Picturing Stories
Class 5 · Arts
4 ideas in Class 5 Arts, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Observing People
Part of: People and shadows
Everyone walks, talks, laughs and moods distinctly, casting different shadows. Loving observers picture faces, smiles, hairstyles, clothes, voices, gestures and daily activities to tell people's life stories.
Why it matters. Close looks reveal character. Detailed pictures honour people.
Try it in two minutes
- Pick a favourite person.
- List five details.
- Note their shadow.
Try at home. Picture a family member fully.
Shadow Science and Creatures
Part of: People and shadows
Blocked light throws shadows on surfaces behind objects, shifting between sun and streetlights and differing from makers. Partners shape gliding birds with wide swaying arms and elephant trunks from hunched knees and hands, pausing liked shadows for finger, stick or stone tracing.
Why it matters. Light-plus-body draws free pictures. Paused shadows become tracings.
Try it in two minutes
- Step out on a sunny day.
- Shape one creature.
- Trace the liked shadow.
Try at home. Trace evening shadows at home.
Shadow Puppetry
Part of: Puppetry, emojis and storyboards
Shadow puppetry is an ancient storytelling art alive in seven states, where leather and modern-material puppets let light pass into colourful moving shadows. Watchers study body depiction and joined parts, then turn gathered drawings into characters for 100-word stories.
Why it matters. Old light-play still enchants. Drawings-plus-words complete tales.
Try it in two minutes
- Name two puppetry states.
- Watch one puppet video.
- Turn a drawing into a character.
Try at home. Stage torch shadows at home.
Emojis and Storyboards
Part of: Puppetry, emojis and storyboards
Faces window emotions: smileys signal happiness, punctuation emoticons code winks and tongues, detailed emojis chat online, and personal emojis mix unfound feelings with signature moves. Storyboards comic-plan plays and films through others' four-activity days, each scene holding activity, feeling and three spaces around a focused expressive person.
Why it matters. Coded faces speed feelings. Planned frames steady stories.
Try it in two minutes
- Decode one emoticon.
- Invent one personal emoji.
- Plan one four-scene day.
Try at home. Storyboard a family member's day.
What your child will practise
- Emojis and Storyboards: Space Quest (Match It Up)
- Emojis and Storyboards: Space Quest (Flip and Match)
- Observing People: Desert Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Shadow Puppetry: Jungle Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Shadow Science and Creatures: Ocean Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Quiz: Emojis and Storyboards (8 questions)
- Quiz: Observing People (8 questions)
- Quiz: Shadow Puppetry (8 questions)
- Quiz: Shadow Science and Creatures (8 questions)