Containers are really simple ways to make a boring page of notes or a blank whiteboard come to life.
You’ll notice that in each video, I have added a border by drawing around the edge of the flipchart. I’ve also added the illusion of a piece of sellotape or a pin by drawing a rectangle or circle. This instantly makes the presentation of the activity more engaging. I find many of my course participants are amazed by this extremely simple trick..
In ‘Lesson 3: Classroom vocabulary’ I mentioned that I like to draw a notebook to demonstrate to students how to layout their notes. This is just one idea for using containers.
You could also use them to create a graphic organiser for a reading activity. For example, if you are reading a story about being lost on a desert island, you could use the flag as a container for the answer to the question ‘Where are they?’ and the treasure map for a list of things they find on the island.
Practise drawing the containers. Use the video or the image to help you. Add the containers to your visual dictionary.
Like learning a language, repetition is the key to developing your visual vocabulary. It helps to draw each icon or container multiple times until it becomes part of your muscle memory.
What would you use each of these containers for?
Have a look over the previous modules and your visual dictionary. Are there any other icons that might work well as containers? Which ones? What would you use them for?
Share your thoughts, ideas and work in the Facebook Group, or use the notes function.
Containers are really simple ways to make a boring page of notes or a blank whiteboard come to life.
You’ll notice that in each video, I have added a border by drawing around the edge of the flipchart. I’ve also added the illusion of a piece of sellotape or a pin by drawing a rectangle or circle. This instantly makes the presentation of the activity more engaging. I find many of my course participants are amazed by this extremely simple trick..
In ‘Lesson 3: Classroom vocabulary’ I mentioned that I like to draw a notebook to demonstrate to students how to layout their notes. This is just one idea for using containers.
You could also use them to create a graphic organiser for a reading activity. For example, if you are reading a story about being lost on a desert island, you could use the flag as a container for the answer to the question ‘Where are they?’ and the treasure map for a list of things they find on the island.
Practise drawing the containers. Use the video or the image to help you. Add the containers to your visual dictionary.
Like learning a language, repetition is the key to developing your visual vocabulary. It helps to draw each icon or container multiple times until it becomes part of your muscle memory.
What would you use each of these containers for?
Have a look over the previous modules and your visual dictionary. Are there any other icons that might work well as containers? Which ones? What would you use them for?
Share your thoughts, ideas and work in the Facebook Group, or use the notes function.
There’s much more to graphic facilitation than just simple doodles. It’s not just drawing in or with a class. There is a whole world of visual metaphors, storytelling, templates, visual vocabulary containers and all sorts of other magic!
One of the most important tools is the visual template. In this post, I’ll explore what a visual template is and why they are so much fun to use.
What is a visual template?
A visual template is a graphic facilitation tool. It creates a hand-drawn space for people to add ideas, thoughts, information or doodles. The aim is to use it to guide a task, project, meeting, class or to help solve a problem.
In many ways, visual templates are similar (or perhaps even are) graphic organisers. A graphic organiser provides a space for people to answer questions or focus their thoughts too. They tend to take the form of tables, diagrams, or a series boxes.
Since starting my graphic facilitation journey, and applying it to all things English Language Teaching, I’ve been pondering what the difference between a graphic organiser and a visual template is…
What’s the difference between a graphic organiser and a visual template?
I’ve spoken to quite a few other visual practitioners at length on this and have come to the conclusion that:
a graphic organiser uses simple boxes, circles, squares and diagrams to create a space for thinking. They can be quite plain, simple and functional. They usually have text to guide thinking because there are no other visual clues.
For example:
while…
a visual template uses visual metaphors, storytelling and hand drawn icons to provide an inspiring space to add ideas. There’s an added magic to a visual template because, instead of a box, a visual template will use an icon such as a mountain, a hot air balloon or a lightbulb as a blank space to add ideas. They don’t need to use text to guide thinking, because the imagery allows the brain to connect with the story behind it.
In short, visual templates are snazzier, more fun and more visually engaging than graphic organisers, in my humble opinion.
In this visual template, there are a few visual metaphors. These help to de-sensitise tricky topics, inspire and add a fun visual story.
The mountain – is often used to signify difficulties, challenges or working towards a goal. The summit of the mountain could be an aspiration or objective.
The hot air balloon – can be used to represent a method of reaching goals. Adding hot air, positive thoughts or tasks can help the balloon rise and move upwards. Adding more weight, baggage or negative thoughts could have the opposite effect.
