Lesson 01 — Patterns in Art

Learners find patterns in the world around them, then make an artwork that uses a repeating shape, line, or color. They discover that a pattern is something that comes back the same way, and that repeating shapes and lines are a language every culture has used to decorate cloth, homes, and baskets.

D07 P3: Intellectual & Cognitive Awareness D07.S1 45 minutes Draft

Objectives

D07.S1.03.01 Use a simple pattern or repetition of shape, line, or color in an artwork.

Essential question

How do I use a repeating shape, line, or color to make a pattern in my artwork?

patternrepeatshapelinecolorartwork

Materials

Standard materials

Paper and drawing tools · per learner Crayons, colored pencils, or markers to make a pattern
A few pattern examples to notice · 1 set A woven cloth, a leaf, a shell, a tile, or a printed border with repeating shapes

Low-tech / no-cost

Sticks, stones, leaves, and sand or dirt Press and repeat natural shapes to make a pattern on the ground
A finger or twig as a drawing tool Draw a repeating line or shape in sand, mud, or dust

Enriched / lab & device

A stamp or stencil set · 1 set per learner or pair Cut shapes from a sponge, leaf, or potato to repeat a print
Fabric or woven samples from more than one culture · 1 set To notice how repeating patterns live in real cloth and baskets everywhere

Works in different contexts

large-group Show one big pattern on a chart — "triangle, triangle, circle, triangle, triangle, circle" — and repeat it aloud together before learners make their own
multi-age Younger learners repeat one shape; older learners alternate two or three shapes in a row; pair them to compare patterns
self-directed A learner finds a pattern around them, repeats it with one shape, line, or color in their own artwork, and checks that the repeat stays the same
level-grouped Some learners repeat a single shape or line; others alternate two or three elements; match the challenge to the learner
outdoor-only Gather leaves, stones, and shells and press them in a repeated row in sand, or draw a repeating line in the dirt with a stick

Three pattern strips shown one above another. The first repeats a triangle and a circle in a row labeled "shape pattern." The second repeats a zigzag line labeled "line pattern." The third repeats two labeled color blocks (blue, blue, green) labeled "color pattern." Labels and shape differences carry all meaning, so the picture prints clearly in grayscale.

Lesson 1 — Patterns in Art

Summary

Learners find patterns all around them — in cloth, leaves, shells, and tiles — and then make an artwork that uses a repeating shape, line, or color. They discover that a pattern is something that comes back the same way, and that repeating shapes and lines are a language people everywhere have used to decorate cloth, homes, and baskets.

Objectives

Use a simple pattern or repetition of shape, line, or color in an artwork. (D07.S1.03.01)

Connection

Look around you — the weave of a cloth, the ribs of a leaf, the tiles on a floor, the border of a blanket or a basket. A pattern is the same shape, line, or color coming back again and again. People everywhere have repeated shapes and lines to make things beautiful: woven cloth in one part of the world, painted borders in another, carved shells and beads in a third. Today you will make a pattern of your own.

Materials

Paper and drawing tools (crayons, colored pencils, or markers)
A few pattern examples to notice (a cloth, a leaf, a shell, a tile, a printed border)

Preparation

Gather a few real objects that show repeating patterns for learners to look at and touch.
Have paper and drawing tools ready for each learner.

Facilitator note

This lesson is written to the learner (“you”) so it works in a classroom and for a self-directed learner. Making a repeating pattern is a skill, so model one aloud and on the board first — “triangle, triangle, circle; triangle, triangle, circle” — before learners try their own (Kirschner, Sweller & Clark, 2006). A pattern is a repeat, not a perfect drawing; if the repeat stays the same, it is a pattern. A learner who is blind or has low vision makes a pattern by touch and placement: they arrange repeated objects (two stones, one leaf; two stones, one leaf) in a row, or press a repeated shape into clay, and a partner names the sequence. A learner with limited fine motor repeats with a big sponge stamp, a cut-out stencil, or by directing a partner who places the shapes. A learner who does not speak points to the elements and shows the repeat. Every pattern belongs.

Procedure

Gather (5 min). Look at the objects in front of you. Do you see the same shape, line, or color coming back again and again? That is a pattern. A pattern is a repeat.
Find patterns (10 min). Look around the room and out the window. Where do you see a repeat — a row of bricks, a stripe in a cloth, the ribs of a leaf? Touch the examples and trace the repeat with a finger.
Choose your repeat (10 min). Pick one thing to repeat in your artwork: a shape (a circle, a triangle), a line (a zigzag, a wave), or a color (blue, blue, green). Say or point to what you will repeat.
Make your pattern (15 min). Draw, stamp, or press your repeat across the page — the same shape, line, or color coming back the same way. You may alternate two things (triangle, circle, triangle, circle) or keep one. Your pattern is yours; no one has made exactly this repeat before.
Share and close (5 min). Show a friend or grown-up your pattern. Point to the part that repeats. Remember: a pattern is something that comes back the same — and repeating shapes and lines are how people everywhere have made things beautiful.

Differentiation

Support: Offer one clear repeat (“draw a circle, then another circle, then another”) and let the learner keep that one pattern going.
Support (blind/low-vision): Make a pattern by touch — repeated objects in a row or a pressed shape in clay — with a partner naming the sequence.
Support (fine motor): Repeat with a big sponge stamp, a cut-out stencil, or by directing a partner who places the shapes.
Support (non-speaking): Point to the repeated element and show the repeat with a finger.
Extension: Invite learners to alternate two or three elements (triangle, circle, square) and to name what comes next in the sequence.

Assessment

Formative (observation): Does the learner use a repeated shape, line, or color in an artwork, and point to the part that repeats?
Artifact (portfolio): The learner’s patterned artwork, kept in the portfolio (or a photo of it).

Resources

No external resources required; the claims in this lesson are about the learner’s own making and about the shared human practice of repeating pattern, which learners observe directly.

Home connection

At home, find a pattern with a grown-up — the weave of a cloth, the stripes of a blanket, the leaves of a plant. Then make your own small pattern together and point to the part that repeats.