Skip to main content

Week 6: The Digital Art Studio

Communicating with Images

Last week we explored how computers help us communicate using words.

This week we explore another powerful way to communicate:

Pictures.

Images can explain ideas instantly. A single picture can show:

  • a place
  • a character
  • an invention
  • a story
  • an emotion

The big idea this week:

Images are another language.

Artists, designers, engineers, and scientists all use images to explain ideas.

This week the student begins thinking of the computer as a creative art studio.

Facilitator Snapshot
  • You do not need to teach every bullet on the page. Use the learning goal and one or two activities for the session you are teaching today.
  • If time is short, teach one guided session well and leave the rest for later. The lessons are designed to stretch across the week.
  • The independent session works best after the learner has already explored the main idea with you once.
Quick Navigation

Facilitator Preparation​

Before You Begin
  • Time needed: approximately 30–40 minutes per guided session.
  • Device needed: any computer or tablet with a mouse, trackpad, or stylus.
  • Ensure a simple drawing program is available — any basic drawing tool will work:
    • Paint, Paint 3D, or Tux Paint (Windows)
    • Paintbrush or Preview markup (Mac)
    • Any free online drawing tool such as Sketchpad or Kleki
  • Confirm the My Projects folder from Week 3 exists.
  • Prepare to demonstrate a few basic drawing tools:
    • brush/pencil
    • shapes
    • fill bucket
    • color selection
  • Have a few creative prompts ready based on the child’s interests (dogs, animals, machines, imaginary creatures).
  • Set up a visual timer.
Teaching Mindset

Focus on exploration instead of artistic skill.

This is about learning that the computer is a tool for creating ideas visually, not making perfect drawings.

Week at a Glance​

Learner Goal​

I can use digital art tools to make a picture that shows an idea, place, character, or feeling.

Materials​

  • computer or tablet with a drawing app
  • mouse, trackpad, or stylus
  • a few creative prompts based on learner interests

Quick Formative Check​

Before the main activity, ask the learner which tool they would choose for a line, a filled shape, or changing colors.

What Success Looks Like​

  • The learner can choose at least one tool on purpose instead of guessing.
  • The learner can save a picture that communicates a clear idea.

Low-Tech / Offline Option​

Sketch on paper first, then label which digital tools or colors the learner would use when device time becomes available.

Guided Session 1​

Exploring the Digital Canvas​

Learning Goal​

By the end of this session, the student can:

  • analyze how different digital art tools change the look of an image
  • choose tools and colors intentionally to match a creative goal
  • create a digital image that expresses a specific idea or feeling

Activities​

1. What Is a Digital Canvas?

Open the drawing app.

Explain that the blank space is called a canvas.

Just like paper for drawing, the canvas is where images appear.

Ask the student:

“What kinds of things could we draw on a computer?”

Possible ideas:

  • animals
  • machines
  • houses
  • characters
  • imaginary creatures

2. Tool Exploration

Let the student experiment with several tools:

Examples:

  • pencil or brush
  • shapes (circle, square, triangle)
  • color picker
  • eraser

Encourage experimentation:

  • draw lines
  • change colors
  • try different shapes
  • erase and redraw

Ask the student to predict what a tool might do before using it.

3. Mini Drawing Challenge

Give a playful prompt such as:

  • draw your favorite animal
  • design a silly creature
  • draw a rocket or machine
  • draw a house for a dog

Encourage creativity rather than detail.

Explain that drawings are another type of digital file.

Drawing Tip: Undo Is Your Friend

If the student makes a mistake or doesn't like a line, show them Ctrl+Z (Undo). In a drawing app, undo takes back the last stroke or action. Artists use undo constantly — it's not cheating, it's part of the creative process!

Reflection Questions​

  • “Which tool changed your drawing the most, and why?”
  • “How did your choices of tool or color affect the final image?”
  • “When might digital drawing work better than paper for a creator?”
Sentence Starters for Younger Learners
  • “The tool that changed my drawing the most was…”
  • “I chose that color because…”

Guided Session 2​

Information Organization Moment

Art projects collect pieces fast — sketches, colors, versions, saved files. A tiny material list with labels keeps the pieces findable: what exists, what it is called, and where it lives. (More on the Information Organization Skills page.)

Pictures Tell Stories​

Learning Goal​

By the end of this session, the student can:

  • create a short visual story using images instead of words
  • evaluate how well a picture communicates an idea to another viewer
  • organize saved artwork in a way that supports later reflection or revision

Activities​

1. Picture Story Challenge

Explain that pictures can tell stories even without words.

Show a simple example:

Picture 1 → Character appears Picture 2 → Character does something

Example ideas:

  • dog finds a bone
  • rocket launches
  • robot wakes up

Ask the student to draw two related pictures.

2. Drawing the Story

Create the first drawing.

Example prompts:

  • a dog sleeping
  • a rocket on the launch pad
  • a robot in a lab

Save the drawing.

Then create a second drawing that shows what happens next.

Example:

  • the dog finds a bone
  • the rocket launches
  • the robot starts moving

Save both drawings.

Saving with Clear Names

When saving, use descriptive names:

  • "dog sleeping" is better than "drawing1"
  • "rocket launch" is better than "picture"

If the app offers a choice of file format (PNG, JPEG, BMP), explain briefly:

  • PNG keeps quality and is a good default
  • JPEG makes smaller files but quality may decrease slightly

Use Ctrl+S to save, or File → Save As if the student wants to save a new version while keeping the original.

3. Viewing the Saved Images

Open the Drawings folder inside:

My Projects

Show the student the saved images.

Explain that digital artists often create many versions of their work.

Saving allows us to return and improve ideas later.

Reflection Questions​

  • “What choices helped your pictures communicate the story clearly?”
  • “How might a viewer interpret your pictures differently from the way you intended?”
  • “If you added another picture, how could it deepen or change the story?”
Sentence Starters for Younger Learners
  • “I wanted the viewer to see…”
  • “If I added another picture, it would show…”

Independent Session​

Creative Drawing Time​

Instruction​

Open your drawing program and create a new picture with a clear idea or message.

Before you start, decide:

  • what you want the viewer to notice first
  • which tools might help communicate that idea
  • what details matter most

Use at least three different tools, then review your picture and improve one part of it before saving.

When you finish, save the drawing inside:

My Projects → Drawings

Give your picture a name.

Skills Reinforced​

  • choosing drawing tools intentionally for a visual goal
  • experimenting with and revising creative choices
  • saving artwork for later review or improvement
  • communicating ideas visually through design decisions

Setup​

  • drawing program open
  • access to My Projects → Drawings
  • visual timer

🔄 Simplify or Extend​

To simplify:

  • Let the learner freely scribble and experiment with tools before giving a prompt.
  • Reduce the task to one drawing instead of a two-picture story.
  • Sit alongside and narrate what they are doing: "I see you picked the blue — what are you making?"

To extend:

  • Challenge them to create a three- or four-panel visual story.
  • Ask them to add text labels or a title to their artwork.
  • Introduce the concept of layers if the drawing tool supports them.

💾 Save This Week’s Artifact​

Save the learner’s best digital drawing (or both story panels) in the My Projects → Drawings folder. This artwork shows they can use a computer as a creative tool to express ideas visually. Give each file a descriptive name like “Silly Creature” or “Rocket Story.”

Check for Understanding​

Look for these signs that the learner is making progress:

  • They can open a drawing app and find basic tools (brush, shapes, colors) without help.
  • They used at least two or three different tools in their artwork.
  • They created an original drawing that expresses a clear idea or tells a simple story.
  • They made at least one intentional revision — erasing, changing a color, or redrawing a part.
  • They saved their artwork to the correct folder with a name they chose.
  • They can describe what they drew and the choices they made.
Vocabulary This Week

Canvas • Brush / Pencil tool • Shape tool • Fill bucket • Eraser • Undo (Ctrl+Z) • PNG / JPEG • Save As
See the Glossary for definitions.

Preview of Next Week​

Next week, students become Internet Detectives — learning how to craft better search queries, understand what search results are really showing, and find trustworthy information online.