The beauty of visual templates is that they can be used in many ways for various purposes. I’ve used the mountain in class, in webinars and to plan my own business. It’s perfect for printing, drawing, interactive whiteboards and online use. And it can be adapted for personal goal-setting, business goal-setting, reflecting on wellbeing and a multitude of other topics, so it’s a winner in terms of minimising preparation time!
If you’d like more ideas like this, you can buy my Pathways to Success: Visual Tools for Goal-Setting, Self-Evaluation and Progession. It has sixteen visual templates which you can use, re-use, adapt and re-purpose in as many ways as you can possibly think. I’ve provided some usage notes to get you started, as well as a printer-friendly and a colour version of each template.
Emily Bryson ELT – Resource pack for students, teachers, leaders and teams.
If you’d like to try before you buy, check out this webinar recording (start at 7.45 mins to skip the intro).
And, if you’d like to create your own visual tools like this, I have various courses which can help you. You might want to start with Dis(?)Organised Graphics and Graphic Organisers with the fabulous Clare Hayward, where we share some cool teaching tips on using canva, graphic organisers and visual templates!
Visual templates are an underpinning tool in graphic facilitation. They are helpful for visualising and exploring a variety of topics.
It is essentially a technique which turns a plain flipchart, whiteboard or screen into a visual prompt to guide and focus students’ attention. It uses simple iconography to represent topics and bold text to activate schema, catch their eyes and their imaginations.
Using visual templates will make your lessons stand out from the crowd and engage your learners. I also find they are a great way to interact with learning in an accessible and memorable way.
You can use visual templates in many ways. If you create a template on a flipchart, you can roll it up and store it for the next time you need it. You can also do this by taking a photo of your work or using digital tools (such as CamScanner) to save it.
At the end of this lesson, I’d like you to create your own visual template, then share it in the Facebook Group, with an explanation of how you might use it. If you get an opportunity to use it first, share your reflections too.
Let’s look at some visual templates.
The mountain and the hot air balloon
Visual templates are often based on metaphors. In this example, the mountain signifies challenges, the summit is the goal and the hot air balloon represents ways to overcome the challenges and achieve the goals.
The beauty of visual templates is that they can be used in many ways. I created this visual template for an action research project I was mentoring. The tutor was exploring the impact of meditation on trauma experienced learners.
Students were given their own individual A4 photocopy of the template. They each wrote what challenges they faced that had an impact on their daily lives. They then considered things they do to lift themselves up or overcome the challenges.
You can also do this as a whole class activity, asking students to add their own ideas to a large template drawn on the whiteboard or on a flipchart.
I have also used this template to:
– Discuss challenges students have with their language learning.
– Explore everyday challenges teachers have at work.
– Brainstorm challenges students with literacy needs face.
– Help students consider their goals (the top of the mountain) and how to achieve them.
– Talk about likes and dislikes. In this case, the balloon itself was ‘things that lift me up/I like’ and the weights were ‘things that weigh me down/I dislike’. This is a good way of using more complex language for like and dislike (e.g. I’m (not) a fan of, I’m really into, I feel great when, etc).
Do you have any other ideas for how to use this template? Share them in the Facebook Group.
The road map
No course on graphic facilitation would be complete without a journey map template. As with many visual templates, the journey map (a road, river, pathway, stairs of even a simple line) can be used in many ways.
Here’s two examples which I’ve used successfully multiple times.
The road map on the left is from my 50 Ways to Teach Life Skills book. It supports the development of organisation, self-awareness, goal setting and planning. There is evidence to suggest that having clear goals and plans for how to achieve them makes success more likely. Supporting learners to identify their goals, then map how to use them can be motivating and empowering.
Start by considering where they want to be in a certain time period (e.g. 5 years), then add where they are now. Students can collaborate and share ideas on what steps they might take to get there.
You can draw the road map on the board and ask students to copy it, or provide them with a photocopied template. Some learners may wish to draw their future plans, while other may simply like to add their own words. As a follow up, you can ask them to share their ideas with a partner, present their plans or write about them.
Throughout the process, draw attention to emergent language. I find that this works well for future forms such as ‘I want to’, ‘I will’, ‘I’m going to’ and ‘I need to.’ If you’re asking students to collaborate and support each other, you could also teach some useful language for giving advice, e.g. ‘Have you thought about…?’ or ‘Maybe you could try…?’.
I’ve also used the road map with teachers. I created the Action Research Planner on the right to help teachers plan and deliver an action research project for OTLA. Participants start at the bottom with with a problem (e.g. how to improve vocabulary retention). Then, in the lightbulbs, they note three ideas for possible solutions (e.g. vocabulary notebook, weekly tests, revision activities). After that, they cross to the other side of the road and look for help. This involves reading around the problem and talking to experts and peers. They then decide on a course of action, trial it and collect the evidence. Throughout the process they’ll be encouraged to reflect (perhaps using another visual template). My mentees all said that they found this template very useful in the initial planning stages.
Action Research Planner
You could also use this map to:
tell a story
share the course curriculum
teach sequencing language (e.g. first, second, then, finally)
reflect on learning, a lesson or a project
How would you use the journey map? Share your ideas in the Facebook group.
The container flipchart
In Module 1: Build your Visual Vocabulary, we looked at containers. These are icons that we can use to give some white space for participants to complete a task or add their ideas. For example, in the Action Research Road Map, I’ve used a lightbuld as a container for ideas.
In these flipcharts, I’ve used icons as prompts or containers. This activates the imagination and adds a bit of intrigue to the activity.
You’ll notice that I’ve made each flipchart a little more pleasing on the eye by adding a border and drawing some pins or tape in the top corners. This adds a little fun and turns the flipchart into it’s own container. You can also do this with a whiteboard.
Here are some ways I’d use each template:
Energy sources:
– Display it on the wall. Ask students to work in pairs or small groups. Give each group some post its. Ask them to write the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source on their post its. Discuss all the responses as a whole class. Students could then do some research to find out some facts, write a report or deliver a presentation.
Reduce Plastic Waste:
– Display the template in an online whiteboard such Jamboard, Mural or Miro. Ask students to think of ways they could reduce plastic or ways they do reduce plastic. Ask them to add their ideas using annotation tools in the video conferencing software or using virtual post its.
Ways to save electricity.
– You could use this in a similar way to those above. You could also use all three templates together as a ‘paper carousel’. Ask students to work in three groups. Give each group one of the templates. Ask them to add their ideas using post its. After five minutes or so, pass the template to the next table (or ask them to walk to the next template if you’ve hung them on the wall) and ask them to add any additional ideas. Repeat the process until each group has interacted with each visual template. Then share ideas and discuss as a whole class.
Energy Sources
Reduce Plastic Waste
Saving Electricity
How would you use these in class? What language points might you focus on?
Graphic Organisers
A graphic organiser or ‘one pager’ is a teaching tool which helps learners organise information and ideas. It can help them to understand and remember information. It can also reduce processing load, which is particularly useful to learners who may feel overwhelmed by too much text.
You have probably encountered these in worksheets and photocopiable materials using a more digitally processed design.
As with most templates. There are multiple uses. Here’s a couple that I use often with my students.
Hummingbird Graphic Organiser on Whiteboard
Vocabulary Organiser
You’ll notice that both are quite quick and drafty. I wanted to include these as I want to remind you that graphic facilitation is not art. Students and teachers don’t have time to create masterpieces. And my class certainly doesn’t want to watch me draw an intricate hummingbird on the whiteboard. So here they are in all their glorious, real life, scrappiness.
The Hummingbird organiser is an adaptation of a lesson in Voices (beginner), a coursebook I wrote for National Geographic Learning. I wanted to have a bit of fun with the listening activity, and reduce processing load on my students. I teach a lot of learners with limited literacy so reading questions whilst listening to an audio can be distracting and overwhelming.
I find that creating a template where they have only a few words, with sections to complete is very supportive. When I did this, not one student asked to listen to the audio for the third time – which was a first! It didn’t even take any preparation time. I simply drew the template on the board and asked them to copy it, then listen and complete.
The vocabulary organiser on the right is a technique I use to train learners in effective notetaking and to aid their vocabulary retention. For every new word, learners can interact with it multiple times in a variety of ways. First, they write the word, then the meaning in their language, then they draw a picture and add an example sentence of the word used in context.
Have you used techniques like this with your students? Share your experiences and ideas in the Facebook group.
Over to you!
I’ve given you lots of examples of visual templates and how to use them with your learners.
Now it’s time to create your own! 😁
Think about a lesson or training session you are delivering soon. Create a visual template for that lesson. Share your work in the Facebook Group. Inspire others, and be inspired.
