Stories in Lines

Overview

Students create two drawings: first, a personal memory drawing and then an elephant drawing developed from an image prompt. They explore how lines, shapes, texture, light and dark can communicate ideas, feelings and stories, including how accidental marks can become useful parts of an image.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to share a personal story through drawing.
• We are learning to explore different lines, shapes, textures, and light and dark.
• We are learning to use an unintended mark or technique to develop an idea.
• We are learning to discuss how visual choices communicate meaning.

Success criteria

• I can give visual form to a personal experience.
• I can use different lines and shapes to show ideas, feelings or movement.
• I can add texture and light and dark to make my drawing more interesting.
• I can explain one choice in my drawing and listen respectfully to another artist.

Curriculum links

• Understanding the Visual Arts in Context: Share ideas about how and why artworks are made, and their purpose, value and context.
• Developing Practical Knowledge: Explore materials, tools, lines, shapes, textures, light and dark, and composition.
• Developing Ideas: Investigate visual ideas in response to observation, imagination and personal experience.
• Communicating and Interpreting: Share the ideas, feelings and stories communicated by their own and others’ images.

The lesson develops the key competencies of thinking through curiosity and creative problem-solving; using language, symbols and texts by turning an idea into visual form; managing self through independent art-making; relating to others through respectful discussion; and participating and contributing through sharing visual stories.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook and intention. Teacher displays an expressive elephant image and asks, “What might this elephant be feeling, and how could an artist show that without words?” Open with the hook and learning intention slides and explain that artists communicate stories through visual choices. Students make a quick observation and share one possible feeling or story with a partner.

2. 3–7 min · Demonstration. Teacher models on the board: a thin, wavy, broken and thick line; simple geometric and organic shapes; a textured rubbing or repeated mark; and light and dark shading. Teacher deliberately makes an accidental smudge or unusual mark, then demonstrates turning it into part of the picture, asking, “How could this mark help my story?” Students practise three marks in the air with their finger, then identify which might show movement, softness or strength.

3. 7–14 min · Memory drawing. Teacher asks students to quietly recall a personal experience involving a place, person, animal, celebration or strong feeling. Distribute the visual story drawing sheet and remind students that stick figures and symbols are welcome; the aim is to communicate an experience, not to produce a realistic picture. Students draw their memory using at least three different lines or shapes and add one area of light and dark or texture. Teacher circulates, prompting: “What is the most important part of your story?” and “Which mark could show how it felt?”

4. 14–22 min · Elephant image drawing. Teacher reveals the elephant reference image in the elephant observation and drawing slides and briefly models looking for large shapes before details: oval body, circular or curved forms, legs, ears and trunk. Students create a second drawing based on the elephant, changing the setting or adding an imagined action so it tells a story. They deliberately include one unintended technique, such as a smudge, print, scribble, rubbing or repeated mark, and develop it into texture, shadow, landscape or movement. Teacher prompts: “What could your elephant be doing?” “How can light and dark show distance or mood?” and “Can an accidental mark become useful?”

5. 22–27 min · Pair sharing and response. Teacher asks students to place both drawings side by side and rehearse a short explanation with a partner. Students share the story or feeling in one drawing, name one visual choice, and give a specific positive observation about their partner’s work. Partners may ask, “What part should I look at first?” or “How did that mark help your story?”

6. 27–30 min · Gallery review and exit reflection. Teacher invites several volunteers to hold up one drawing and explain its story or technique. Students complete the reflection box on the visual story drawing sheet, responding to: “I used ___ to show ___.” Close by revisiting the intention and asking, “How can a line, shape or accidental mark communicate an idea?”

Resources

• Drawing paper or A4 visual story sheets
• Pencils, coloured pencils, crayons or markers
• Scrap paper for testing marks
• Elephant photograph or artwork reference
• Board or modelling paper
• the visual story and elephant drawing deck
• the visual story drawing sheet
• Tables arranged for pairs and easy sharing

Assessment

• During modelling and drawing, check that students can produce varied lines and shapes and can explain how a mark might communicate feeling, movement or texture.
• Confer with individuals using the prompts; note students who use observation, imagination and personal experience to develop their drawings.
• Collect or photograph the two drawings and read the reflection sentence. Look for visual storytelling, purposeful use of at least one art element, and an explanation of an unintended technique.

Differentiation

• Provide a choice of memory prompts, such as “a time I felt proud”, “a place I remember” or “an animal I have seen”. Offer sentence starters: “My picture shows…” and “I used this line to…”.
• Support students who find drawing difficult with simple shape prompts, tracing-free teacher modelling, larger paper, pencil grips or access to a quiet workspace. Accept symbols, diagrams and oral storytelling alongside drawing.
• For EAL learners, use gestures and image prompts for line, shape, texture, light and dark; allow students to explain ideas through drawing, home language, rehearsal with a buddy or short phrases.
• Extend confident artists by asking them to create a clear foreground, middle ground and background, or to show a change in mood using composition, scale and contrast.