Unit Plan 4 (PreK Art): Lines & Scribbles
Preschool art unit where children explore straight, curvy, zigzag, and loopy lines through playful scribbling with crayons, markers, paint, and other materials.
Focus: Explore different types of lines and scribbles through playful experimentation with art materials.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Creating)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, preschool children joyfully explore lines and scribbles as they play with different art tools and materials. They experiment with making straight, curvy, zigzag, and loopy lines using crayons, markers, and other tools on big and small papers. Children learn that scribbling and line-making are important ways artists practice and discover what tools can do. By the end of the unit, children can try more than one kind of line, show excitement about their marks, and begin to notice that different tools make different kinds of lines.
Essential Questions
- What kinds of lines can I make (straight, curvy, zigzag, loopy)?
- How do different tools (crayons, markers, brushes) make different lines?
- How does it feel to scribble and draw with big and small movements?
- How can I use play and exploration to discover new marks and lines?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Children will be able to:
- Experiment with art tools (crayons, markers, brushes, or other materials) to make different kinds of lines and scribbles.
- Try at least two or three types of lines (e.g., straight, curvy, zigzag, loopy) with guidance.
- Use larger and smaller movements to explore how lines can be big or small, long or short.
- Show interest and enjoyment in making marks and talk about which lines they like.
- Begin to notice that different art tools and surfaces create different kinds of marks.
Standards Alignment — PreK (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cr2.PKa — Experiment with art materials such as paint, clay, paper, and collage tools.
- Example: Children explore mixing colors with their fingers or brushes.
Success Criteria — Child-Friendly Language
- I can try making different lines with my tools.
- I can make straight, curvy, or zigzag lines when I play with drawing.
- I can use my tools to make big scribbles and small scribbles.
- I can say or show which lines and tools I like best.
- I know that it is okay to explore and play with lines when I do art.