Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Name the three primary colours: red, yellow, and blue
• Hold crayons and paintbrushes correctly
• Draw basic lines and simple shapes
• Create a simple artwork with drawing and painting
• Follow simple instructions for art activities

Lesson summary

Overview: This lesson introduces Grade 1 learners to the foundational elements of creative arts. The focus is on exploring basic tools, colours, and techniques in drawing, painting, and simple crafts. In the South African context, visual art is a powerful form of communication, cultural expression, and storytelling. From the geometric patterns of Ndebele house painting to the vibrant colours of shweshwe fabric and the ancient stories told in San rock art, creativity is woven into our heritage. This lesson provides the first building blocks for learners to develop their own creative voice, fine motor skills, and ability to observe and interpret the world around them.

Lesson notes

This section covers the core knowledge for this week. It should be taught through demonstration, storytelling, and hands-on exploration.

Concept 1: What are Creative Arts?

Explanation: Creative art is a way we use our imagination to make something new and special. It's like telling a story or showing a feeling, but instead of using words, we use colours, shapes, and different materials. When you draw your family, you are an artist! When you sing a song, you are an artist! Today, we are focusing on being visual artists – artists who make things for us to see.

Why it's important: It helps our hands get strong (fine motor skills), teaches us to look closely at the world, and lets us share the wonderful ideas that are inside our heads.

Concept 2: Our Art Tools and How to Use Them Crayons: These are sticks made of coloured wax.

How to hold: Hold a crayon like you hold a pencil for writing (using your 'crocodile mouth' or 'tripod grip'). This helps you control it.

How to use: You can press softly for a light colour, or press a little harder for a dark, bright colour. We use crayons for drawing lines and colouring in spaces.

Paint (Tempera/Poster Paint): This is wet, bright colour.

How to use: We never put our fingers in the paint pots. We use a special tool called a paintbrush.

Paintbrush: This is a stick with soft hairs (bristles) at the end.

How to hold: Hold it on the handle, a little way up from the metal part.

How to use: Gently dip only the tip of the bristles into the paint – like you're giving the paint a little kiss. Then, glide the brush smoothly across the paper. To clean it, we swish it gently in water and wipe it on a rag or sponge.

Concept 3: The 'Parent' Colours - Primary Colours Explanation: There are three very special 'parent' colours. They are special because you cannot make them by mixing other colours. All other colours in the world are made from these three!

The Colours are: Red: The colour of a ripe tomato, a stop sign, or the beautiful petals of a Protea flower.

Yellow: The colour of the hot African sun, a banana, or the weavers' nests you see in trees.

Blue: The colour of the big sky over the Kruger Park, the deep ocean at Muizenberg, or our school jersey.

Concept 4: The Building Blocks of Art - Lines and Shapes Explanation: All drawings in the whole world are made of lines and shapes! If you can make these, you can draw anything.

Lines: Straight lines: Go from one point to another without bending. Like a road, a ruler, or the wall of a house.

Curvy lines: Bend and wave. Like a snake moving, a river, or long, curly hair.

Zig-zag lines: Sharp, pointy lines that go up and down. Like the Drakensberg mountains or a flash of lightning.

Shapes: Circle: A perfectly round shape. Like the sun, a ball, or a car wheel.

Square: A shape with four straight, equal sides. Like a window pane or a slice of bread. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: The Primary Colour Song and Action Task: The teacher will sing a simple song and do actions, and the learners must copy. (To the tune of 'Frère Jacques') *"What is red? What is red?" "Point to red. Point to red." "Find something that is red." "In our class. In our class." (Repeat for yellow and blue)

Solution/Method: The teacher sings the first line, and the learners echo. On the line "Point to red," everyone points to a pre-placed red object (e.g., a red block, a red poster). The teacher then asks learners to find other red things. This interactive method physically engages learners with colour identification in their immediate environment, making the concept concrete.

Question 2: 'Take Your Crayon for a Walk' Task: The teacher will give instructions for learners to follow on a blank piece of paper with a crayon. "Good morning, Crayon! First, let's take a long, straight walk across the paper. Stop. Now, let's go for a bouncy, zig-zag walk. Stop. Finally, let's go for a slow, wavy, curvy walk all the way home." Solution/Method: The teacher demonstrates each line type on the board while giving the instruction. She then walks around the class, observing and guiding learners' hand movements. The solution is not a 'correct' picture, but rather the learners' ability to produce the three different types of lines. This personification of the crayon makes the activity playful and less intimidating.

Question 3: Painting a 'Shape Sun' Task: Create a painting of a sun using only one primary colour and one shape. Use your black crayon to draw a big circle in the middle of your paper. Choose the yellow paint. Dip your brush and carefully paint inside your circle.

Solution/Method: The teacher will break down the task into two clear steps. First, she demonstrates drawing a large circle. She will emphasize holding the crayon correctly. Second, she will model how to dip the brush tip in yellow paint and use careful strokes to fill the shape, trying to stay within the lines.