Lesson video

Hi, everybody.

I'm Miss Gardner.

Welcome to today's handwriting lesson.

In today's lesson, we are not going to be practising our handwriting so much, but actually considering when is an appropriate time to use a pen and when's an appropriate time to use a pencil.

So I really hope you enjoy today's lesson and that you find it useful.

Let's get started.

Your learning outcome for today's lesson is to be able to decide which tool is best suited for the purpose.

Let's start by looking at the keywords.

We'll do my turn, your turn.

Pen.

This is a writing tool used to apply ink to a surface.

Pencil.

This is a writing or drawing tool typically consisting of a thin cylindrical stick of graphite.

Mistake.

This is an error in accuracy or correctness.

Presentation.

This is the structured way to communicate information.

So there are two sections of our lesson today.

Our first is pen or pencil, and then our second is making a decision.

So let's start with the first section of our lesson.

So in a moment, you're going to think about this question.

What are the positive, so the good things, and the negatives, the not so good things, attributes or qualities of using a pencil? If you're by yourself, you can just reflect about this alone, or if you're with a partner, you can discuss this together.

Pause the video now and off you go.

Okay, so using a pencil.

What are the good qualities of a pencil? The positives.

So it's erasable, you can rub it out.

So if you make a mistake, that's not a problem.

You can easily rub it out.

It's ideal for sketching.

So drawing, especially the first version of your drawing, it's a really good idea to use a pencil because you can rub out any errors.

Drafting and initial writing.

So the first stage of the writing process, it's a sensible idea to use a pencil because it doesn't need to be as neat because you're not going to be, it's not the final version, it's not going to be published.

Pencils can be sharpened to maintain a really fine point.

If you're finding your pencils are getting blunt, that's not a problem, you can just sharpen them and then they're good as new.

And pencils allow for varied pressure to create lighter or darker lines.

That's why it's a really good idea to use a pencil when you're sketching.

I don't know, maybe you're sketching a person's face and you can sometimes push down really hard and you'll get a darker line.

Or if you sketched a bit more lightly you'll get a lighter line, which is really effective in creating shadows and textures and making your drawings maybe look a bit more realistic.

The negatives, the less good attributes of a pencil.

It's less formal.

So for your presentation, so if you were trying to make, or write a really formal letter or write a really formal report, it is less formal than a pen.

It's not permanent, so it can rub out and fade, which means that a document written in pencil might not last as long and in such good condition as a document written in pen.

And sharpening is required, it's a good thing that you can sharpen it to maintain that fine point but you do need to remember to always have access to a sharpener.

It can be quite frustrating, I'm sure some of you have experienced this, when you're ready to get started writing, you realise your pencil is blunt and you don't have a sharpener.

Now let's think about the positive and negative attributes of using a pen.

Have a think by yourself or discuss this with your partner.

Pause the video now.

Okay, so what are the positives of using a pen? So it's permanent.

It will last a really long time, if not forever.

It's suitable for final draughts.

So your final piece of writing, final, maybe published piece, and for formal documents such as a letter.

Pens come in various types like ballpoint, gel, fountain pens, Biro, and depending on which is your favourite, you can choose which one you want to use.

Do you have a favourite type of pen? I think mine is a fountain pen.

I think it helps to create, it helps to support with a really smooth and flowing movement in cursive handwriting.

And another good thing about a pen is that no sharpening is required.

What about the negatives? It's not erasable, so you cannot rub out pen unless you have a specific ink eraser, which could be a little hard to find and also can sometimes create a little bit of mess.

They are prone to smudging before the ink dries out.

And smudging can make your work look a little bit messier and also can sometimes make your writing illegible.

And ink can run out, again a bit like a pencil.

It can be really frustrating if you are in the middle of writing and then your pen runs out for ink and you need to find another one.

So, checking for understanding.

What is your response to Alex? Explain your answer.

Alex says, "I always write in pencil.

Why would I change to writing in pen?" What would be your response to Alex? Pause the video now.

Okay, so pens can be a good thing, can't they? Here's a possible response.

Pens can improve the neatness and readability of your work, so how easy it is to read, once you are confident in what you are writing.

So it can make your writing look even more neat and even more easy to read.

So here are some examples of when you would use a pen and why.

Maybe when you're writing a formal letter, when you're writing an invitation, or when you're writing the final version of a school assignment.

Pause the video now and have a think.

Why would you use a pen in these examples, in these tasks? Okay, so the reasoning for using a pen here, in these situations, is that in these tasks, the presentations, the way your document looks should be neat and formal.

Final versions should include few mistakes 'cause you've had a chance at making those mistakes and learning from them in the earlier versions.

So you shouldn't need to rub out or correct any mistakes too much in your final version.

And a variety of pen types could be used.

Use pens for final versions of assignments, writing in notebooks, filling out forms when you require a formal presentation.

