Free Expression, Self-Dependent Drawing and Colouring for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4

Term: Third Term

Week: 7

Age: 5 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Subject: Creativity

Curriculum Theme: Creativity

Previous Lesson: Drawing and colouring simple shapes.

Topic: FREE EXPRESSION: SELF-DEPENDENT DRAWING AND COLOURING

Subject Matter: Free Expression: Self-Dependent Drawing and Colouring.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Understand that they can draw anything they imagine.
• Identify various objects they can choose to draw.

Affective Domain

• Show enjoyment and confidence in expressing their ideas through drawing.
• Appreciate their own drawings and those of their classmates.

Psychomotor Domain

• Draw any object of their choice independently.
• Colour their drawings neatly using crayons.

Social Domain

• Share their finished drawings with their peers and teacher.
• Participate actively in the drawing and colouring activity.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources on creative arts.
• Relevant early-years creativity workbooks.

Instructional Materials

• Drawing paper or exercise books.
• Pencils.
• Crayons of various colours.
• A clean, flat surface (tables or desks) for drawing.
• Examples of simple, varied drawings (not for copying, but for inspiration).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it fosters their imagination, self-confidence, and fine motor skills. Allowing free expression in drawing helps children communicate their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment, encouraging them to explore their creativity and develop independence in their artistic choices.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can hold a pencil and crayon correctly, have practised drawing simple lines and shapes, and have some experience with basic colouring activities.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Free Expression: Self-Dependent Drawing and Colouring

What is Free Expression Drawing?

Free expression drawing means you can draw *anything* you want! There are no rules about what to draw. You can draw from your imagination, things you see around you, or things you love. It’s about showing your own ideas on paper.

What is Self-Dependent Drawing?

Self-dependent drawing means you do it by yourself. You choose what to draw, and you draw it all by yourself. The teacher is there to help if you need it, but the ideas and the drawing come from you!

Ideas for Drawing:

• People (your family, friends, yourself)
• Animals (pets, farm animals, wild animals)
• Houses, cars, aeroplanes
• Fruits, vegetables, food
• Flowers, trees, sun, moon
• Toys, balls, books

After you draw, you will colour your picture nicely using your crayons. Choose colours that you like!

Key Words

• Free Expression – Drawing what you want, from your own ideas.
• Self-Dependent – Doing something by yourself.
• Draw – To make pictures with a pencil or crayon.
• Colour – To fill in drawings with different colours.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Demonstrate the correct way to hold a pencil and crayon.
• Show how to move the hand freely on the paper.
• Briefly show a few simple, varied drawings (e.g., a stick figure, a simple house, a sun) not as examples to copy, but to show different possibilities and inspire pupils’ own ideas. Emphasize that their drawing can be anything they imagine.

Our Drawing and Colouring Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Paper ready, pencil too,
Draw a picture, just for you.
Anything you want to make,
For your own dear, happy sake.
Colour brightly, nice and neat,
Making your own art so sweet!

Actions:

• “Paper ready, pencil too” – Hold up an imaginary paper and pencil.
• “Draw a picture, just for you” – Make drawing motions in the air.
• “Anything you want to make” – Open hands wide.
• “For your own dear, happy sake” – Point to self and smile.
• “Colour brightly, nice and neat” – Make colouring motions.
• “Making your own art so sweet!” – Clap hands gently.

How to use the rhyme: Sing this rhyme at the beginning of the activity to inspire pupils, and again while they are colouring to keep them engaged and focused on their independent work.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Practical Activity, Repetition.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Motivation/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and asks them what they remember about drawing and colouring. The teacher then introduces the idea of drawing anything they like today, using their own ideas.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to questions and listen attentively to the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils are prepared for the lesson and understand the focus on free choice.

Step 2: Explanation of Free Expression

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Concept Building

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains “free expression” in drawing. “Today, you are going to be artists! An artist draws what is in their heart or head. You can draw anything you want – a person, an animal, a house, a car, a flower, or even something from your dreams! There is no ‘wrong’ drawing when you are expressing yourself.” The teacher encourages pupils to think of things they might want to draw.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, share ideas of what they might like to draw, and understand the concept of drawing freely.

