The Arts · Grade 8

Active learning ideas

Texture: Visual and Tactile

Students learn texture best when they move beyond passive observation to actively engage with both the look and feel of surfaces. When they trace, layer, and discuss textures, they build a deeper understanding of how artists manipulate these elements to shape meaning in their work.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cr1.2.8a
• VA:Re7.1.8a

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Texture Analysis

Project 6-8 artworks showing varied textures. Students walk the room in groups, sketching examples of visual and tactile textures and noting mood impacts. Groups then share one insight per artwork with the class.

Analyze how different textures contribute to the overall mood or message of an artwork.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, position students in pairs and assign each pair one artwork to analyze, so everyone participates and you can circulate to listen in on discussions.

What to look for

Present students with 3-5 images of artworks. Ask them to identify whether the primary texture is implied or actual, and to write one sentence explaining their reasoning for each.

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

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Pairs

Texture Rubbing Stations

Set up stations with leaves, bark, fabric, and mesh. Students create rubbings using crayons on paper to produce visual textures, then add tactile elements like glue. Compare results in pairs.

Differentiate between actual texture and implied texture in a given piece.

Facilitation Tip

At the Texture Rubbing Stations, provide multiple types of paper and tools so students can experiment with pressure and layering to create distinct tactile and visual contrasts.

What to look for

Display a student's work in progress that uses both implied and tactile textures. Ask the class: 'How does the combination of these textures affect the story or feeling the artist is trying to communicate? What specific elements create this effect?'

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

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 50 min · Individual

Mixed Media Mood Collage

Students select a mood and emotion, then layer visual textures via drawing with collage papers and tactile ones with found objects. They explain choices in a short artist statement.

Construct an artwork that incorporates both visual and tactile textures to enhance its meaning.

Facilitation Tip

For the Mixed Media Mood Collage, set up a drying area and a supply table with explicit examples of how to layer textures to avoid overcrowding or muddy visuals.

What to look for

Students bring their completed artworks to a small group. Each student shares their artwork and explains their textural choices. Group members provide feedback using prompts: 'I notice you used [specific technique] for texture. How does this contribute to the artwork's meaning?' and 'What is one way the tactile texture enhances the visual message?'

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

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Blind Texture Partners

One partner describes a hidden textured sample without naming it; the other draws the implied visual texture. Switch roles, then reveal and discuss perceptual matches.

Analyze how different textures contribute to the overall mood or message of an artwork.

Facilitation Tip

In Blind Texture Partners, remind students to describe textures using only sensory language, not the material names, to heighten their tactile awareness.

What to look for

Present students with 3-5 images of artworks. Ask them to identify whether the primary texture is implied or actual, and to write one sentence explaining their reasoning for each.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with tactile experiences first, as research shows students grasp texture more intuitively when they can physically interact with materials. Avoid rushing to definitions—let students discover the difference between visual and tactile through guided exploration. Use questioning to push their thinking, like asking, 'What do you notice about how the artist made you feel this without touching it?'.

Students will confidently identify and discuss visual and tactile textures, explain their emotional impact, and intentionally combine them in their own artworks. They will use precise vocabulary to analyze how texture contributes to an artwork’s mood and narrative.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Texture Rubbing Stations, watch for students who assume all textures must be physically felt to be valid.

  Remind them that visual texture is designed to be seen but not touched, and have them compare their rubbings to printed images to see how lines create the illusion of texture without physical variation.

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students who dismiss visual textures as less impactful than tactile ones.

  Ask them to focus on mood words in the artwork descriptions and point out how implied textures like cracked paint or soft brushstrokes shape the viewer’s emotional response just as powerfully as raised surfaces.

• During the Mixed Media Mood Collage, watch for students who layer textures without purpose, thinking the more layers the better.

  Have them step back and ask, 'Does this layered texture serve the mood I want?' and revise by removing or simplifying elements to strengthen their message.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Experiential Learning