Art and Design · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Illustrating Folk Tales and Myths

Active learning lets Year 3 students translate abstract traits and moods into concrete visual choices. Hands-on activities keep them engaged with the emotional and cultural layers of folk tales and myths while building confidence in visual storytelling.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Drawing and Illustration
• KS2: Art and Design - Narrative Art

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 45 min · Small Groups

Story Circle: Character Trait Sketches

Read a folk tale excerpt aloud. In groups, students list three key character traits, then sketch one character per trait using pencils and markers. Groups share and vote on the most expressive design, refining based on feedback.

Design a character that visually represents key traits from a folk tale.

Facilitation Tip

During Story Circle, circulate with a checklist to ensure every student contributes at least one sketch that shows a specific trait.

What to look for

Students display their character designs. Partners use a simple checklist: Does the character look brave/cunning/kind? Are the colors and shapes effective? Students provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 40 min · Pairs

Setting Builder: Mood Boards

Provide tale summaries with mood keywords like 'eerie' or 'joyful'. Students collect collage materials to build a scene board, adding drawn elements for depth. Pairs present boards, explaining colour and texture choices.

Explain how to use visual elements to establish the mood and setting of a story.

Facilitation Tip

For Setting Builder, provide tactile materials like fabric scraps and colored paper so students can layer textures before committing to final designs.

What to look for

Students draw a quick sketch of a setting from a folk tale. On the back, they write two sentences explaining how they used visual elements (e.g., dark colors, jagged lines) to create a specific mood.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 35 min · Whole Class

Artist Duo: Interpretation Match-Up

Show two artists' illustrations of the same tale. Whole class discusses differences in pairs, then each student redraws one element their way. Display and compare as a class gallery.

Analyze how different artists interpret the same folk tale through their illustrations.

Facilitation Tip

When running Artist Duo, pair students with different strengths so each learns from the other’s process and perspective.

What to look for

Teacher shows two different illustrations of the same folk tale. Ask students to point to specific details in each image and explain how the artist's choices create a different feeling or interpretation of the story.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 50 min · Individual

Myth Mash-Up: Hybrid Scenes

Mix elements from two myths. Individually, students plan and illustrate a combined character and setting on A4 paper. Share in small groups for quick peer suggestions before finalizing.

Design a character that visually represents key traits from a folk tale.

Facilitation Tip

Before Myth Mash-Up, model how to combine two scenes using a simple Venn diagram to plan overlaps and contrasts.

What to look for

Students display their character designs. Partners use a simple checklist: Does the character look brave/cunning/kind? Are the colors and shapes effective? Students provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with quick visual warm-ups like gesture drawings of animals showing emotion. Model your own process by thinking aloud while you sketch a character trait, naming each decision you make. Keep language consistent: use terms like ‘expressive lines’ or ‘symbolic color’ so students build a shared vocabulary. Avoid showing only polished examples; instead, celebrate early drafts to normalize the iterative process.

Students create clear, expressive illustrations that reveal character traits and story moods. They explain their choices using art vocabulary and give feedback that focuses on how images communicate ideas.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Story Circle, watch for students who insist characters must match book illustrations exactly.

  Use the group sketching session to pause and ask, Which trait matters most? Have students exaggerate features on purpose, then vote on which sketch best shows the trait without copying the original image.

• During Setting Builder, students may believe moods are fixed by the story and cannot be changed.

  Ask students to create two mood boards for the same setting: one warm and welcoming, one dark and eerie. Have them present differences, then reflect on how visuals shape reader feelings.

• During Artist Duo, students may feel pressure to copy a famous artist’s style exactly.

  During the redraw activity, remind students to focus on one element to adapt, like line weight or color palette. Use a peer feedback sheet that asks, What did you borrow? What did you change? Why?

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session