B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Visual Arts: Symmetry, Lettering and Symbols: Design a Poster

D1.1 D1.3 D1.4 D2.3About 50 minutes

Learning goals

I can use symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes in lettering and images.
I can find positive and negative shapes in my environment and use them in a design.
I can create textures and patterns with a variety of tools and materials.
I can read and interpret signs, symbols and styles in art works and in my daily life.
I can design a poster that expresses my point of view and someone else's on an issue in my community.

Words to know

symmetrical
The same on both sides of a line of symmetry, like a mirror image.

asymmetrical
Not the same on both sides.

font
A style of lettering, like bold, thin, curly, or blocky letters.

positive shape
The shape of an object itself (the tree, the letter).

negative shape
The empty space around and between objects (the sky between the branches).

pattern
Lines, shapes or colours that repeat in a planned way.

texture
How something feels, or looks like it would feel: rough, smooth, bumpy.

symbol
A picture or object that stands for an idea, group or feeling.

style
The special look of an artist, a design or a tradition.

Remember from Grade 4

You explored positive and negative space, radial symmetry, and texture techniques like embossing and pressing, and you learned to read signs, symbols and style in art.

In Grade 5, you will use symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes in lettering and images, spot negative shapes in the world around you, create textures and patterns with many tools, and put it all together in a poster with a message.

Letters are shapes too!

Look at the word MOM or WOW. Fold it down the middle in your mind: each side is a mirror image. Now look at the word FROG: no mirror there!

Designers think about letters as shapes. Some letters are symmetrical, some are asymmetrical, and the font (style of lettering) changes the whole feeling of a message.

Left: the letters A, H, T and O, each with a dashed line of symmetry down the middle, so both halves match. Right: the letters F, R, S and J, which are asymmetrical: their left and right halves don't match.

Symmetrical and asymmetrical designs

A symmetrical design is the same on both sides of a line. It feels calm, balanced, formal and steady. Think of a butterfly, a face, or the front of a stately building.
An asymmetrical design is different on each side. It can feel lively, surprising and full of movement. Think of a skateboarder leaning into a turn, or a poster with a big picture on one side and words on the other.

Both can look great! Choose the one that fits your message.

Fonts have feelings

The same words can feel completely different in different lettering styles:

Bubble letters, round and puffy: fun, friendly, playful.
Tall, thin letters with little "feet" (called serifs): formal, serious, old-fashioned.
Thick, blocky capitals: strong, loud, urgent. ALL CAPITALS can feel like shouting!
Drippy or jagged letters: spooky, scary, nervous.
Neat handwriting: personal, warm, homemade.

Tip: on a poster, the most important words should be the biggest and easiest to read from far away.

Positive and negative shapes in the world

A positive shape is the object itself. A negative shape is the space around and between objects. Look for negative shapes everywhere:

the sky between bare tree branches in winter
the space between the legs of a chair
the gap between your fingers when you spread your hand
the space inside the letter O or A

Designers sometimes hide a second picture in the negative space, like an arrow or a face. Training your eye to see negative shapes also makes your drawings more accurate.

Dark, bare tree branches spread out against a pale grey winter sky. — The branches are the positive shapes. The pale sky shapes between them are the negative shapes. Try tracing one of the sky shapes with your finger. AI-generated image

A bare tree against the sky. The tree itself is the positive shape. The pieces of sky between the branches are the negative shapes.

Texture and pattern with many tools

You can make real or visual texture and patterns with everyday tools:

sponge dabbed in paint: soft, bumpy texture (like leaves or snow)
fork dragged through thick paint: rows of lines (like grass, fur or waves)
bubble wrap pressed with paint: a repeating dot pattern
rubbings: paper over a textured surface (a leaf, a coin, a grate), rubbed with the side of a crayon
stamps made from cardboard shapes, string glued on a block, or the end of a cork

A pattern repeats in a planned way: ABAB, a border of maple leaves, a grid of dots. Patterns can make a poster's border lively and tie the design together.

Reading signs and symbols

Signs give quick information. Symbols stand for bigger ideas. Here are some you see in daily life in Canada:

Three chasing arrows in a loop: recycling.
A figure in a wheelchair on a blue square: the International Symbol of Access, showing a place is accessible, for example for people who use wheelchairs.
A red poppy: remembrance of people who served and died in wars, worn before Remembrance Day (November 11).
An orange shirt: Orange Shirt Day, on September 30, also the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The orange shirt honours the children who were sent to residential schools, with the message "Every Child Matters." It comes from the story of Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor, whose new orange shirt was taken away on her first day at a residential school when she was six.
A maple leaf: Canada.

Artists use symbols like these in posters and art works so viewers understand a big idea quickly.

Worked example

Example: Designing a poster from two points of view

Mira wants to make a poster about protecting Heron Marsh. She also asks her dad for his point of view.

