Activity 01
Pairs: Motif Design and Reversal
Students pair up to sketch a bold personal motif on paper. They practice reversing it on tracing paper and transfer to a soft block. Partners discuss how reversal influences shape choices before outlining.
Analyze how the reversal of an image affects your design process.
Facilitation TipDuring Motif Design and Reversal, remind students to use tracing paper twice: once to confirm the mirror image and once to transfer the reversed sketch to the block.
What to look forObserve students as they carve. Ask: 'What part of your design are you carving away, and why?' and 'How does this shape need to look on the block to appear correctly in the print?'
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Activity 02
Small Groups: Guided Carving Stations
Rotate groups through stations for outline carving, background removal, and detail refinement using safety tools. Each group tests ink on scrap blocks to check raised areas. Record observations for adjustments.
Justify what makes a shape strong enough to be recognized in a print.
Facilitation TipAt Guided Carving Stations, model how to hold the gouge like a pencil, cutting away from the body and the non-dominant hand.
What to look forStudents select one of their prints and write two sentences explaining: 1. What is one challenge they faced during the carving or printing process? 2. How did they overcome it?
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Activity 03
Whole Class: Inking and Edition Printing
Demonstrate brayer technique, then students ink blocks and print 6-8 editions each. Collect prints for a class frieze showing repetition. Vote on strongest designs.
Predict how the repetition of an image changes its meaning.
Facilitation TipWhen inking and edition printing, demonstrate how to roll ink in a figure-eight motion to avoid pooling and uneven coverage.
What to look forStudents display their completed editions. In pairs, they discuss: 'What do you notice about the repetition of the image?' and 'Which print in your partner's edition do you think is the strongest, and why?'
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Activity 04
Individual: Reflection and Prediction
Students journal responses to key questions about their print process. Predict meaning changes in repeated editions and sketch variations. Share one prediction with the class.
Analyze how the reversal of an image affects your design process.
Facilitation TipAfter Reflection and Prediction, give students two minutes to silently compare their first and last prints, noting changes in clarity or detail.
What to look forObserve students as they carve. Ask: 'What part of your design are you carving away, and why?' and 'How does this shape need to look on the block to appear correctly in the print?'
UnderstandApplyAnalyzeCreateSelf-ManagementRelationship Skills
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teachers should approach this topic as a series of deliberate experiments. Avoid rushing through carving to ‘get to the printing.’ Instead, pause after each step to discuss what students observe: why ink sticks to some areas but not others, why shallow cuts preserve detail, or why the second print often differs from the first. Research shows that students grasp the reversal principle more securely when they vocalize it during the transfer stage rather than after printing. Also, model the language of process—use phrases like ‘positive space,’ ‘negative space,’ and ‘inking evenly’ consistently so students internalize the vocabulary as tools for critique.
Successful learning happens when students plan deliberately, carve with control, and evaluate their prints with critical detail. They should articulate why their design choices matter, troubleshoot printing issues independently, and recognize how repetition and reversal shape meaning in their work. The room should buzz with focused discussion and iterative problem-solving.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Motif Design and Reversal, watch for students who assume the print will match their drawing exactly.
During Motif Design and Reversal, have students hold their tracing paper up to a window to check the mirror image and ask, ‘Where is the left side of your drawing now?’ Encourage them to sketch arrows on the back of the tracing paper to label orientation before transferring to the block.
During Guided Carving Stations, watch for students who carve too deeply, believing deeper cuts produce clearer prints.
During Guided Carving Stations, provide scrap blocks and spare gouges so students can practice shallow, controlled cuts on a test piece first. Circulate with a sample print showing how over-carving flattens details and ask, ‘Which parts of this block still hold ink?’ to guide their adjustments.
After Whole Class: Inking and Edition Printing, watch for students who assume repetition does not alter meaning.
After Whole Class: Inking and Edition Printing, ask students to arrange their prints in a sequence and write one sentence describing how the repetition changes the viewer’s focus. Display prints side by side and prompt, ‘Does this look like a pattern or a story? Why?’
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