Visual capture sheets are a technique used to collate and collect information. They are essentially a visual way to ask for and display feedback, reflections or data.
I like to use them in my webinars, training sessions and classes instead of surveys.
As with visual templates, there are many different kinds, each of which can be used in multiple ways.
The sliding scale wheel.
This wheel is a good way to visualise participants thoughts, beliefs or experiences. I often use this in my workshops and training sessions.
I ask participants what ways they use drawings. They can they mark (in the middle of the pie slices) how frequently they use each on a scale from zero to ten. Zero = I never do this. 10 = I do this all the time.
As with visual templates, capture sheets are versatile. For example, you can use this design:
– In a video conferencing app such as Zoom. Participants can select their rating using the annotation tools as part of a group task.
– In Jamboard or Google Slides. Participants can create their own copy of the capture sheet and select their own rating. This rating can remain confidential or be used as part of a discussion. This is a great way to get individualised feedback without sending a multiple choice survey.
– On paper. Participants can mark their rating individually. They could use their own individual wheel on A4 paper or their own notebooks.
– Flipchart or whiteboard. In a face to face context, you could ask participants to add their ratings using post it notes.
It can be an interesting task to compare how ratings change at the beginning and end of a course. For example, you could ask learners to rate how they feel about various aspects of their learning (e.g. reading, writing, speaking, listening, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, homework) at the start of a course, then look back and see how they have developed throughout the course.
Can you think of any other ways to use this style of capture sheet? Share your ideas in the Facebook group.
The Feedback Fairy
The feedback fairy uses a variety of containers to capture people’s thoughts on a training session or course. She tends to inspire and add a bit of magic to the end of a course.
The containers represent:
– Heart = something you loved
– Speech bubble = something you’ll tell others
– Wand = something you wish had been in the session
– Brain (or thought bubble) = something you thought
– Toolbox = a resource or tool you want to use or a key takeaway
– Bin = something you would remove
When asking for feedback, consider what information you’d like to know. Write down a few key words. Then consider what icons or containers could represent each point. Then create a capture sheet. It doesn’t need to have a central feature, such as a fairy – a series of separate containers can be just as effective.
For example, at IATEFL one year, I used one sheet of flipchart paper for each section of feedback I wanted. i drew one container on each sheet and asked people to add their thoughts.
I’d now like you to create your own visual capture sheet!
Think of a class you are teaching, a webinar you are giving or a survey you want to create (for example). What information do you want to capture? Draw your own visual capture sheet.
You may want to return to the ‘Module 1: Build your Visual Vocabulary: Containers’ lesson for ideas. Remember you can always search online for images of ‘icons’ to help you draw too.
Share it in the Facebook Group for feedback and to inspire others. If you use it, let us know how it went.
As I mentioned in the first module, Build you Visual Vocabulary, graphic facilitation is versatile. You can graphically facilitate your sessions using as few or as many specialist tools as you wish.
In my courses, I realise that most teachers have at least a pencil and a piece of paper. This is all you need throughout this course.
Here’s a fun Instagram reel I made about this. Click the image to view.
However, if you’re anything like me, you’ll slowly start to build your collection of graphic facilitation tools – and develop an addiction to pens!
Here are some tools you may wish to explore.
1. Pen and paper
All you need is a pen (or pencil) and paper. You can draw the icons and visuals during the session or have them pre-prepared before class.
If you are working online or you want to save or reuse your work, you can scan the image. I like to use the Camscanner App which is free for Android phones. I tend to use the ‘Magic Colour’ feature, which brightens the colours and whitens the background automatically.
2. Whiteboard and dry-erase markers
These are perfect for graphic facilitation. It’s simple to draw a visual template, container or graphic organiser on the whiteboard and ask learners to come to the whiteboard and add their ideas. You can give them post-it notes or their own marker pen to do this. If your students also like drawing, you can encourage them to add their own drawings too.
The photos below are of my whiteboard. I wanted to find out how my students were learning English, and give them an opportunity to discuss and share ideas. I drew some containers on the whiteboard (See Module 1: Build your Visual Vocabulary: containers) and then asked them to add their ideas using post it notes. We then discussed how they like to learn and shared suggestions for favourite apps, websites and videos. Students then wrote a short text giving advice for how to learn English.
3. Flipchart and markers
Flipcharts are great because you can pre-draw the visual, roll it up and store it or transport it. This means you can create something more detailed and reuse it multiple times.
You don’t need to have a flipchart stand to use a flipchart. I ordered flipchart paper online then used panel pins (small nails) to hang it on my wall.
An alternative to this is to use paper tape (aka masking tape) and hang each page individually. I recommend hanging another page underneath the top layer to prevent the pens from ‘bleeding’ onto the wall!
It’s also a good idea to stick the piece of tape to your clothes first, to make it less sticky. This should reduce the risk of the tape removing any paintwork!
Top tip: Ask permission from the owner of the surface first!!
Making paper tape less sticky!
4. Teaching online
Graphic Facilitation is excellent for online teaching. It can make lessons more interactive and collaborative.
In Zoom, you can display the visual using PowerPoint, Word or Whiteboard and ask participants to add their ideas using the annotation tools.
Tools such as Jamboard, Mural and Miro are also great ways to take graphic facilitation online. You can display the image, then ask students to add their own post it notes, doodles, text or images/icons. Mural even has its own visual templates for you to use.
Visualisers are basically 21st Century versions of overhead projectors. They stream the visual to the computer screen and can be used in face to face or online sessions.
I love using them for storytelling; I draw a story or ask students to create their own story as I draw it for them. Students can then re-tell the story in pairs, write it, discuss it then write their own.
Here’s a video story I created using a visualiser. It’s aimed at adult learners devloping their literacy skills. This lesson focuses on the phonics sounds CEHRMD. I’ve shared the word document here, as I feel it’s best that lessons can be tailored, especially at this level. Click the image to view the lesson and the video.
If you happen to have a tablet or laptop with drawing capabilities, you have lots of options available to you.
– Create, save and edit your visuals
– Repurpose your visuals
– Draw ‘live’ straight into Powerpoint, Jamboard or Mural.
– Share your screen in a video conferencing (e.g. Zoom) session to display your drawing software.
There are lots of different drawing softwares to choose from. The most popular for Apple seems to be Procreate. I’m an Android girl so I use Adobe Fresco. I recommend trying a few and seeing what works for you.
You can also draw straight into Powerpoint 365, which has a cool animate option. Here’s an example of this function in action!
What tools do you have for graphic facilitation? What would you like to try? Share your thoughts in the Facebook group.
Transport is a common lexical topic in ELT. You can use these icons to teach transport vocabulary. You could also use them to set the scene for other topics. For example:
an ambulance could set the scene for a discussion on accidents or health
a campervan or airplane could activate schemata on holidays
a bus, train or car could get students thinking about local travel
You could also use these as containers in a graphic organiser or visual template. If you plan to do this, simply draw the outline without adding the windows. You can explore graphic organisers and visual templates more in my other modules, courses and workshops. Sign up to my mailing list or follow my social media channels for updates and special offers.
Practise drawing the icons. Use the video or the image to help you. Add the new visual vocabulary to your dictionary.
How would you use these in class? Are there any other types or transport you’d like to draw? Make a list and add them to your visual dictionary.
Buildings are excellent for context setting. You can also use them for containers in graphic organisers, notes or visual templates.
Practise drawing the icons in this video or copy the image.
The large image with stairs is a vague approximation of the college where I work. If you search for City of Glasgow College, you will see that my image isn’t 100% accurate. That’s ok. It expresses the general idea and communicates that the building is tiered next to a large set of stairs.
The key to simple drawings is to capture the overall essence of what you want to communicate. You’ll notice various ways to draw windows here. In their simplest form, they are lines, ‘L’ shapes or squares.
What buildings would you draw often? Look at a photo online and copy the outline. Express the main points.
What concepts or lesson ideas might you introduce with these buildings?
Here are some simple ways to draw buildings. Copy them from this image or use the video to help you.
Visual capture sheets are a technique used to collate and collect information. They are essentially a visual way to ask for and display feedback, reflections or data.
I like to use them in my webinars, training sessions and classes instead of surveys.
As with visual templates, there are many different kinds, each of which can be used in multiple ways.
The sliding scale wheel.
This wheel is a good way to visualise participants thoughts, beliefs or experiences. I often use this in my workshops and training sessions.
I ask participants what ways they use drawings. They can they mark (in the middle of the pie slices) how frequently they use each on a scale from zero to ten. Zero = I never do this. 10 = I do this all the time.
As with visual templates, capture sheets are versatile. For example, you can use this design:
– In a video conferencing app such as Zoom. Participants can select their rating using the annotation tools as part of a group task.
– In Jamboard or Google Slides. Participants can create their own copy of the capture sheet and select their own rating. This rating can remain confidential or be used as part of a discussion. This is a great way to get individualised feedback without sending a multiple choice survey.
– On paper. Participants can mark their rating individually. They could use their own individual wheel on A4 paper or their own notebooks.
– Flipchart or whiteboard. In a face to face context, you could ask participants to add their ratings using post it notes.
It can be an interesting task to compare how ratings change at the beginning and end of a course. For example, you could ask learners to rate how they feel about various aspects of their learning (e.g. reading, writing, speaking, listening, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, homework) at the start of a course, then look back and see how they have developed throughout the course.
Can you think of any other ways to use this style of capture sheet? Share your ideas in the Facebook group.
The Feedback Fairy
The feedback fairy uses a variety of containers to capture people’s thoughts on a training session or course. She tends to inspire and add a bit of magic to the end of a course.
The containers represent:
– Heart = something you loved
– Speech bubble = something you’ll tell others
– Wand = something you wish had been in the session
– Brain (or thought bubble) = something you thought
– Toolbox = a resource or tool you want to use or a key takeaway
– Bin = something you would remove
When asking for feedback, consider what information you’d like to know. Write down a few key words. Then consider what icons or containers could represent each point. Then create a capture sheet. It doesn’t need to have a central feature, such as a fairy – a series of separate containers can be just as effective.
For example, at IATEFL one year, I used one sheet of flipchart paper for each section of feedback I wanted. i drew one container on each sheet and asked people to add their thoughts.
I’d now like you to create your own visual capture sheet!
Think of a class you are teaching, a webinar you are giving or a survey you want to create (for example). What information do you want to capture? Draw your own visual capture sheet.
You may want to return to the ‘Module 1: Build your Visual Vocabulary: Containers’ lesson for ideas. Remember you can always search online for images of ‘icons’ to help you draw too.
Share it in the Facebook Group for feedback and to inspire others. If you use it, let us know how it went.
There are various ways you can lay out your sketchnotes. How you do this is entirely up to you.
You may find when you are listening and sketchnoting ‘live’, that your sketchnote can get a little squashed in sections. Before you start, it can help to think about what you will need to include.
The speaker may tell you at the beginning of their session what they plan to talk about. In this case, you can use a pencil, or mentally map out where to put each section.
If the speaker doesn’t give you an idea of what they might talk about, I find it helps to split the paper into chunks of time. So if the session is 30 minutes long, you could have six sections, each representing five minutes of time.
After the session, you may wish to edit your notes or create an entirely new piece. This depends on the purpose of your notes. For example, if you are creating them for your students or social media, you’ll probably want them to be a pretty good standard, but if you’re sketchnoting for your eyes only, you may be happy with scrappy. It’s all good practice.
Of course, you don’t need to restrict yourself to one page. There are no rules with sketchnoting, so if your notes spill into three or four pages, that’s totally fine. They are notes after all.
If you do want to challenge yourself and stick to one page, here are some layouts that you may wish to consider.
Sections – split the page into a number of sections, either with real or imaginary lines.
Journey – use a line, road, path or river to show distance traveled
Shape – use a shape or object which represents what you’re noting. For example, a mountain may represent challenges while steps may show different stages. A tree could should growth. In this sketchnote, I used a computer screen to represent digital resources. I also used a supportive arm as the banner for the heading.
Connections – arrows, lines, dotted lines, circles, triangles, squares, etc are a great way to show connections. More on this in the Build your Visual Vocabulary module.
Boxes and circles – use boxes, circles, triangles, hearts and other shapes to separate different topics. If you’re sketchnoting digitally, you can add a different background colour by using layers.
Thoughts and speech – Use thought bubbles to show your own thoughts, something you’d like to explore more, or someone else’s thoughts.
Mindmaps – are another great way to show connections and help you process information.
Containers – these are icons which are drawn big enough to contain information. For example, a whiteboard could be used to show lesson content or a computer to show information displayed on a screen. I give examples of how to draw common containers in my Build your Visual Vocabulary module.
Here are a few sketchnotes I created. Click on each image to make them larger. Which layouts can you identify?
Feel free to share any other thoughts, ideas, or interesting layouts in the Facebook group. Or direct message me on socials @EmilyBrysonELT or via email.
Move to the next lesson ‘Sketchnoting layouts part 2’ where I analyse each one.
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