Visual Arts · 1st Class

Active learning ideas

Creating Repeating Patterns: Printmaking

Active learning through printmaking lets children explore pattern concepts with their hands and eyes together. When students carve stamps and press shapes onto paper, they see repetition take form immediately, which builds understanding faster than abstract discussion alone.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Visual Arts - Print 4.3
• NCCA: Visual Arts - Shape and Space 4.4

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Stamp Discovery

Prepare four stations with potatoes, sponges, leaves, and bottle caps for stamping. Children cut or shape objects, dip in washable paint, and print repeating rows on paper. Groups rotate every 7 minutes and note which shapes repeat cleanly.

What is a pattern?

Facilitation Tip

During Station Rotation: Stamp Discovery, set out a tray of pre-cut potatoes with safety knives so students focus on shape repetition rather than carving technique.

What to look for

Observe students as they create their stamps. Ask: 'What shape are you carving into your stamp?' and 'How will you make sure your shape repeats evenly on the paper?'

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

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs Printing Relay

Pairs carve matching potato stamps, then take turns printing a long paper strip in a repeating pattern. One child stamps while the other adds color. Switch roles halfway and compare patterns at the end.

Can you make a stamp and use it to print the same shape again and again?

Facilitation Tip

For Pairs Printing Relay, give each pair a shared stamp and a long strip of paper to emphasize teamwork in building a continuous pattern.

What to look for

Provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one example of a repeating pattern they saw today (either their own or a classmate's) and label the repeating element.

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

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Fabric Banner

Each child makes a personal stamp and prints one section of a shared fabric banner. Print in rows following a class pattern plan. Hang the banner to review repetition as a group.

What happens when you print the same shape over and over in a row?

Facilitation Tip

Before Whole Class Fabric Banner, have students practice printing on scrap paper to reduce mess and build confidence with fabric paint.

What to look for

Hold up two examples of student work: one with a simple linear pattern and one with a more complex grid pattern. Ask: 'What is different about these two patterns?' and 'Which pattern do you think took more steps to create and why?'

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

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Individual

Individual Pattern Books

Students create mini-books from folded paper. Use found objects to stamp repeating patterns on each page, varying colors or directions. Share one page with a partner for feedback.

What is a pattern?

Facilitation Tip

In Individual Pattern Books, provide dotted paper so students can trace their stamps’ outlines to plan even spacing.

What to look for

Observe students as they create their stamps. Ask: 'What shape are you carving into your stamp?' and 'How will you make sure your shape repeats evenly on the paper?'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model the entire process from carving to printing so students understand each step’s purpose. Allow time for free exploration before structured tasks, as children learn best when they test ideas themselves. Avoid rushing to perfection; instead, celebrate the rhythm and variation that emerge from handmade printing.

By the end of the activities, students will confidently create and explain repeating patterns using single shapes, observe how slight variations add interest, and arrange patterns in both straight lines and curves. They will use vocabulary such as 'repeat,' 'stamp,' and 'pattern unit' naturally during discussions.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Stamp Discovery, watch for students who combine many shapes into one stamp.

  Prompt them to focus on one simple shape, like a circle or triangle, and use a pencil to outline the shape before carving to ensure clarity.

• During Pairs Printing Relay, watch for students who insist their print must match their partner’s exactly.

  Remind them that small differences in pressure or angle add character, and compare their prints side by side to show how variation enriches the pattern.

• During Whole Class Fabric Banner, watch for students who only arrange stamps in straight rows.

  Provide curved templates or encourage them to experiment with diagonal or circular arrangements using the fabric’s shape as a guide.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Outdoor Investigation Session