Learning Point: Pupils grasp the idea of drawing based on their own choices and imagination.

Step 3: Explanation of Self-Dependent Drawing

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guiding/Clarifying

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains “self-dependent” drawing. “This means you will do your drawing all by yourself. You will choose your idea and draw it with your own hands. I will be here to help you if you need a little push, but the drawing is all yours!” The teacher shows how to hold the pencil correctly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, practise holding their pencils, and understand that they will be working independently.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the importance of independent work and proper tool handling.

Step 4: Inspiration and Preparation

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Inspiring/Organising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes drawing paper and pencils. The teacher gently reminds pupils to think about what they want to draw. “Close your eyes for a moment, what do you see in your mind that you want to draw today?” The teacher sings the “Our Drawing and Colouring Rhyme” to set a positive mood.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils receive their materials, think about their drawing ideas, and sing along with the rhyme.

Learning Point: Pupils are ready with materials and ideas to begin their drawing.

Step 5: Guided Practice (Drawing)

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Facilitating/Monitoring

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher instructs pupils to start drawing their chosen object. The teacher walks around the classroom, offering encouragement, asking pupils what they are drawing, and providing gentle guidance without taking over their work. “That’s a wonderful idea! Tell me about your drawing.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils begin to draw their chosen objects independently on their paper.

Learning Point: Pupils actively engage in self-dependent drawing, expressing their creativity.

Step 6: Guided Practice (Colouring)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Supporting/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: Once pupils have finished drawing, the teacher distributes crayons and instructs them to colour their drawings neatly. The teacher encourages them to use different colours and fill the spaces. The teacher sings the rhyme again as pupils colour.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils colour their drawings, choosing their own colours and trying to stay within the lines.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and aesthetic sense through colouring their self-drawn pictures.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. “Can you show me your drawing?”
2. “What did you choose to draw today?”
3. “Did you draw it all by yourself?”
4. “What colours did you use?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally, hold up their drawings, and describe what they drew and the colours they used.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson by presenting and describing their independent creative work.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarising/Praising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises all pupils for their wonderful drawings and independent work. The teacher collects the drawings. “You all did a fantastic job drawing exactly what you wanted and colouring it beautifully by yourselves!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils feel proud of their work and submit their drawings.

Learning Point: Pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and are encouraged to continue expressing themselves creatively.

Lesson Keywords

• Free Expression – Drawing or creating something based on your own thoughts and feelings, without being told what to do.
• Self-Dependent – Being able to do things by yourself, without needing help from others.
• Draw – To make a picture or image using a pencil, crayon, or pen.
• Colour – To add colour to a drawing or picture using crayons, paint, or markers.
• Imagination – The ability to form new ideas and images in your mind.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling to choose an object, the teacher can offer a very simple suggestion (e.g., “How about drawing a big circle and making it into a sun?”). For those with difficulty holding tools, provide hand-over-hand guidance. Offer larger paper for more space to draw freely.
• Extension: For pupils who finish quickly, encourage them to add more details to their drawing, draw a background, or even draw another small object on the same paper. Ask them to tell a short story about their drawing.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

For this lesson, the most important aspect is to foster a sense of freedom and confidence in the pupils. Avoid giving specific examples for them to copy, as this defeats the purpose of “free expression.” Instead, encourage them to think of their own ideas and praise their effort and originality, not just the “neatness” of the drawing. Prepare all materials (paper, pencils, crayons) beforehand and ensure a clean, comfortable drawing surface for each child. Circulate constantly, offering positive reinforcement and asking open-ended questions like “Tell me about your picture” or “What’s happening in your drawing?” This encourages verbal expression alongside artistic expression. Observe how independently each child chooses their subject and executes their drawing and colouring. This observation is key to assessing their understanding of “self-dependent” drawing. Ensure children understand that it’s okay if their drawing doesn’t look “perfect” – the joy is in creating it themselves.