Visual Arts · 6th Class

Active learning ideas

Linocut and Relief Printing Techniques

Active learning works because linocut and relief printing rely on tactile, hands-on processes where students must physically engage with materials to understand the reversal of positive and negative space. Moving through stations and collaborative tasks builds spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills that static worksheets cannot provide.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Print
• NCCA: Primary - Making Prints

• 15–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Mirror Challenge

Students write their name on a small piece of paper and hold it up to a mirror. They then try to write it 'backwards' so it looks correct in the mirror. This simple activity helps them grasp the concept of 'reversal' before they start carving their lino blocks.

Explain how designing for a process that reverses the image requires different thinking.

Facilitation Tip

During The Mirror Challenge, ask students to share their sketches aloud before pairing, so they hear their own descriptions of reversed designs.

What to look for

Before carving, students exchange their preliminary designs. Ask them to answer these questions: 'Is the design clear enough to be reversed? What parts will be carved away, and what parts will remain? Does the design have high contrast potential?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 60 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: The Printing Press

Set up three stations: 'The Inking Station' (using rollers/brayers), 'The Pressing Station' (using a barren or clean roller), and 'The Drying Station.' Students move through the stations in small groups to produce a 'limited edition' of three prints each.

Analyze the impact of repeating the same image in different colors or arrangements.

Facilitation Tip

At The Printing Press stations, demonstrate inking in a figure-eight motion to ensure even coverage without lifting the roller.

What to look for

During the carving process, circulate with a checklist. Ask students to demonstrate how they are holding their carving tool safely and effectively. Check if they are carving away the areas intended to be white space in the final print.

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

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Individual

Inquiry Circle: Texture Trials

Before starting their main design, students use a small scrap of lino to test different carving tools (V-gouges vs. U-gouges). They create a 'texture cheat sheet' showing the difference between a thin line, a thick line, and a 'stippled' area.

Assess how the thickness and depth of a carved line affect the final print's visual quality.

Facilitation Tip

For Texture Trials, provide a variety of tools (toothpicks, sponges, lace) so students can compare how different textures carve and print.

What to look for

After printing, provide students with a small card. Ask them to write one sentence describing a challenge they faced during carving or printing and one strategy they used to overcome it. Collect these to gauge understanding of the process.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model each step physically while narrating their actions, especially the reversal of design thinking. Avoid demonstrating only the 'ideal' outcome; instead, show common mistakes like uneven inking or shallow carving, and discuss why they happen. Research highlights that students learn best when they see the process as iterative, so emphasize revision and troubleshooting throughout.

Successful learning looks like students confidently planning designs that maximize contrast, carving with precision to preserve intended lines, and producing prints where the carved areas remain white and the raised edges hold ink. Students should also articulate why the relief process requires careful ink control and tool handling.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Mirror Challenge, watch for students who sketch designs as if they are writing normally instead of reversing the image.

  Ask students to place a blank sheet over their design, trace the outlines with a pencil, then flip the tracing paper to see the reversed image before transferring it to the block.

• During The Printing Press, watch for students who glob on thick ink to 'make it better'.

  Have them roll the inked roller once on scrap paper before touching the block, listening for the velvety sound that indicates the correct thin layer of ink.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Stations Rotation
• Inquiry Circle