Art and Design · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Creating Simple Comic Strips

Active learning through drawing and discussion helps Year 1 students grasp narrative sequencing in a way that static worksheets cannot. When children physically move panels, take turns drawing, and talk about their choices, they internalize the flow of stories without over-relying on verbal explanations.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Art and Design - Drawing

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Panel Sequencing Game

Pairs draw three panels for a shared story prompt, like 'a lost puppy'. They cut panels and swap orders to see story changes, then discuss impacts. Reassemble into final comic and present.

Differentiate the beginning, middle, and end of a story in a visual sequence.

Facilitation Tip

During the Panel Sequencing Game, circulate with pre-cut panels and ask pairs to explain why they placed one panel before another, reinforcing oral reasoning.

What to look for

Observe students as they draw their three panels. Ask: 'What is happening in this first panel?' 'How does this panel show the middle of your story?' 'What is the very last thing that happens?'

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Comic Strip Relay

Divide class into groups of four. Each student draws one panel in sequence: beginning, middle, end, surprise twist. Groups assemble and read aloud, adjusting for flow.

Explain how to visually represent the passage of time in a comic strip.

Facilitation Tip

For the Comic Strip Relay, set a clear time limit per station so students practice quick decision-making and adaptation.

What to look for

Provide students with a strip of three blank boxes. Ask them to draw a simple sequence showing a character getting ready for school, from beginning to end. Collect these to check for understanding of panel order and narrative progression.

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Teacher-Led Storyboard

Project a simple story outline. Class votes on drawings for each panel, with volunteers adding to a large chart. Discuss time passage and reorder if needed.

Predict the impact on the story if the order of the comic panels were changed.

Facilitation Tip

In the Teacher-Led Storyboard, model think-alouds for each panel, naming the problem and solution out loud to guide students’ independent work.

What to look for

Show students two versions of the same three-panel comic strip, one with the panels in the correct order and one with them mixed up. Ask: 'Which comic strip makes more sense? Why?' 'What happens to the story when we change the order of the pictures?'

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Individual

Individual: Personal Adventure Comic

Students draw their own three-panel comic about a school day event. Add speech bubbles and arrows for time. Share in a class gallery walk.

Differentiate the beginning, middle, and end of a story in a visual sequence.

What to look for

Observe students as they draw their three panels. Ask: 'What is happening in this first panel?' 'How does this panel show the middle of your story?' 'What is the very last thing that happens?'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete materials like cut-out panels or whiteboards. Young children need to see order made visible before they can internalize it. Modeling is essential—demonstrate how to sequence a simple story in front of them, pausing to ask where the problem appears and how it resolves. Avoid rushing to abstract terms like 'climax'; focus on their lived experiences, such as getting ready for school or sharing a toy.

Successful learning looks like students confidently arranging panels to show a beginning, middle, and end. They should explain their sequence choices using story language, such as problem and solution, and show time passing through visual cues like character movement or speech bubbles.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Panel Sequencing Game, watch for students who treat panels as unrelated images.

  Have them physically rearrange the panels until the story makes sense, then ask them to point to where the problem appears and how it is solved, using the sequence to guide their thinking.

• During the Comic Strip Relay, watch for students who draw panels without showing time passing.

  Prompt them to add visual cues like arrows, changing character poses, or clocks in the background, and have peers share how these cues help them follow the story.

• During the Teacher-Led Storyboard, watch for students who believe any panel order works.

  Swap two panels mid-story and ask the group to predict what happens next, then discuss why the original order made more sense for clarity and impact.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation