Art and Design · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Exploring Textures in Buildings

Active learning works well for this topic because students need direct sensory experiences to move beyond visual impressions to true tactile understanding. Handling real building materials and experimenting with light sources helps students internalize texture as more than color or pattern.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Drawing and Sketching
• KS2: Art and Design - Texture and Form

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

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Sketching Walk: Urban Textures

Lead a short walk to nearby buildings. Students choose one surface per material type (brick, stone, glass), sketch with charcoal for rough areas and graphite for smooth ones, noting light angles. Back in class, mount and discuss sketches.

Explain how different drawing tools can show the roughness of brick or the smoothness of glass.

Facilitation Tip

For the Sketching Walk, provide each student with a small clipboard and clear instructions to focus on one texture feature per building surface, limiting them to 3 minutes per stop to maintain energy.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of brick or stone (or a high-quality photo). Ask them to draw a 2x2 inch square using only charcoal, focusing on capturing the texture. On the back, they should write one sentence explaining which mark-making technique best represented the material's roughness.

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

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Texture Rubbings Circuit

Prepare stations with textured papers mimicking building materials. Students place drawing paper over each, rub with graphite or charcoal sides, label light/shadow effects. Rotate through four stations, then compare results.

Analyze how light and shadow help us see the bumps and dips on a building's surface.

Facilitation Tip

During the Texture Rubbings Circuit, have students rotate positions every 5 minutes so they experience multiple textures and can compare rubbing techniques side by side.

What to look for

During sketching, circulate and ask students: 'Show me where you used light and shadow to make the brick look bumpy.' or 'What tool are you using to show the smooth reflection on the glass?' Record brief observations on a checklist.

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

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Pairs

Torchlight Texture Play

Provide small objects or printed building images. Pairs shine torches at varying angles, observe shadow shifts on textures, draw three views per object using mixed media. Share one drawing with reasons for mark choices.

Differentiate between the textures of natural materials (like stone) and man-made materials (like concrete) in drawings.

Facilitation Tip

For Torchlight Texture Play, dim the lights completely and give each pair one torch, encouraging them to move the light slowly to observe how shadow shapes change with angle.

What to look for

Students pair up and display their charcoal/graphite studies of building textures. Each student looks at their partner's work and answers two questions: 'What texture did your partner draw well?' and 'What is one suggestion to make the texture even clearer?'

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

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Small Groups

Material Sort and Sketch

Display photos/samples of natural and man-made textures. In small groups, sort into categories, select one from each to sketch emphasizing differences. Annotate with notes on tool use and light effects.

Explain how different drawing tools can show the roughness of brick or the smoothness of glass.

Facilitation Tip

In the Material Sort and Sketch activity, arrange samples on trays in a circle so students can handle each material before starting their sketches, reinforcing memory through touch.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of brick or stone (or a high-quality photo). Ask them to draw a 2x2 inch square using only charcoal, focusing on capturing the texture. On the back, they should write one sentence explaining which mark-making technique best represented the material's roughness.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with hands-on texture exploration before any drawing to build schema. Avoid rushing to conclusions about materials; instead, guide students to notice subtle differences through repeated observation. Research shows that combining tactile, visual, and kinesthetic experiences deepens understanding of abstract concepts like texture and materiality.

Students will confidently distinguish textures by touch and sight, then translate that understanding into detailed drawings using charcoal and graphite. They will explain how light and shadow shape perception of roughness, smoothness, and material differences in their sketch annotations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Material Sort and Sketch activity, watch for students who focus on color rather than surface quality when describing textures.

  Ask these students to close their eyes while handling the samples, then describe what they feel. Have them sketch without looking at color to shift focus to tactile qualities.

• During the Torchlight Texture Play activity, watch for students who assume light only brightens surfaces rather than revealing depth.

  Have students trace the shadow edges with their fingers and redraw them, then compare to their original sketches to see how shadows define form.

• During the Sketching Walk activity, watch for students who group all building materials as having the same texture.

  Stop at a natural stone building and a concrete wall, then have students compare by rubbing both surfaces. Discuss why the marks differ even without color.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning