Year 5: Art and design skills

In this collection of lessons children learn and develop their skills in: design, drawing, craft, painting and art appreciation by designing their own invention, expanding on an observational drawing, using a poem to create a portrait, painting an enlarged section of a drawn collage and learning to ‘think’ like an artist.

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Art and design > Upper key stage 2 > Art and design skills

Please note

This unit has now been replaced by the Year 5 unit Painting & mixed media: Portraits. Kapow no longer updates these lessons, and they may not reflect the national curriculum or current guidance. They remain a permanent part of your subscription and will continue to be available for reference and use. We recommend that you explore the new versions of the lessons.

Choose your lesson

Introduction to sketchbooks

This video introduces the sketchbook - a must for all artists to record their ideas, inspiration and a place to practise and refine their skills

Lesson 1: Drawing: A walking line

Based on Paul Klee's belief that “a drawing is simply a line going for a walk”, children take a black and white photocopy of a textured material centred on an A3 page and using a pencil, extend the drawing outwards, drawing in any tones they see

Lesson 2: Design: Little inventors

Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci and the ‘Little Inventors Project’ founded by artist, designer and inventor Dominic Wilcox, children come up with their own ideas of what we're missing in the world, seeing their chosen idea through to a final design

Lesson 3: Drawing: Picture the poet (Original scheme)

Children draw a portrait of themselves or a partner, using just one continuous line, then referring to a poem or text, write over the lines, creatively varying the size and style of their writing to suit the details of the picture

Lesson 4: Drawing: Packaging collage 1

In the first of two lessons, children creatively arrange a collection of sweet wrappers to draw, firstly sketching a basic outline of each to get the layout and proportions right and then adding the detail of the lettering, shapes and illustrations before colouring it in

Lesson 5: Painting: Packaging collage 2

Children trace a section of the collage they drew and then scale it up by copying the contents of each tracing paper square onto a corresponding square on an A3 grid before painting it

Lesson 6: Learning about…how artists work

Children work imaginatively to develop an idea of their own, sourcing pictures, photos and illustrations, they practice sketching their images before producing a final drawing

Assess your pupils

Assessment resources for use at the start of the unit to assess where pupils are in their learning and at the end of the unit to assess progress. Go to assessment resources