Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Creative arts: drawing, painting and simple crafts – Week 5 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: 5

Theme: General lesson support

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

Lesson summary

Creative arts are an important part of Life Skills because they help us express ourselves, develop our imagination, and learn to see the world in new ways. In South Africa, creative arts are especially important because they allow us to share our diverse cultures and stories. This week, we will be focusing on drawing, painting, and simple crafts. We'll learn how to use different materials and techniques to create our own artworks. These skills are important for self-expression, problem-solving, and understanding the world around us. Imagine drawing a picture of your family at a braai, or painting a scene from your favourite South African folktale!

Lesson notes

Drawing: Drawing is creating pictures using tools like pencils, crayons, or markers on paper. We can draw anything we see around us, or anything we imagine in our minds. Start with basic shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. Then, try combining these shapes to make more complex drawings.

Example: Think about drawing a simple house. You could use a square for the body, a triangle for the roof, and a smaller square for the door.

Painting: Painting involves using coloured liquids (paint) and brushes to create pictures. Different colours can express different feelings. Red might mean anger or excitement, while blue might mean sadness or peace. You can mix colours to create even more colours!

Example: What happens when you mix red and yellow paint together? You get orange! What about blue and yellow? You get green! Try experimenting with mixing different colours.

Simple Crafts: Crafts involve using different materials like paper, glue, scissors, and other household items to create something new. Crafts can be anything from making a paper airplane to creating a collage. It’s all about using your imagination and having fun!

Example: Let's say you want to make a paper plate sun. You can cut out triangles around the edge of the plate to make the sun's rays. Then, you can paint it yellow and orange to make it look bright and sunny!

Texture: Texture refers to how something feels when you touch it. In art, we can create texture by using different materials or techniques.

Example: You can add texture to a painting by dabbing the paint on with a sponge instead of brushing it smoothly. Or you can glue on sand or small pebbles to add texture to a craft project.

Colour Mixing: Understanding how to mix colours is essential for painting. Primary colours (red, yellow, and blue) are the building blocks for all other colours.

Example: Red + Blue = Purple; Yellow + Blue = Green; Red + Yellow = Orange. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Draw a circle using a crayon. Then, draw a square next to the circle.

Solution: Use your crayon to draw a round circle. Try to make it as round as possible. Next to the circle, draw a square. A square has four equal sides and four corners.

Commentary: This helps reinforce basic shape recognition and develops fine motor control.

Question 2: Paint a picture of a tree using green and brown paint.

Solution: First, use the brown paint to paint the trunk of the tree. Make it tall and strong. Next, use the green paint to paint the leaves of the tree. You can use different shades of green if you have them!

Commentary: This combines colour recognition and application of paint.

Question 3: Make a simple paper plate mask by cutting out eye holes and decorating it with crayons.

Solution: Take a paper plate and carefully cut out two holes for your eyes. Ask a grown-up for help if you need it. Now, use your crayons to decorate the mask. You can draw patterns, animals, or anything you like!

Commentary: This reinforces safe scissor use (under supervision) and creative expression.

Question 4: Mix red and yellow paint together. What colour do you get? Now, paint a picture using that colour.

Solution: Carefully mix a small amount of red paint with a small amount of yellow paint. Watch as the colours blend together to create orange. Now, use the orange paint to paint a picture of something that is orange, like an orange fruit or a sunset.

Commentary: This introduces colour mixing and encourages application of the learned colour. Independent Practice (Questions Only) Draw your favourite animal using different shapes. Paint a picture of your house and your family. Use different colours to show how you feel about your house. Create a collage using old magazines and newspapers. Cut out different pictures and words and glue them onto a piece of paper to create a new artwork. Make a paper aeroplane and decorate it with crayons or paint. Draw a picture of your favourite South African landmark (like Table Mountain). Paint a rainbow using all the colours of the rainbow. Create a mask of your favourite superhero or cartoon character using cardboard and paint. Draw a scene from your favourite South African folktale. Make a handprint painting. Create a simple beaded bracelet.