Often you fill in a form, maybe it's in a doctor's office, or if you're applying for a document and it will say you need to fill in the document in pen.

That is because it's more formal, it's more final and pen comes out more clearly as well, doesn't it? Here are some examples of when you would use a pencil and why.

So in mathematical calculations, when you're sketching a house or when you're drawing a scientific diagram.

Why would you want to use a pencil in these tasks? Pause the video now and have a think.

Okay, so using a pencil here is because there is a high possibility that mistakes could be made.

I know I often make silly mistakes in maths and it's so much easier just to be able to quickly rub out that mistake and carry on.

They're erasable, pencils, they can be rubbed out, which is really useful.

Different shades can be used, the harder you push down on a pencil, you'll get a darker shade, the lighter you push down, you get a lighter shade.

And that's really useful when you're sketching and trying to create a realistic-looking drawing.

Also, presentation doesn't need to be as formal in these tasks, so a pencil is appropriate.

Essentially you need to use pencils for tasks that might involve mistakes or involve or require erasing, so rubbing out, such as a draught, so the first time you write something, maths problems or scientific diagrams or drawing.

Checking for understanding.

Decide if you would use a pen or a pencil for each of these tasks.

A: writing a letter to the mayor, B: sketching a portrait of your friend, and C: drawing a diagram of the heart.

Pause the video now.

Okay, so A: writing a letter to the mayor, that's a really formal piece of writing, so that's to be done in pen.

B: sketching a portrait of your friend.

So that's a drawing, a pencil would be appropriate.

And C: drawing a diagram of the human heart.

You'd want to use a pencil so that you can rub out any mistakes.

Well done.

It's time for Task A.

The first part of Task A, you need to write a paragraph about your weekend using both a pencil and a pen.

Make sure you are writing in cursive handwriting.

Once you have done that, you need to compare, analyse it, look really carefully at both paragraphs and discuss the handwriting for its neatness, its readability, so how able you are to read it, and the ease of writing, how easy it was to write.

So pause the video now.

Off you go and enjoy.

Well, okay, well done, everybody.

I hope you enjoyed that.

Here are a couple of responses.

"I made a mistake when using the pencil and it was easy to change." That's true, isn't it? If you make a mistake with a pencil, you can quite easily rub it out.

Although you do need to be careful that you're not rubbing too hard because it can leave quite dark smudges, which creates a bit of messier look.

And then another response, "My writing was neater when I used the pen and it looked more professional." I think that's true writing where you want it.

When you are writing something that, well, you want to look formal and professional, a pen is a much better idea.

So did your handwriting look neater with pen or pencil? Did you need to make any changes? Pause the video now and take one more look at both of your paragraphs and have a think about how different your writing was using a pen to using a pencil.

Pause the video now.

Well done, everybody.

Okay, it's time for the second part of our lesson where we are going to be making a decision.

So presentation, so the way your writing looks, and mistakes are two key points to consider when you're choosing between a pen or a pencil.

So presentation.

Things to think about: pen written documents, so documents written in pen, often look more formal and professional, whereas pencil work can look rough and unfinished.

But this is ideal for draughts of first draughts of a piece of writing, and brainstorming, so if you're just generating ideas, for example, if you're generating vocabulary for some writing.

Mistakes, when you're thinking about mistakes, pencils do allow for mistakes to be corrected easily with an eraser or a rubber.

Whereas pens require more caution.

You have to be more careful because mistakes are permanent unless they're corrected with a correction tape or a pen, which you might have access to and those will work well, or crossed out neatly, which of course is fine, but you just need to bear that in mind that you can't rub out a pen.

So these questions can be useful when deciding if you should use a pen or pencil for the task.

So this is what you should be thinking about in your head, asking yourself these questions when you're thinking, "Shall I use a pen or a pencil for this writing?" "What am I working on? Is it a draught or a final version?" So is it the first draught of the piece writing where you're just kind of getting down some ideas or the final version where you've made, learned from your mistakes, you've edited mistakes and this is your final piece to be published or presented.

"Do I need to be able to erase mistakes?" So if I'm maybe drawing a scientific diagram or if I'm doing a math calculation, crossing out mistakes is actually quite unhelpful, especially in maths.

You need to be able to really rub it out so that you can be accurate in your calculation.

"How important is the presentation?" Is this being handed into somebody? Is this going to be marked? Is this going to be sent to somebody? Is it important that the presentation is good? Or if it's just for my own viewing, my own ideas, maybe I'm just jotting down some thoughts, the presentation isn't as important.

So that's something to be thinking about.

Making a choice of pen or pencil depends on the task and the desired outcome, what you want it to look like at the end.

So deciding between a pen or pencil for handwriting practise.

Practising handwriting with a pencil can be beneficial because mistakes can be easily corrected.

I'm sure we've all made lots of mistakes when we were learning to do our cursive handwriting.

Totally fine and expected.

And so actually, writing with a pencil can be really helpful and beneficial because you can really easily rub out a mistake.

Transitioning to a pen can be a really good way to practise making fewer mistakes and writing more confidently.

You may develop a personal preference for writing either pen or pencil when practising your handwriting.

Do you have a preference? Do you prefer practising your handwriting in pen or pencil? Okay, so now deciding between a pen or pencil for art and creative projects.

So pencils are better for sketching and shading in art projects due to their ability to create different tones and to be able to erase.

So you can see in this picture here of the fish, this is drawn purely using a pencil, and the lines that are really clearly drawn across the fish would've been created by pushing down really hard with the pencil.

Whereas the kind of shadow, the shading, is done with a lighter use of pencil.

So it's created a different tone.

So that one pencil, depending on the way you use it, can create different tones, which is really great.

Pens though, can also be used for outlining, so drawing the outline of a shape and adding that extra detail to artwork.

Maybe if you wanted to draw really extra detail, small detail in the eye, you could use a pen.

For an art project, you may prefer to use a combination of pen and pencil to achieve that desired effect.

Now there are other things to consider when using a pen or pencil as well.

Some pens can bleed through paper, especially if the paper is thin.

So you just need to be careful about that.

Pens can sometimes leak causing a mess, especially those fountain pens with ink cartridges.

Pens can dry out if they're not capped properly.

That's why I'm sure you've probably heard teachers reminding you to put the pens back on your lid.

That's really important because otherwise, they dry out really quickly and that's such a waste.

And always have a sharpener and an eraser ready if you are using a pencil.

So these are just some things to be thinking about when you are deciding between a pen or a pencil.

So checking for understanding.

Select the true statement.

A: Pencils can create different tones and be erased.

B: Pens should be used when you are likely to make mistakes.

C: Pens are usually used for sketching animals.

Pause the video now.

That's right, it is A: Pens can create.

Sorry.

Pencils can create those different tones and be rubbed out or erased.

Well done.

So let's have a look at some scenarios.

Andeep has been asked to draw a diagram of the lifecycle of a frog.

He has never done this before.

Discuss this with your partner.

Should Andeep use a pen or a pencil? Pause the video now.

Okay, what do you think? Should Andeep use a pen or pencil? Well this task would be best completed with a pencil.

As this is his first time, he is likely to make some mistakes, therefore a pencil would be best so he can easily make changes.

Okay, let's think about another scenario.

Jacob has a dilemma.

He's sketching a tiger and wants a tool which allows for shading.

However, he also wants to add finer details.

Which advice, what advice would you give to Jacob? Discuss this with your partner.

Pause the video now.

Okay.

So Jacob could use a mixture of a pen and pencil.

The pencil would allow for shading by applying different pressure and for the finer detail, he could use a pen with a fine tip.

So maybe if he wanted to draw the whiskers on the tiger's face or maybe some details to the eyes, a pen with a really fine tip would be a good tool to use there.

Checking for understanding.

True or false? Some tasks could involve using pen and pencil.

Pause the video now.

That is true.

Why is that true? Pause the video now.

Okay, so some tasks may require the properties of both tools.

For example, you may use a pencil to draw a diagram, but then use a pen to label the diagram.

Well done.

It's time for Task B.

You need to complete the two tasks below.

You can choose to use a pen, pencil, or a combination of both.

So first, A, you need to draw a diagram of the water cycle.

If you are not sure what the water cycle looks like, you can absolutely copy one from a book or online.

Then B, you need to write an invitation to your birthday party.

Consider the following before making a decision: "What am I working on? Is it a draught or the final version? Do I need to be able to erase mistakes? And how important is the presentation?" So pause the video now.

Off you go and enjoy.

Well done, everybody.

I hope that was fun.

So did you consider the points before making your decision? Did you make any mistakes and was it easier to correct the mistakes with the pencil or the pen? Did you have a personal preference between using a pen or a pencil for the different tasks? Pause the video now and have a think about these questions.

Well done, everybody.

I really hope you enjoyed that.

And make sure you're thinking about all of these points that we've learned today the next time you are having to make a decision between using a pen or a pencil.

Great job.

Here's a summary of everything we've learned.

Pen and pencil are the most common tools used to write or draw with.

Making a choice depends on the task and the desired outcome.

Using pencil allows for mistakes to be corrected easily with an eraser, therefore, they're ideal for sketching and drafting.

The use of pen is ideal for final draughts as pen is permanent and looks neat, therefore, the presentation is professional.

Some tasks can require the use of pen and pencil.

Pens require more caution because mistakes are permanent unless corrected with a correction tape or pen or crossed out neatly.

And over time, you'll develop a personal preference for using pen or pencil.

Great job today, everybody.

Well done.