The Arts · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Texture and Surface Quality

Active learning works for this topic because texture and surface quality are tactile experiences that students must physically explore to understand. Through hands-on stations and collaborative tasks, students connect technique with sensation, making abstract concepts like implied texture tangible and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cr1.2.HSII
• VA:Cr2.1.HSII

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Texture Media Stations

Set up four stations with pencil, charcoal, ink, and pastel beside a shared still life. Small groups spend 10 minutes at each, drawing the same object to show rough, smooth, and patterned textures. Conclude with groups sharing one sample and technique insights.

How does the choice of drawing medium influence the perceived texture of a subject?

Facilitation Tip

During Station Rotation: Texture Media Stations, set up media groups in clusters of three to encourage side-by-side comparisons of how pencils, charcoal, conté crayon, and ink handle pressure and blending.

What to look for

Present students with three small still life drawings, each emphasizing a different texture (e.g., smooth metal, rough bark, soft fabric). Ask students to identify the primary texture depicted in each and list one specific mark-making technique used to achieve it.

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

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Implied Texture Emotions

Partners choose an emotion and a simple object, then draw it using only implied texture with one medium. They swap drawings to identify the emotion conveyed, discuss adjustments, and revise for clarity.

Compare and contrast the visual impact of smooth versus rough textures in a still life.

Facilitation Tip

For Pairs: Implied Texture Emotions, provide emotion word banks and visual references of textures to help students focus their interpretations beyond basic descriptions.

What to look for

Students display their current drawings focusing on texture. In small groups, students identify one example of implied texture and one example of actual texture in a peer's work. They then offer one specific suggestion for enhancing the sensory quality of the drawing.

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

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 50 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Contrast Gallery Walk

Students create still life drawings emphasizing smooth-rough texture contrasts. Mount works for a gallery walk where class members post notes on visual and emotional impacts. Facilitate a debrief to synthesize observations.

Design a drawing that uses only implied texture to convey a specific emotion.

Facilitation Tip

In Contrast Gallery Walk, place textured still life objects next to the artwork to ground discussions and help students connect real sensation with artistic representation.

What to look for

On an index card, students write the name of one drawing medium they used today. They then describe how that medium helped them create either an implied or actual texture, and name one object from their still life that it represented well.

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

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Individual

Individual: Sensory Texture Journal

Each student collects five real textures via rubbings, then redraws them implied using varied media. They journal how choices alter sensory perception and emotional tone.

How does the choice of drawing medium influence the perceived texture of a subject?

Facilitation Tip

During Sensory Texture Journal, model how to annotate sketches with color-coded notes linking media choices to specific textures and sensory words.

What to look for

Present students with three small still life drawings, each emphasizing a different texture (e.g., smooth metal, rough bark, soft fabric). Ask students to identify the primary texture depicted in each and list one specific mark-making technique used to achieve it.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by modeling mark-making techniques first, then stepping back to let students experiment with pressure, layering, and blending before refining their work. Avoid over-prescribing which media should represent which textures, as this limits creative problem-solving. Research shows students learn texture best when they can physically manipulate materials and observe immediate results, so prioritize tactile engagement over theoretical explanations early in the process.

Successful learning looks like students confidently selecting and manipulating drawing media to create distinct textures, articulating how their mark-making choices evoke specific sensations in viewers. You will see purposeful experimentation, peer discussions about sensory responses, and revisions based on feedback.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Texture Media Stations, watch for students assuming that only charcoal can create rough textures.

  Have students experiment with light pressure on pencils and conté crayon to create subtle roughness, then compare their results side-by-side with charcoal trials to see the range of possibilities.

• During Pairs: Implied Texture Emotions, students may believe texture must look hyper-realistic to be effective.

  Pair students to interpret emotional responses in abstract sketches using only stippling or scumbling, then discuss how minimal marks can still evoke strong sensations.

• During Contrast Gallery Walk, students might think texture is secondary to color or form in artwork.

  Guide students to focus on how textured areas draw their fingers and eyes, then discuss how these elements amplify emotional engagement in the work.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Experiential Learning