Printing with Purpose

Lesson 5 of 8: Introduction to Printmaking Techniques

Unit Title: Exploring Places Through Art
Year Level: Foundation (Prep)
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 31 students
Teacher Support: 1 classroom teacher + 1 teacher aide (as needed)

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🎯 Curriculum Links

Learning Area: The Arts – Visual Arts
Australian Curriculum Reference:

• Foundation Level Achievement Standard
  Students make artworks using different materials and technologies that express their ideas, observations, and imagination.
• Content Descriptions:
  • Visual Arts (ACAVAM107): Use and experiment with different materials, techniques, technologies and processes to make artworks.

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💡 Lesson Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Be able to identify and describe what a print is.
• Experiment with simple printmaking tools and techniques.
• Create a print artwork that represents a place that is special or familiar to them.

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🧠 Prior Knowledge

Students have previously:

• Explored drawing and painting to represent meaningful places (e.g., home, park, beach).
• Discussed shapes and textures in nature and built environments.
• Created simple collages in response to artworks or photos of different places.

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🛠️ Resources & Materials

Whole Class:

• Visual examples of print artworks showing natural and man-made places
• Butcher’s paper for demonstrations
• A0 map of Australia displayed on the board (to highlight places)

Each Student:

• A4 cardboard printing plate (recycled cereal box squares)
• Foam sheets/craft foam cut into shapes (buildings, trees, waves, etc.)
• Glue sticks
• A plastic spoon (for transferring prints)
• Paper for printing (multiple sheets per student)
• Water-based printing ink (safe for Foundation-level use)
• Rollers (brayers) – 1 per table group
• Paint palettes or trays for ink distribution
• Aprons or oversized shirts
• Baby wipes or cloths for clean-up

Support Materials:

• Visual Step-by-Step Cards (uses image sequencing for early readers)
• Vocabulary cards with images (e.g., print, ink, press, transfer, texture)

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📋 Lesson Structure

🟡 0:00 – 0:05 | Welcome & Introduction

Whole Class on Floor

• Greet students and briefly recap the previous lesson (where we drew our 'favourite places').
• Introduce today’s activity: “Today, we get to turn our drawings into print art, just like real artists do! We’ll be using foam, ink, and a magic technique called printing!”
• Show 2–3 student-friendly prints (of landscapes, cityscapes, beaches).

Teacher script:
"Have you ever made a stamp with a potato or sponge? That’s printing! Today, we’ll be stamping our ideas using foam and ink."

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🔵 0:06 – 0:15 | Demonstration: Printmaking Basics

Teacher Demonstration at Front Table

1. Make the Plate:

   • Show gluing foam shapes onto cardboard. Emphasise that shapes can represent parts of a place (e.g., rectangles for buildings, curved shapes for trees).
   • Reinforce vocabulary with cards (plate, texture, design).

2. Ink and Press:

   • Demonstrate rolling ink onto the foam;
   • Lay paper on top and use a spoon to press evenly;
   • Carefully peel the paper back to reveal the print – "ta-da!"

Tip: Use classroom language students know: “We press gently like we’re patting a puppy!”

ASK students:

• “What shapes can you see in my print?”
• “What place does my print remind you of?”

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🟢 0:16 – 0:35 | Student Printmaking (Guided Activity)

Students create their own foam stamp inspired by their favourite place

• Students return to table groups (6 groups of ~5-6 students).
• Each student selects 2–3 foam shapes and glue them to their cardboard.
• With teacher/aide support, students will:
  • Roll ink onto printing plates using rollers.
  • Make 1–2 prints each (and more if time allows).
  • Place prints on drying rack or an assigned table.

Teacher/T.A. Roles:

• Monitor safety and cleanliness with ink.
• Prompt students to describe their places and choices while they work:
  “Tell me about your shapes – what place does this remind you of?”

Early Finishers:

• Create a new design for a second place OR complete a “Place Detective” drawing sheet to match prints to real-world places.

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🟣 0:36 – 0:43 | Gallery Walk & Reflection

Whole Class in Circle or Carpet Area

• Display a selection of prints around the room or on a display board.
• Students participate in a mini “art walk”, quietly observing the prints of peers.
• Invite 2–3 volunteers to talk about:
  • What place their print shows,
  • Why it's important to them,
  • What shape or texture they enjoyed using.

Reflection Questions (call and response style):

• “What material did we use today to make our artwork?”
• “What do artists use printing for in real life?”
• “Did your print look like you thought it would?”

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🔘 0:44 – 0:45 | Clean-Up & Closure

• Students assist in clean-up tasks depending on ability (place rollers in tubs, wipe tables, stack paper).
• Quick recap: “Next time, we’ll use our prints to create a bigger artwork about our community!”

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🖼️ Assessment Opportunities

Formative Assessment (Anecdotal Notes):

• Observe if students:
  • Can follow a simple process for making a print.
  • Use shape and texture to represent a place.
  • Can verbally explain their print in terms of place and materials.

Optional Extension (support students at varied levels):

• Use place vocabulary cards for early finishers.
• Provide tactile materials for students who need sensory input (corrugated cardboard, sponges).

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🧭 Teaching Tips

• Think Flexibly: Let students interpret ‘place’ broadly—home, garden, school corner, or even an imaginary beach!
• Use Visual Cues Across the Room: Anchor wall or whiteboard displaying process steps with images.
• Celebrate “Happy Accidents”: Encourage students to embrace imperfections—“Prints are like surprises!”

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📌 Notes for Display

Prepare a display board titled "Prints of Our Places" featuring:

• Student prints with title cards: “This is my playground.”
• A map showing places mentioned in prints (if applicable).
• Photos of students creating their work for parent newsletter or school display.

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🏁 Follow-Up (Lesson 6 Preview)

Next lesson: Students will combine their prints with painted or drawn backgrounds to create a large collaborative mural of places in their community. Students will begin exploring layering and placement in 2D compositions.

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Prepared with reference to the Australian Curriculum: The Arts, Foundation Level. Designed to engage and support young learners in exploring the relationship between place and artistic expression.