Art and Design · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Drawing with Various Tools and Materials

Active learning lets pupils directly compare how tools behave, turning abstract concepts into tangible experiences. When students handle pencils, pastels, and charcoal themselves, they build accurate mental models faster than through explanation alone.

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

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Mark-Making Stations: Tool Exploration

Prepare four stations, one for each tool with scrap paper and prompts like 'light stroke' or 'heavy press'. Pupils rotate every 6 minutes, creating samples and noting textures in sketchbooks. End with a gallery walk to compare group work.

Compare the marks made by a crayon versus a charcoal stick.

Facilitation Tip

During Mark-Making Stations, place one tool and one paper type at each station so pupils focus on tool-paper interactions without distractions.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw a short line using a crayon and a short line using a charcoal stick. On the back, ask them to write one word to describe the crayon mark and one word to describe the charcoal mark.

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Prediction Pairs: Pressure Tests

In pairs, pupils predict and test light versus hard pressure on soft pencils and crayons, drawing lines on shared sheets. They label results and discuss surprises. Pairs present one finding to the class.

Predict what will happen if you press very hard with a soft pencil.

Facilitation Tip

In Prediction Pairs, pair students so one tests pressure while the other records observations, ensuring both contribute to the comparison.

What to look for

Hold up examples of marks made with different tools (e.g., heavy pencil pressure, light pastel). Ask students to point to the tool they think made each mark and explain why. For example, 'This mark is very dark and soft, so it might be a soft pencil or charcoal.'

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Whole Class

Choice Challenge: Whole Class Demo

Teacher demonstrates all tools on a large chart, modelling effects. Class suggests and justifies a tool for effects like 'fuzzy shadows'. Pupils then recreate in their books.

Justify why an artist might choose charcoal over a pencil for a specific effect.

Facilitation Tip

For Choice Challenge, demonstrate each tool’s potential on the same subject so pupils see how tool choice changes the outcome.

What to look for

Show students a simple drawing, perhaps a tree. Ask: 'If you wanted to make the tree trunk look rough and dark, which tool might you choose and why? If you wanted to draw delicate leaves, which tool might you choose and why?'

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Individual

Texture Match: Individual Trials

Pupils select textures from classroom objects, like fabric or bark, and replicate using chosen tools. They annotate which tool worked best and why in their sketchbooks.

Compare the marks made by a crayon versus a charcoal stick.

Facilitation Tip

During Texture Match, provide scrap paper for trials so students can experiment without fear of ruining their main work.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw a short line using a crayon and a short line using a charcoal stick. On the back, ask them to write one word to describe the crayon mark and one word to describe the charcoal mark.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model curiosity by describing their own observations aloud, such as ‘I notice the pastel leaves a chalky trail that I can smudge with my finger.’ Avoid over-explaining; let pupils discover through guided trial and error. Research shows concrete experience leads to stronger retention than abstract instruction in early drawing skills.

Successful learning looks like students identifying tool qualities through touch and sight, explaining differences in marks with evidence from their own work, and making deliberate choices about which tool to use for a desired effect.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Mark-Making Stations, watch for pupils who assume all tools make the same marks because they apply them similarly.

  Direct pupils to focus on how each tool feels and sounds as it moves across paper, then ask them to describe contrasts like ‘crayon scratches’ versus ‘charcoal whispers’ in their sketchbooks.

• During Prediction Pairs, watch for pupils who believe pressing harder always improves their drawing regardless of the tool.

  Have pairs test crayon, pencil, and pastel under light and heavy pressure, then share findings in a group chart labeled ‘More Pressure = Darker or Thicker?’ to correct the misconception.

• During Texture Match, watch for pupils who dismiss charcoal as only messy or unsuitable for careful work.

  Encourage students to use kneaded erasers or tissue to lift charcoal for precision, then compare their controlled marks to a peer’s scribbles to highlight expressive possibilities.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation