|
|
- 1Identify examples of design in both nature and the manmade environment around the learner's daily life. This objective matters because it helps learners recognise that design is not just an abstract concept — it is present everywhere in their community, from kente cloth patterns to the layout of their classroom, and understanding this builds confidence that they too can create designs
- 2Show learners a photograph or drawing of a kente cloth pattern (traditional Akan woven cloth) and ask: 'What do you notice about the colours, lines, and patterns in this kente cloth? Where have you seen patterns like this in your home or at the market?' Invite volunteers to describe what they see, encouraging them to name the repeated shapes and colours. Accept all observations and affirm their ability to notice design details
|
- UNDERSTANDING DESIGN AS A CONCEPT: ELEMENTS IN NATURE AND THE MANMADE ENVIRONMENT
- 1Main activity — Guided exploration of design elements using real classroom objects and natural materials: Invite learners to sit in a semicircle. Hold up a piece of kente cloth, a decorated calabash bowl (or a drawing of one), and a simple pencil. Point to the kente cloth and say: 'This design uses lines, shapes, and colours. The lines are straight and zigzag. The shapes are rectangles and diamonds. Now look at the pencil — it is a shape too: a cylinder. Everything around us is made of design elements: dots, lines, and shapes.' Draw three columns on the board labelled 'DOTS', 'LINES', and 'SHAPES'. Ask learners to identify one element from the kente cloth and write or draw it in the correct column. For example: 'Is this a line or a shape?' (pointing to a straight edge in the pattern). Use pencils and colours to mark examples on a large sheet of paper as you speak, so learners see the tools in action. This task helps learners understand that design starts with simple building blocks
- 2Sub-activity 1 — Paired observation task using the learners' environment: Ask learners to pair up and choose one object in the classroom (a chair, a window, a door, a mat, a poster). Using a pencil, each pair sketches the basic shapes they see in their chosen object. Circulate and ask guiding questions: 'What shapes do you see? Are there straight lines or curved lines? Can you see dots or small marks?' Invite one representative from each pair to hold up their sketch and describe one element they found. Record these observations on the board under 'MANMADE DESIGN'. Emphasise that human-made things also use the same elements as nature
- 3Sub-activity 2 — Creative identification using colours and pencils: Distribute to each learner a pencil and a sheet of paper with simple outline drawings of three items: a butterfly (nature), a house (manmade), and a flower (nature). Ask learners to use their pencils to trace over the lines and then use colours to fill in one section, identifying whether they see dots, lines, or shapes as they work. This hands-on task reinforces element recognition and allows for tactile learning. As they colour, circulate and ask: 'What design element are you using right now — a line or a shape?'
- 4Differentiation: Struggling learners — provide them with items already labelled with 'DOT', 'LINE', or 'SHAPE' and ask them to match objects to labels. Average learners — follow the main activity as written. Fast finishers — ask them to find and list 5 design elements in the classroom, drawing or writing them on a separate sheet, and then arrange them from simplest (dot) to most complex (shape). Extension task for fast finishers: Create a simple pattern using only pencil lines on a piece of paper (straight, curved, zigzag), then colour alternating sections with two colours to show rhythm and repetition — discuss with them how their pencil and colours created a design principle (repetition).
|
- 1Kente cloth (or photograph/drawing of kente pattern)
- 2Honeycomb or spider's web image
- 3Pencils
- 4Colours (crayons or markers)
- 5A4 paper or notebook sheets
- 6Classroom objects (calabash bowl drawing, chair, mat, poster)
|
- 1Whole-class reflection activity: Gather learners in a circle and display the board summary showing examples of design elements from nature and the manmade environment that you recorded during the lesson. Ask: 'Today we learned that design is everywhere — in kente cloth, in a spider's web, in our classroom, and in the objects we use every day. Can anyone explain in one sentence what a design element is?' Allow 3–4 learners to respond (mix ability levels — include one who found the starter easy and one who might need reassurance). Affirm each response and summarise: 'Design elements are the basic building blocks — dots, lines, and shapes — that we see in nature and in things made by humans. Design is how we create beauty and order around us.'
- 2Peer-check consolidation task: Ask learners to turn to the person sitting next to them and describe one design element they discovered today (from either the starter activities or the main lesson). The listening partner must then name whether it was a dot, line, or shape. Partners swap roles. Ask a few pairs to share their conversation with the class. This reinforces vocabulary and builds confidence through peer support
Exercise
- 1Written assessment — Give each learner a pencil and a small sheet of paper. Write this question on the board: 'Draw and label one example of a design element (dot, line, or shape) that you see in NATURE (such as in a leaf or a butterfly wing) and one from the MANMADE ENVIRONMENT (such as from a chair or a cloth). Write the name of the element under each drawing.' Model answer hint: A learner might draw a curved line from a snail shell (nature) and a straight line from a window frame (manmade), both labelled 'LINE'. Accept drawings with correct labels; the artistic quality is not assessed — the learner's ability to identify and name the element is what matters. This exercise directly assesses the Phase 1 objective: the learner's ability to identify design examples in both environments in their exercise books.
|
|
|
- 1Learners will identify design elements (dots, lines, shapes) and principles (balance, rhythm, repetition) in everyday Ghanaian objects and natural forms. This matters because recognising these elements helps learners understand that design is everywhere—in the kente patterns Ama's grandmother weaves, the symmetrical layout of a compound house, and the spiral shells on Bolgatanga Market stalls—and shows that design is a powerful tool for communication and creative expression
- 2Show learners a printed image of a kente cloth pattern (or draw one quickly on the board: alternating coloured stripes with repeating diamond shapes). Ask: What do you see repeating over and over in this cloth? How many times do the diamonds appear? Call on one learner to point to the pattern and name the repeating element. Teacher explanation: The shapes and colours that repeat are part of the design. This is called REPETITION—a design principle that makes the pattern beautiful and interesting
|
- RECOGNISING DESIGN ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES IN NATURE AND AROUND OUR COMMUNITY
- 1Main Activity — Design Hunt with Colours and Pencil: Give each learner a pencil and a colour pencil. Display three large images on the board (or pass printed cards): (1) a honeycomb with hexagonal cells, (2) a chameleon's bumpy skin, (3) a spider's web with concentric circles. Point to the honeycomb. Ask: What shape do you see? (Hexagon/circle.) Point to the spider web. Ask: What line pattern repeats? (Circles within circles—that is RHYTHM and REPETITION.) Point to the chameleon skin. Ask: Are these dots, lines, or shapes? (Dots/bumps arranged in a pattern.) Now tell learners: You will draw one of these three natural designs using your pencil and colour pencil. Choose one. Sketch it lightly with pencil first, then colour it in. As you draw, think: Am I using dots, lines, or shapes? Is there repetition or rhythm? Learners spend sketching and colouring one chosen natural design. Teacher circulates, asking each learner: What design element are you using? Where do you see repetition? This keeps learners focused on naming the elements and principles
- 2Sub-Activity 1 — Compare Manmade to Natural: After sketching, display images of three manmade objects: (1) a tiled bathroom floor (geometric tiles repeating), (2) a kente cloth (striped pattern with repetition), (3) a painted wall at Makola Market with shop signs (lines and shapes arranged for balance). Ask: How are these manmade designs like the natural designs you just drew? Learners turn to a partner and whisper one similarity (e.g., both have repeating shapes, both use lines, both are balanced). Invite three different learners to share their answer aloud. Record each answer as a bullet point on the board. Teacher confirms: Manmade designers copy nature. When Ama's mother designs a new kente pattern, she is using the same design principles—repetition, balance, and rhythm—that appear in nature. This shows that design is everywhere and understanding it helps us create beautiful things
- 3Sub-Activity 2 — Identify the Design Principle: Show six quick sketches on the board (or hold up drawn examples): (1) two identical shapes side by side (balance), (2) one shape repeating five times in a row (repetition), (3) shapes getting progressively larger (rhythm/progression), (4) one centered shape with smaller shapes on each side symmetrically (balance), (5) stripes alternating colour (repetition), (6) shapes arranged in a spiral (rhythm). Call on one learner to point to and name the principle in sketch 1 (balance). Call on another to identify sketch 2 (repetition). Ask the class chorally: What principle do you see in sketch 5? (Repetition.) Fast finishers: Create a small thumbnail sketch of your own using one design principle (e.g., draw four repeating dots in a line, or balance two triangles on either side of a centre line). Struggling learners: Work with the teacher to identify repetition and balance in just three sketches provided on a printed card—teacher will name the principle and learner points to where they see it
- 4DIFFERENTIATION: Struggling learners may find it hard to name elements and principles. Provide them with a simple reference card with pictures of each element (dot, line, shape) and principle (balance = two sides same, repetition = same thing over again, rhythm = movement through a pattern). Pair them with a confident learner during the Compare Manmade to Natural activity. AVERAGE learners follow the main activity as described and complete the partner discussion. FAST FINISHERS should move to the extension task: Create a small design (using pencil and colour) that shows TWO principles (e.g., both repetition and balance), and be ready to explain which principle is which. This deepens their understanding of how principles can work together. Teacher tip: As learners draw, circulate and use the exact language (dots, lines, shapes, balance, rhythm, repetition) so they internalise the vocabulary. Ask every learner: Tell me one design element you are using right now.
|
- 1Pencil (one per learner)
- 2Colour pencils (one set per learner)
- 3Printed or drawn images: honeycomb, chameleon skin, spider web, tiled floor, kente cloth, Makola Market painted wall (or quick teacher sketches on board)
- 4White paper or exercise books for sketching
- 5Reference card with design elements and principles (for struggling learners—teacher-prepared)
- 6Creative Arts and Design Curriculum document
|
- 1Design Principle Gallery Walk: Ask all learners to place their sketches (from the Main Activity) on their desk or hold them up. Walk around and invite learners to silently look at two or three other learners' designs. Ask the class: What design principle did most of us use in our drawings? (Expected: Repetition and balance.) Why do you think we naturally used these principles? (Because they appear in nature and make things look organised and beautiful.) Record learners' answers on the board. Tell learners: You now understand that design is not just something an artist does—it is everywhere in nature, in your home, in Makola Market, and in the clothes you wear. When you see repetition in Auntie's adire fabric or balance in the compound house layout, you are seeing design principles at work
- 2Reflection Pair-Share: Ask learners to turn to the person next to them and answer one question: Why is it important for YOU to understand design? (Possible answers: So I can create beautiful things, so I can see design in my community, so I can explain what makes something look good, so I can be a designer one day.) Call on three different pairs to share their answer with the class. Praise responses that show learners recognise design as a tool for creative expression and communication. Tell learners: Tomorrow you will create your own manmade design using these principles
Exercise
- 1Write a short sentence answer to this question: Look at the picture of the honeycomb I showed you. Name ONE design element you see (dot, line, or shape) and ONE design principle you see (balance, rhythm, or repetition). Explain in one sentence why this design is important in nature. (Model Answer: The hexagons are shapes. They repeat all over the honeycomb—that is repetition. This design is important because it stores honey safely and uses space efficiently. OR: I see lines forming the hexagon shape. The honeycomb shows balance because each cell is the same size and shape. This design is important because bees use it to build strong homes.) in their exercise books.
|
|
|
- 1Recall and identify the three principles of design (balance, rhythm, repetition) in local Ghanaian examples from nature and the built environment. This objective is critical because learners must secure foundational knowledge of these principles before they can apply them to analyse and create their own design work—a core skill for the Creative Arts strand
- 2Activity 1 — Visual Recognition Starter: Display three images on the board or on printed cards (A4 size): (1) a symmetrical kente cloth pattern showing balance, (2) the repeated geometric shapes on an Ashanti adinkra symbol (like Fihankra), and (3) a market stall with evenly spaced pots showing rhythm. Ask learners: 'Look at each picture carefully. What do you notice that is the same or repeated? Point to one thing in each picture that looks balanced or even.' Call on volunteers to name what they see. Accept any correct observation (e.g., 'The colours repeat', 'Both sides look the same', 'The pots are in a line'). Teacher confirms: 'You have found examples of design principles—today we will name them properly.'
|
- UNDERSTANDING THE THREE DESIGN PRINCIPLES THROUGH LOCAL EXAMPLES
- 1Main Activity — Principle Definition and Ghanaian Illustration: Explain each principle clearly using a whiteboard or flip chart divided into three columns. Write: BALANCE | RHYTHM | REPETITION. Under BALANCE, draw or describe: 'Balance means both sides are equally weighted or feel even. Example: A traditional Ghanaian compound house—the left side has a door and window, the right side also has a door and window. Both sides feel the same, so the design feels calm and organised.' Ask: 'Can you think of something in your home or school that is balanced? Turn to your partner and share.' Collect 2–3 examples aloud (e.g., a balanced gate, a symmetric window design). Under RHYTHM, write: 'Rhythm means elements move in a pattern, like a beat in highlife music. Example: Waist beads on a woman's waist—colour, colour, colour in the same order, creating a visual beat.' Ask: 'What moves in a rhythm in your classroom?' (Window panes, desk rows, stripe patterns on uniforms). Under REPETITION, write: 'Repetition means the same element appears again and again. Example: Adinkra stamps pressed on cloth—the Sankofa symbol repeats, repeats, repeats across the whole kente cloth.' Draw 4–5 simple dot symbols in a row to show this. Ask: 'What repeats in our school uniform or in nature?' Encourage answers (buttons on a shirt, leaves on a branch, tiles on a floor)
- 2Sub-Activity 1 — Guided Sorting Task Using Pencil and Colours: Give each learner (or pair) a prepared worksheet with six Ghanaian design images printed: (1) symmetrical clay pot, (2) market seller arrangement, (3) adinkra cloth close-up, (4) palm frond pattern, (5) compound house facade, (6) basket weave. Learners use a pencil to write or draw a line to sort each image under BALANCE, RHYTHM, or REPETITION on their sheet. As they work, circulate and ask individual learners: 'Why did you put the pot under balance? Show me the two equal sides.' Use colours (provided pencil set) to highlight or underline the evidence of each principle—e.g., underline the repeated dots in red, circle the balanced shapes in blue. Teacher models the first one on the board: 'The clay pot—see the left side and the right side? They match. That is balance. I will underline both sides with the same colour to show they are equal.'
