The Arts · Grade 2

Active learning ideas

Art as Communication

Active learning works for this topic because young students grasp abstract concepts like visual storytelling best through hands-on creation and discussion. When children produce their own art to communicate ideas, the connection between visual choices and meaning becomes immediate and personal.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cn10.1.2a

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

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Feeling Drawings

Each student draws one emotion using only color and shape, no people or objects. Display all works around the room. Students walk the gallery in pairs, writing interpretations on sticky notes placed near each piece. Conclude with artists revealing their intended feelings and comparing notes.

Explain how a painting can tell a story without any text.

Facilitation Tip

During Gallery Walk: Feeling Drawings, have students stand facing the wall to avoid traffic jams and encourage silent observation before discussion.

What to look for

Show students three different artworks (e.g., a bright, abstract piece; a calm landscape; a portrait with intense eyes). Ask them to write down one word describing the feeling each artwork communicates and one visual element (color, shape, line) that helped them decide.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Story Sequence: Wordless Comics

In small groups, students create a three-panel comic strip telling a simple story through images alone. They practice by sketching thumbnails first. Groups present to the class, who guess the narrative, then discuss effective visual choices.

Analyze how an artist uses colors and shapes to communicate a feeling.

Facilitation Tip

For Story Sequence: Wordless Comics, model how to use arrows and panel placement to guide the reader's eye through the story.

What to look for

Present a Canadian Indigenous symbol (like a raven or a maple leaf). Ask students: 'What ideas or stories might this symbol communicate? How does the artist use simple shapes or colors to make it recognizable?' Encourage them to share their interpretations.

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

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 35 min · Pairs

Message Design: Symbol Posters

Pairs select a message like 'Be Kind' and design a poster using symbols, colors, and shapes. They test it by showing to another pair for interpretation. Revise based on feedback before final display.

Design an artwork that communicates a specific message to an audience.

Facilitation Tip

In Message Design: Symbol Posters, limit symbol choices to 3-4 strong options so students focus on intentional meaning rather than complexity.

What to look for

Students create a simple artwork communicating a feeling (e.g., happy, sad, excited). They then swap artworks with a partner. Each partner writes one sentence guessing the feeling and one sentence about which visual element was most effective in communicating it.

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

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Whole Class

Community Symbol Hunt: Whole Class Share

As a class, view photos of local murals and signs. Students sketch one symbol and explain its message. Compile into a class book of interpretations for ongoing reference.

Explain how a painting can tell a story without any text.

Facilitation Tip

During Community Symbol Hunt, assign small groups specific areas to search to prevent overlap and ensure full coverage.

What to look for

Show students three different artworks (e.g., a bright, abstract piece; a calm landscape; a portrait with intense eyes). Ask them to write down one word describing the feeling each artwork communicates and one visual element (color, shape, line) that helped them decide.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling your own thinking aloud when interpreting artworks. Use think-pair-share routines to build confidence in discussing visual choices. Avoid overcorrecting interpretations early on; instead, guide students to support their ideas with evidence from the artwork itself. Research shows that young children develop visual literacy faster when they repeatedly practice describing what they see before making judgments about its meaning.

Successful learning looks like students confidently describing how colors, shapes, and lines convey feelings in artworks. They should also begin to plan intentional visual messages in their own creations, explaining their choices to peers with clear reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Gallery Walk: Feeling Drawings, watch for students who dismiss abstract art as 'not communicating' because it doesn't look real.

  During Gallery Walk: Feeling Drawings, pause at an abstract piece and ask, 'Which shapes or colors feel strongest to you? How might these choices communicate excitement or calm?' Direct students to notice how artists use contrast and repetition even without realistic forms.

• During Story Sequence: Wordless Comics, watch for students who assume colors must represent the same feelings in every artwork.

  During Story Sequence: Wordless Comics, have groups compare their color choices for similar scenes. Ask, 'Why did your group choose red for excitement while another chose yellow?' This highlights how personal and cultural associations shape color meanings.

• During Message Design: Symbol Posters, watch for students who create symbols without considering how others will interpret them.

  During Message Design: Symbol Posters, require students to write a sentence explaining their symbol's meaning before sharing. Ask peers to guess the meaning first, then compare interpretations to show how intentional design improves clarity.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Inside-Outside Circle