Art and Design · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Monoprinting: Unique Impressions

Active learning works for monoprinting because the tactile nature of paint and textures helps solidify concepts about pressure, control, and visual impact. When students move, press, and observe their prints in real time, abstract ideas like intentional mark-making become concrete and memorable.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Art and Design - Printing and Texture

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Texture Tools

Prepare four stations with trays, paint, rollers, and texture objects like string, leaves, and combs. Groups spend 8 minutes at each station making a print, noting how textures appear. End with a gallery walk to compare results.

What makes a monoprint different from a stamp print?

Facilitation Tip

During Print Chain: Layered Monoprints, pause the class halfway through to point out how each new layer changes the print’s mood.

What to look for

Give each student a small card. Ask them to draw a quick sketch of their favorite monoprint and write one sentence explaining what made it unique. Collect these to check for understanding of uniqueness.

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Pairs

Pressure Experiment: Light vs Heavy

Give pairs a painted tray and two paper sheets. One presses lightly, the other firmly, then swap and describe differences in ink transfer and detail. Repeat with added textures for variety.

Can you make a monoprint that shows a texture, like bumpy or scratchy?

What to look for

Hold up two prints: one monoprint and one stamp print. Ask students: 'What is the main difference you see between these two prints?' Listen for responses that mention uniqueness versus repetition.

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Small Groups

Found Object Hunt: Classroom Prints

Students collect safe classroom items with textures, such as erasers or fabric scraps. They paint a shared tray, add their object, press paper, and label the texture source on the print.

What happens to your monoprint if you press down hard compared to pressing lightly?

What to look for

As students are working, ask them to show you a found object they are using for texture. Ask: 'What kind of texture will this make on your print?' Observe their ability to connect objects to tactile qualities.

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Whole Class

Print Chain: Layered Monoprints

In a circle, each student adds a textured layer to a communal tray, passes it, and receives the next. Press final paper as a class to reveal combined unique effects. Discuss surprises.

What makes a monoprint different from a stamp print?

What to look for

Give each student a small card. Ask them to draw a quick sketch of their favorite monoprint and write one sentence explaining what made it unique. Collect these to check for understanding of uniqueness.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should emphasize process over perfection, normalizing mistakes as part of the learning. Demonstrate techniques slowly and narrate your thinking so students connect actions to outcomes. Avoid rushing through setup so students have time to observe and adjust before committing to a print.

Successful learning looks like students confidently adjusting pressure, selecting textures intentionally, and explaining how their choices affect the print. Their prints should show clear connections between the tool used and the visual result, demonstrating thoughtful experimentation.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Texture Tools, watch for students who glob paint on thickly, assuming more is better.

  Remind students to spread paint thinly and evenly with the roller to keep textures crisp. Demonstrate how a thin layer lets the texture show through, while thick paint muffles it.

• During Pressure Experiment: Light vs Heavy, watch for students who press so hard the paper tears or paint pools.

  Have students place a scrap paper under their working sheet to protect the surface. Ask them to press once, then lift to check the result before deciding if they need more pressure.

• During Found Object Hunt: Classroom Prints, watch for students who grab random objects without considering the texture first.

  Encourage them to press the object gently into a scrap paper first to preview the mark it will make. Ask, ‘Does this object make dots, lines, or bumps?’ before using it on their print.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation