Art and Design · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Illustrating Story Characters

Active learning works well here because children ages five to six learn best when they move, discuss, and create with their whole bodies. Drawing characters from stories connects emotion and narrative to concrete actions like posing or colour mixing, making abstract traits visible and memorable.

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

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 25 min · Pairs

Pair Share: Character Emotion Sketches

Pairs listen to a story excerpt about two characters with contrasting personalities. One pupil draws the kind character using soft lines and smiles, while the partner sketches the mischievous one with sly eyes and tilted poses. They swap drawings, guess the personality, and discuss choices.

Design a character drawing that clearly shows if they are kind or mischievous.

Facilitation Tip

During Pair Share, give each pair a single emotion card (e.g., ‘surprised’) so they focus on one expressive detail before sketching.

What to look for

Show students a drawing of a character. Ask them to point to one part of the drawing (e.g., the mouth, the shoulders) and explain what it tells them about the character's personality. Record their responses.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Story Character Gallery Walk

Groups draw characters from a shared story on large paper, adding labels for key features like 'winking eye for mischief'. Display around the room for a gallery walk where pupils vote on most convincing depictions and note what stands out.

Analyze how specific facial expressions or body language can tell a character's story.

Facilitation Tip

During the Story Character Gallery Walk, place a ‘Talk Tokens’ basket at each station so every child contributes one observation without repeating others.

What to look for

Have students display their character drawings. In pairs, students identify one specific detail in their partner's drawing that shows personality and share it aloud. The artist then explains why they chose that detail.

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

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 35 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Guided Pose and Draw

Teacher reads a character description; pupils act out poses in role, then return to seats for quick sketches. Compare drawings on the board, highlighting successful expression choices. Extend with paint for colour emphasis.

Justify your artistic choices in depicting a character's personality.

Facilitation Tip

During Guided Pose and Draw, stand behind each posing group and mirror their stance to model body language firsthand.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a character trait (e.g., 'brave', 'shy'). Ask them to draw a simple face or body pose that shows this trait and write one word describing their drawing.

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

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: My Character Journal

Pupils choose a favourite story character, sketch it alone focusing on one personality trait, then add a speech bubble justifying their details. Share one per table for peer compliments.

Design a character drawing that clearly shows if they are kind or mischievous.

What to look for

Show students a drawing of a character. Ask them to point to one part of the drawing (e.g., the mouth, the shoulders) and explain what it tells them about the character's personality. Record their responses.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often start with physical role-play to externalise emotions before drawing, because research shows that bodily feedback strengthens visual memory. Avoid correcting too early; instead, ask open questions like ‘Which part of your pose shows bravery?’ to guide pupils toward self-editing. Keep materials simple—pencils, large paper, and watercolours—so the emphasis stays on expressive choices rather than technical polish.

Successful learning looks like pupils using exaggerated features, body language, and colour choices to show personality in their drawings. They explain their choices clearly to peers and can point to specific details that reveal character traits.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pair Share, watch for pupils drawing realistic faces from memory instead of exaggerating features for emotion.

  Give each pair a mirror and an emotion card. Ask them to make the face, notice the changes, then sketch those exaggerated features rather than copying a generic smile.

• During the Story Character Gallery Walk, watch for pupils pointing only to facial details when explaining personality.

  Place a body outline template next to each drawing. Require every observer to trace one line on the outline that shows personality, such as curved shoulders or pointed toes.

• During Guided Pose and Draw, watch for pupils choosing colours without linking them to mood.

  Set up a colour-mixing station with labelled emotion words (e.g., ‘happy = yellow’, ‘scared = purple’). Pupils must mix at least one colour that matches their assigned trait before they begin drawing.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play