The Arts · Grade 6

Active learning ideas

Art and Technology: Digital Tools

Active learning works well here because students need to experience the differences between digital and traditional media firsthand. Handling tools side-by-side helps them notice details that lectures alone might miss, making abstract concepts like iteration and editing feel concrete.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cn11.1.6a
• VA:Cr2.1.6a

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Flipped Classroom
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs: Digital-Traditional Matchup

Pair students: one uses paper and markers, the other a tablet app like Autodesk Sketchbook. Both create an image expressing a social emotion in 10 minutes. Pairs then switch tools and discuss differences in process and outcome.

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of creating art using digital tools versus traditional media.

Facilitation Tip

During the Digital-Traditional Matchup, circulate to ask each pair to point out one detail that only becomes visible when working in one medium versus the other.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an artist preparing for a gallery show. What are the top two advantages and two disadvantages of using digital tools versus traditional paint and canvas for your work?' Have students share their thoughts and justify their reasoning.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Flipped Classroom
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Mock Social Media Feed

Groups use Google Slides to build a simulated Instagram feed with sample artworks. They add captions, likes, and comments, then analyze how posts gain traction. Present findings to class on sharing impacts.

Analyze how social media platforms impact the way art is shared and consumed.

Facilitation Tip

In the Mock Social Media Feed activity, remind groups to include a caption that frames the artwork for a specific audience, not just a generic description.

What to look for

Present students with screenshots of different social media posts featuring art. Ask them to identify one way the platform influences how the art is presented and one way it might influence how viewers engage with it. Collect responses for review.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Flipped Classroom
• 50 min · Individual

Individual: Issue-Focused Digital Piece

Students select a social issue like climate change and create art using free tools such as Google Drawings or Tux Paint. Include elements like text overlays. Export and reflect on tool choices in a journal entry.

Design a digital artwork that explores a contemporary social issue.

Facilitation Tip

For the Issue-Focused Digital Piece, require students to annotate their work with brief notes explaining how each layer or effect connects to their chosen issue.

What to look for

Students share a digital artwork draft they are creating. Partners provide feedback using a simple rubric: 'Does the artwork clearly address a social issue? Are the digital tools used effectively to convey the message? What is one suggestion for improvement?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Flipped Classroom
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Virtual Gallery Critique

Compile student works into a shared Padlet or Google Site gallery. Class tours digitally, leaving sticky-note feedback. Conclude with group discussion on curation strengths.

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of creating art using digital tools versus traditional media.

Facilitation Tip

During the Virtual Gallery Critique, assign each student to focus on one artwork and one artist statement, then share their findings with the class.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an artist preparing for a gallery show. What are the top two advantages and two disadvantages of using digital tools versus traditional paint and canvas for your work?' Have students share their thoughts and justify their reasoning.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model both excitement and caution about digital tools, showing students when precision helps and when it can feel sterile. Avoid presenting digital as superior or traditional as outdated, instead framing both as choices with trade-offs. Research suggests students learn best when they see real examples of how tools shape outcomes, so bring in examples of professional work that uses both media effectively.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how digital tools change the creative process, not just describing them. They should use specific examples from their work to compare media, and support their views with observations from peer discussions and critiques.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Digital-Traditional Matchup activity, watch for students assuming digital art is easier because they can undo mistakes.

  Ask pairs to plan their sketches on paper first, then reproduce the same sketch digitally. Have them note how many adjustments they make in each medium, emphasizing that planning and layer management in digital work still require careful thought.

• During the Digital-Traditional Matchup activity, watch for students claiming traditional media always expresses emotions more deeply.

  Have pairs sketch the same emotional scene using both mediums, then discuss which details feel more expressive in each version. Encourage them to point to specific textures or brushstrokes that contribute to the mood.

• During the Mock Social Media Feed activity, watch for students believing social media sharing only increases an artist's fame.

  Challenge groups to create a feed that highlights an underrepresented artist or a social issue. Ask them to include a caption that explains why they chose that focus, guiding them to see sharing as a way to influence conversations, not just gain followers.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Flipped Classroom