My point of view (Mira): the marsh is home to herons and frogs. Dad's point of view: people need homes and jobs too, so the town should build somewhere else, not nowhere.
Message (combining both): "Build homes. Save the marsh. There's room for both!"
Layout: asymmetrical: a big heron on the left, the words on the right. This feels lively and hopeful.
Font: big, bold, blocky letters for "Save the marsh" so it can be read from far away; friendly handwriting for "There's room for both!"
Negative shapes: the heron's long neck and legs make interesting sky-shapes around them; Mira keeps the background simple so they show.
Texture and pattern: a fork dragged through green paint for cattails along the bottom; a border pattern of little houses and frogs, alternating (ABAB).
Symbol: a small house and a heron inside one heart: two ideas joined together.

Mira's poster uses asymmetry, fonts, negative shapes, texture, pattern and a symbol to express her own and her dad's points of view.

Worked example

Example: Interpreting a symbol and a style

You see a poster at the library: big, round, rainbow bubble letters say "READ ALL SUMMER!" with an open book that has wings.

Style of lettering: round, colourful bubble letters feel fun and friendly, so the poster is aimed at kids.
Symbol: a book with wings stands for reading taking you on adventures and letting your imagination fly.
Message: reading in the summer is exciting, not homework.
Explain it: "The style of the bubble letters and the symbol of the flying book communicate that summer reading is fun and adventurous."

To read a design, ask: What do the style, the symbols and the layout make me think and feel?

Just for fun

Try this: write SWIMS in capital letters and turn the paper upside down. It still says SWIMS! That's rotational symmetry: it matches itself after a half turn. 🔄

Hands-on activity

Poster with a message

You need: a large sheet of paper or bristol board, pencil, eraser, markers or paint, and texture tools (a sponge, a fork, bubble wrap, a cork, string, leaves for rubbings). Grown-up help for any cutting.

Choose an issue in your school or community: litter in the park, a food drive, welcoming newcomers, walking to school safely, saving energy, protecting a local creek.
Interview a family member: "What do you think about this issue?" Write down their point of view and yours.
Write a short message (3 to 7 words) that includes both points of view if you can.
Sketch two thumbnails (tiny planning sketches): one symmetrical layout and one asymmetrical layout. Choose the one that fits your message.
Choose fonts that match the feeling. Make the key words biggest.
Add a symbol that stands for your idea.
Add texture and pattern with at least two different tools: for example, a sponge-printed background and a stamped border pattern.
Check negative shapes: is there enough empty space so the message is easy to read?
Stand back 3 metres. Can you read the main words? What do you notice first?

Your turn

Which of these letters are symmetrical (with a vertical line of symmetry): A, F, H, R, T?

How might a symmetrical poster feel compared with an asymmetrical one?

What is a negative shape? Give an example.

Name two tools you could use to make texture in paint.

What does the three chasing arrows symbol stand for?

What message do thick, blocky capital letters send?

What does the orange shirt stand for on September 30?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: The letter O is symmetrical.

What do we call a style of lettering?

What does a red poppy stand for in Canada?

What is a pattern?

What is a positive shape in a picture of a bare tree?

More practice: on your own

You're making a poster for a Halloween haunted hallway at school. What font style would you choose and why?

Design a border pattern for a winter carnival poster. Describe it with a letter pattern (like ABAB).

Why should a poster have enough negative space?

A poster shows a hand holding a small green plant, with the words "Grow Together." Interpret the symbol.

How does interviewing someone else help you make an art work?

Challenge

Design a logo for a school green team using a symmetrical design and a hidden negative shape. Describe it.

Two posters advertise the same food drive. Poster A: symmetrical, thin serif letters, grey and white. Poster B: asymmetrical, big bold friendly letters, a symbol of a full basket, bright colours. Which would better attract families with young children? Explain using art words.

Explain why symbols like the orange shirt or the poppy can communicate so much without many words.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which letter is symmetrical (it has a vertical line of symmetry)?

An asymmetrical design usually feels ___.

The sky between the branches of a bare tree is a ___.

Dragging a fork through thick paint creates ___.

The International Symbol of Access shows ___.

On a poster, the most important words should be ___.

What does "Every Child Matters" go with?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: For Grade 5, shape and form includes symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes and forms in font and image and positive and negative shapes in the environment, and texture includes textures created with a variety of tools, materials and techniques, and patterning. Students create art works inspired by their own and others' points of view (D1.1), communicate with the elements of design (D1.3), solve design challenges with a variety of tools (D1.4) and read and interpret signs, symbols and style (D2.3).

How to help:

On a walk or drive, look for symbols and logos and talk about what they mean and why they work.
Let your child interview you for the poster; share your honest point of view.
Save textured objects (bubble wrap, corks, sponges, old forks) for printing.

A note on Orange Shirt Day: the lesson mentions residential schools at an age-appropriate level, as many Ontario schools mark September 30. If your child has questions, answer simply and honestly: residential schools were schools that many First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were made to attend, far from their families, where many were treated very badly and were not allowed to speak their languages. Wearing orange shows that every child matters. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Orange Shirt Society have resources for families.

Safety: a grown-up should do any cutting with a knife or craft knife (for example, carving stamps). Use washable, non-toxic paint and cover the table.

Common difficulties:

Crowded posters. Encourage fewer words and more empty space.
Small lettering. Test by standing across the room.
Copying a logo. Encourage original symbols that mean something to your child.