Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1
Creative arts: drawing, painting and simple crafts – Week 3 focus
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Creative arts: drawing, painting and simple crafts – Week 3 focus
Download the Lessonotes Mobile South Africa app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Life Skills
Class: Grade 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 3
Theme: General lesson support
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Overview This week, we dive into the vibrant and exciting world of Creative Arts. Learners will explore fundamental techniques in drawing, painting, and simple crafts. This topic is crucial for Grade 1 learners as it develops essential skills beyond just making pretty pictures. It enhances fine motor skills (the small muscle movements in the hands), which are vital for writing. It also provides a powerful medium for self-expression, allowing learners to share their feelings, ideas, and perceptions of the world. In the South African context, art is a celebration of our diverse cultures.
Drawing: The Magic of Lines and Shapes What is Drawing? Drawing is like telling a story without words. We use tools like pencils, crayons, or kokis to make marks on paper. These marks are called lines and shapes.
A. Types of Lines: Lines are the building blocks of all drawings. They can show movement, direction, and feeling.
Straight Lines: These are lines that do not bend or curve. Think of the edge of a ruler, a straight road, or the pole of the South African flag.
Curvy Lines: These lines bend and change direction smoothly. Think of a river, a winding path, or the shape of a cloud.
Zigzag Lines: These lines are made of straight lines that connect at sharp points, going up and down. Think of the Drakensberg mountains against the sky, a lightning bolt, or the pattern on a Zulu shield.
Example: Drawing a Landscape Let's draw a simple picture of a place in South Africa using only lines: Use zigzag lines at the bottom of your page for spiky grass. Use a long, curvy line going through the grass for a river. Use straight lines to draw a simple house with a roof.
B. Basic Shapes: When lines connect, they can make shapes. We see shapes everywhere!
Circle: A round shape with no corners.
Examples: The sun, a R5 coin, the wheel of a taxi.
Square: A shape with four straight, equal sides and four corners.
Examples: A window pane, a slice of square bread.
Triangle: A shape with three straight sides and three corners.
Examples: The roof of a house, a slice of samoosa, a warning road sign.
Rectangle: A shape with four straight sides, where two sides are long and two are short.
Examples: A door, a book, our country's flag.
C. How to Hold Your Pencil (The Tripod Grip): Holding your pencil correctly helps you draw better and stops your hand from getting tired. We call it the 'tripod grip' because you use three fingers, like a tripod stand for a camera.
Pinch: Pinch the pencil with your thumb and pointer finger.
Rest: Let the pencil rest on your middle finger.
Tuck: Tuck your other two fingers into your hand.
Analogy: Imagine you are picking up a small seed or a ladybug very gently. That's how you should hold your pencil!
Painting: The Power of Colour What are Primary Colours? Primary colours are the three main 'parent' colours. They are special because you cannot create them by mixing other colours. They are RED, YELLOW, and BLU
E. Red: The colour of a ripe tomato, a stop sign, or the 'blood' in our flag representing sacrifice.
Yellow: The colour of the sun, a banana, or the 'gold' in our flag representing mineral wealth.
Blue: The colour of the sky, the ocean, or the 'sky' in our flag representing endless possibilities.
Using a Paintbrush: Dip: Gently dip only the tip of your brush into the paint.
Wipe: Lightly wipe any extra drips on the side of the paint pot.
Paint: Use smooth, gentle strokes on your paper.
Wash: ALWAYS wash your brush in water before changing to a new colour. This keeps your colours bright and clean!
Simple Crafts: Making Things with Your Hands Crafts involve using different materials to build and create something new. This week, we will focus on cutting and pasting to make a fun paper plate fish.
A. Using Scissors Safely: Always keep your thumb pointing up ('Thumb up!'). Keep your other hand far away from the cutting line. Only cut paper. Never cut your hair, clothes, or fingers. Walk carefully when holding scissors, keeping the pointy end down.
B. Using Glue Stick: Twist the bottom to make a little bit of glue come out. Press the glue stick firmly onto the paper you want to stick. Press the glued paper onto the other surface and hold for a few seconds. Always put the cap back on so your glue doesn't dry out! Guided Practice (With Solutions)
Question 1: The Line and Shape House Task: Follow my instructions to draw a simple house using only straight lines and basic shapes. Draw a large square in the middle of your page. Draw a large triangle on top of the square for the roof. Draw a small rectangle at the bottom of the square for the door. Solution and
Commentary: (Teacher demonstrates on the board while learners follow along on paper.)
Teacher's Drawing: A clear drawing showing a square house, a triangle roof, and a rectangle door.
Commentary: "Well done! Look how we used shapes we know to build a picture. The square is the main part of the house, the triangle makes a perfect pointy roof, and the rectangle is the door we can walk through. You are all architects!" Question 2: Primary Colour Wheel Task: Draw a large circle and divide it into three equal parts, like a pizza. Paint one part red, one part yellow, and one part blue. Solution and
Commentary: Teacher's
Example: A paper plate or circle on the board divided into three sections, each painted with a clean, bright primary colour.
Commentary: "Excellent work! This shows you know the three primary colours. Did you remember to wash your brush between each colour? See how bright and beautiful the red, yellow, and blue look next to each other.