The Arts · Grade 1

Active learning ideas

Texture: How Things Feel and Look

Active learning helps students connect sensory experiences to visual representation. When Grade 1 students touch and describe textures, they build vocabulary and observational skills that translate into intentional mark-making and material choices in art. Movement and hands-on exploration keep young learners engaged while deepening their understanding of texture beyond surface-level identification.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cr2.1.1a

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Texture Hunt: Classroom Safari

Students hunt for bumpy, smooth, rough items in pairs, sketch and label them. Return to seats to recreate using drawing tools.

Can you find something in the room that feels bumpy? How could you show that in a drawing?

Facilitation Tip

During Texture Hunt, provide a timer to keep students moving efficiently while encouraging them to describe textures aloud to build oral language.

What to look for

Present students with 3-4 small objects (e.g., a smooth stone, a piece of sandpaper, a cotton ball, a textured leaf). Ask students to point to the object that is bumpy and then to the one that is smooth, verbally describing why.

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

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Rubbing Plates

Provide textured plates under paper for crayon rubbings. Groups layer colors and cut to collage a textured animal. Share one texture per group.

Can you make a drawing that has something rough and something smooth in it?

Facilitation Tip

For Rubbing Plates, model how to hold the paper steady and press firmly, then move the crayon in small circles to avoid tearing thin paper.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one line that looks bumpy and one line that looks smooth. Then, have them write one sentence about how they made the bumpy line look bumpy.

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

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Texture Storytime

Read a textured book, pass real objects. Class draws a scene with varied textures, discussing artist choices.

Look at this picture , how did the artist make the rock look rough?

Facilitation Tip

Before Texture Storytime, gather a basket of textured objects to pass around so students can feel the textures as you read aloud.

What to look for

Show students a picture of a landscape artwork. Ask: 'How do you think the artist made the grass look soft? How did they make the rocks look hard and rough? What materials might they have used?'

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

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: My Texture Box

Students select materials to fill a box outline, drawing implied textures around. Present to partner.

Can you find something in the room that feels bumpy? How could you show that in a drawing?

Facilitation Tip

When students create My Texture Box, circulate with guiding questions like 'What would this texture look like if you drew it?' to prompt connections.

What to look for

Present students with 3-4 small objects (e.g., a smooth stone, a piece of sandpaper, a cotton ball, a textured leaf). Ask students to point to the object that is bumpy and then to the one that is smooth, verbally describing why.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach texture as a bridge between sensory and visual arts by pairing touch with sight. Avoid rushing to final products; instead, focus on process and experimentation. Research shows that guided drawing with tactile references helps students internalize line variation, while collaborative activities build shared vocabulary and observational skills. Keep lessons playful and open-ended to accommodate diverse learners.

Students will accurately describe tactile and visual textures using specific vocabulary. They will use rubbing, drawing, and collage techniques to replicate textures from their environment. Peer sharing and teacher feedback will reinforce their ability to distinguish between real and implied texture in artworks.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Texture Hunt, watch for students who collect objects but don’t describe their textures aloud.

  Prompt students to say, 'This leaf is bumpy because...' or 'This rock is rough because...' before they add it to their collection. Encourage them to compare textures directly to each other.

• During Rubbing Plates, watch for students who press too lightly or move the crayon too quickly, creating faint or inconsistent textures.

  Demonstrate how to press firmly and move the crayon slowly in tiny circles. Have students practice on scrap paper first to feel the difference between a successful and weak rubbing.

• During My Texture Box, watch for students who copy textures exactly without considering how they would look visually.

  Ask students to close their eyes and feel the texture before opening them to draw or write about how they would represent it with lines or patterns. Compare their real texture to their drawing.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle