The Arts · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Art and Identity: Self-Portraiture

Active learning works for self-portraiture because students must connect personal experiences to visual expression, making abstract concepts tangible. Through sketching, discussion, and hands-on media exploration, they move beyond passive observation to create meaning in their work.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA10D01
• AC9AVA10E01

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Identity Interview Sketches

Students pair up and spend 10 minutes interviewing partners about identity elements like heritage or roles. Each then sketches a symbolic self-portrait incorporating three shared details. Partners exchange sketches for 5-minute feedback on symbolism.

Explain how artists use self-portraiture to explore complex aspects of identity.

Facilitation Tip

During Identity Interview Sketches, circulate with guiding questions like, 'What feeling do you want to communicate first—shy or bold?' to help students focus on emotional expression, not just likeness.

What to look for

Students display their developing self-portraits. In small groups, they use a provided checklist to assess: 1. Does the artwork clearly attempt to represent identity? 2. Are at least two symbols or compositional choices evident? 3. What aspect of identity does it seem to explore? Students provide one specific verbal suggestion for improvement.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Media Exploration Stations

Set up stations with charcoal, collage materials, acrylics, and digital apps. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, experimenting with one medium to represent an identity aspect. Record techniques and effects in sketchbooks before regrouping to share.

Design a self-portrait that communicates a specific personal narrative or social commentary.

Facilitation Tip

At Media Exploration Stations, set a timer for 7 minutes per station and ask students to rotate with one sample sketch from their interview, forcing them to adapt their concept quickly.

What to look for

Present students with two self-portraits from different artists and time periods (e.g., Rembrandt and Frida Kahlo). Ask: 'How do these artists use different visual strategies to communicate their sense of self? What does this reveal about their respective cultural contexts or personal experiences?' Facilitate a class discussion comparing their responses.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Gallery Walk Critique

Display student drafts around the room. Students walk the gallery, noting one strength and one suggestion per work using sticky notes. Conclude with a class discussion on common visual conventions.

Compare different artistic approaches to self-representation across cultures and time periods.

Facilitation Tip

Before the Gallery Walk Critique, assign each student a color-coded sticky note so their feedback is anonymous and specific, avoiding vague praise like 'I like it.'

What to look for

After students have researched an artist's self-portraiture, ask them to write on an index card: 'One technique this artist uses to explore identity is ______, which I can see in their work by observing ______.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 50 min · Individual

Individual: Narrative Self-Portrait Build

Students select one identity narrative and layer media elements over 40 minutes to communicate it. Add a written artist statement explaining choices. Self-assess against rubric criteria.

Explain how artists use self-portraiture to explore complex aspects of identity.

Facilitation Tip

For the Narrative Self-Portrait Build, have students write a one-sentence artist statement on an index card to keep their concept clear as they work.

What to look for

Students display their developing self-portraits. In small groups, they use a provided checklist to assess: 1. Does the artwork clearly attempt to represent identity? 2. Are at least two symbols or compositional choices evident? 3. What aspect of identity does it seem to explore? Students provide one specific verbal suggestion for improvement.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should emphasize that self-portraiture is less about technical skill and more about visual storytelling. Avoid starting with perfection—focus on iterative drafts where students refine their narrative through peer feedback. Research shows students engage more deeply when their work holds personal significance, so allow choice in medium and symbols.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how their choices in color, symbol, or composition reflect identity. They should also articulate how cultural context shaped their creative decisions and those of artists they study.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Identity Interview Sketches, students may believe their self-portrait must look like a photograph.

  Provide examples of abstract or distorted self-portraits (e.g., Picasso’s self-portraits) and ask students to sketch one from memory after the interview, focusing on the emotions shared rather than accuracy.

• During Media Exploration Stations, students may assume symbols in self-portraiture belong only to their own culture.

  Include a station with global symbols (e.g., henna patterns, Maori facial tattoos) and ask students to copy one, then explain its cultural meaning to their partner during rotation.

• During Gallery Walk Critique, students might think all self-portraits communicate universal themes like 'happiness' or 'strength.'

  Ask each student to find one artwork that challenges this idea and write a note explaining how the artist’s context (e.g., historical period, personal trauma) shaped their expression.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning