'energetic' line. They share their choice with a partner and explain why that line looks like it is moving.

What happens when a line goes all the way around to make a closed shape?

Facilitation Tip

In Think-Pair-Share: Line Detectives, provide a magnifying glass at each art example to encourage close observation of real-life lines.

What to look for

Show students two drawings of the same object, one using only straight lines and the other using only curved lines. Ask: 'How do the lines change how the object looks or feels? Which drawing shows more movement? Why?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Whole Class

Inquiry Circle: Giant Floor Lines

Using painter's tape on the floor, the class works together to create a giant map of lines that represent different terrains like mountains (jagged) or rivers (wavy). Students then walk along the lines to feel the rhythm of each shape.

What do you think would happen if you drew a very thick line? What about a very thin one?

Facilitation Tip

For Giant Floor Lines, use painter’s tape to outline the space first so students know exactly where to move and draw.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one line that shows 'excitement' and another line that shows 'calmness'. They should label each line with the emotion it represents.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model drawing lines with exaggerated movements, letting students see how a heavy arm creates a thick line while a light wrist makes a thin one. Avoid correcting students’ line shapes too soon, because early experimentation with varied lines builds creativity. Research suggests that young children learn best when they connect abstract concepts like ‘calm’ or ‘energetic’ to physical actions, so pair vocabulary with big body movements.

Successful learning looks like students confidently naming line types, describing how lines feel, and choosing the right kind of line to express an emotion or texture in their own work. They should also begin to critique each other’s lines using the vocabulary they’ve practiced.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Line Textures, watch for students who only trace shapes with lines instead of exploring the textures themselves.

  Ask students to close their eyes and feel the texture with their hands before drawing a line that matches it, emphasizing the connection between touch and mark-making.

• During Think-Pair-Share: Line Detectives, watch for students who point to colors or shapes rather than describing the lines in the artwork.

  Provide sentence stems like, 'I see a line that looks like...' to guide their observations toward line qualities such as jagged, smooth, or looping.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle