*Updated* Drawing: Exploring line and shape
Exploring line and shape; working and experimenting with different materials through observational and collaborative pieces inspired by artists.
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Introducing our updated drawing units!
Kapow Primary is thrilled to announce updates to our drawing curriculum for Years 1 to 6.
These enhancements include clearer and more structured progression of knowledge and skills, increased opportunities for skill reinforcement, broader exposure to diverse artists and new educational videos for both teachers and pupils. This unit includes exciting new elements, while retaining some aspects of the current drawing unit Drawing: Make your mark.
In January 2026, the current Year 1 unit Drawing: Make your mark will be archived and replaced with this updated unit Drawing: Exploring line and shape.
For more details on these updates, see the Art Progression of knowledge and skills (pages 29-32) and the Art Long term plan (pages 18 – 19).
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify that some shapes are organic.
- Connect lines to create shapes.
- Use and recognise different types of lines when drawing shapes.
- Identify basic shapes in everyday objects and artwork.
- Talk about what they like or dislike in a piece of artwork.
- Use shapes to draw a face.
- Use different pressures to make a colour lighter or darker.
- Choose lines and shapes inspired by Brianna McCarthy’s artwork.
Suggested prior learning
Drawing: Marvellous marks
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Lessons
Lesson 1: Exploring line
Lesson 2: Musical lines
Lesson 3: Exploring shapes
Lesson 4: Shape in art
Lesson 5: Klee portraits
Optional: Every picture tells a story
Key skills
Generating ideas:
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Key knowledge
Formal elements:
- Shape:
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Key vocabulary
artist
control
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Related content
Unit resources
Knowledge organiser: Drawing: Exploring line and shape
Aimed at pupils, two pages providing key facts and definitions from the unit ‘Drawing: Exploring line and shape’.
Vocabulary display – Art and design: Drawing: Exploring line and shape
A display version of the vocabulary from the unit 'Drawing: Exploring line and shape'.
Subject resources
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Cross-curricular opportunities
Music.
Mathematics: Geometry – properties of shapes.