- 3Sub-Activity 2 — Written Recording and Explanation: Learners write (or with teacher support, dictate) one sentence for each principle using their own words and a Ghanaian example. Provide sentence starters: 'Balance is when… Example: The doors on a Ghanaian house…' / 'Rhythm is when… Example: Waist beads…' / 'Repetition is when… Example: Adinkra stamps on cloth…' Learners write in their exercise books or on provided half-sheets. Teacher circulates, checking for understanding. Ask: 'Which principle did you choose first? Tell me how you know it is balance (or rhythm or repetition).' Struggling learners may use words from the teacher's board explanation and copy the examples. Fast finishers add a fourth sentence: 'Why is this principle important in design?' and attempt an answer (e.g., 'Because it makes things look pretty and organised')
- 4Differentiation: Struggling learners—provide the sentence starters and allow them to copy the Ghanaian examples directly from the board. Pair them with a partner to discuss before writing. Average learners—complete all three principle definitions with their own examples. Fast finishers—add a sketch using pencil and colours to show one principle in action (e.g., draw three repeated circles, or sketch a balanced market stall arrangement), then write why designers use that principle. Extension: Challenge learners to find a design principle in their own uniform or school uniform of a classmate and photograph or sketch it (if camera/device available), labelling the principle.
|
- 1Whiteboard or flip chart and marker
- 2Printed images of Ghanaian designs (kente, adinkra, clay pots, compound houses, market arrangements, baskets, waist beads)
- 3Prepared sorting worksheet with six Ghanaian design images
- 4Pencils (for drawing, writing, underlining, and highlighting)
- 5Colours (pencil set for highlighting and sketching)
- 6Exercise books or half-sheet paper
|
- 1Plenary Activity 1 — Whole-Class Design Principle Hunt: Display or project five new images of local Ghanaian environments (or show photographs from a phone/tablet if available): a balanced mud brick house, a striped market cloth, a repeated pattern on a basket, a rhythmic arrangement of market stalls, a kente cloth with balance. Point to each one and ask: 'This is which principle—balance, rhythm, or repetition? Who can explain why?' Learners raise hands or show fingers 1 (balance), 2 (rhythm), 3 (repetition). Affirm correct answers: 'Yes, this house shows balance because both sides are equal. Both sides have a window and a door, so it feels steady.' Work through all five images. This consolidates recognition under pressure and checks whole-class understanding before the formal assessment exercise
- 2Plenary Activity 2 — Peer Explanation and Reflection: Learners pair up. One learner (Speaker) chooses one design principle from today's lesson and explains it to their partner (Listener) in their own words, using one Ghanaian example. The Listener repeats back what they heard: 'So you are saying balance is… and you showed me the example of…' Partners switch roles for a second principle. Teacher listens to 2–3 pairs and praises clear explanations. Ask the class: 'Hands up if you heard your partner explain a principle clearly. Did their example make sense?' This builds confidence and ensures peer understanding before the formal exercise
Exercise
- 1Written Exercise (3– individual work): Learners complete one written response in their exercise books. Teacher reads aloud: 'Choose one design principle you learned today—balance, rhythm, or repetition. Write or tell the teacher: (1) What does this principle mean? (2) Give one example from nature or from a place in Ghana (e.g., your home, the market, a school). (3) Draw a simple sketch using a pencil to show your principle.' Model answer hint: 'Balance means both sides are equal. Example: a compound house with doors and windows on both sides. I will draw a simple square house with a window and door on the left, and the same on the right to show balance.' Struggling learners may dictate their answer to the teacher or draw a sketch with the teacher's guidance. Fast finishers write two principles and two examples. This exercise directly assesses the Phase 1 objective (recall and identify principles in Ghanaian examples) and measures learners' ability to apply understanding to new contexts
|
