Portraits and IdentityActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works because young students connect identity to visual choices when they move, discuss, and create. Symbols become meaningful when children compare ideas in small groups, not when they sit and listen to a lecture.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze the symbolic choices made by artists to represent personal identity in self-portraits.
- 2Explain how specific objects or symbols within a portrait can communicate information about a person's interests or hobbies.
- 3Identify and differentiate facial features and expressions that convey specific moods or emotions in a portrait.
- 4Create a self-portrait using color, shape, and personal symbols to express individual identity and interests.
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Gallery Walk: Symbol Spotting
Display 6-8 diverse portraits around the room. In pairs, students use clipboards to note one symbol per portrait and the mood from facial features. Regroup for a whole-class share-out of findings.
Prepare & details
Analyze what choices the artist made to show who they are.
Facilitation Tip: During the Gallery Walk, position yourself at the center to guide traffic and prompt quick turns by saying, 'One minute to move to the next artwork.'
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Small Groups: Personal Symbol Brainstorm
In small groups, students list three interests then draw quick symbols for each. Groups combine ideas into a shared symbol bank on chart paper. Each picks favorites for their portrait.
Prepare & details
Explain how an object in a picture can tell us about a person's hobbies.
Facilitation Tip: In Small Groups, place the brainstorm sheet in the middle and quietly set a timer so students know when to shift from listing to selecting their top symbols.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Individual: Mood and Symbol Portrait Draft
Students draw their face showing a chosen mood with matching features. They add three personal symbols around the portrait. Circulate to prompt reflection on choices.
Prepare & details
Differentiate which facial features help us understand the mood of the person in the portrait.
Facilitation Tip: For Mood and Symbol Portrait Drafts, provide colored pencils and remind students, 'Use light lines first so you can erase and adjust features until the mood feels right.'
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Pairs: Feedback Swap
Pairs exchange drafts and use a checklist to note one strong symbol and one mood cue. They suggest tweaks, then revise their own work based on input.
Prepare & details
Analyze what choices the artist made to show who they are.
Facilitation Tip: While partners swap feedback, hand them two sticky notes labeled 'Story Symbol' and 'Mood Feature' to stick directly on the artwork.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Teaching This Topic
Teachers should model how to exaggerate features or abstract symbols so students see that realism is not the goal. Model by drawing a quick self-portrait on the board with a wavy line for hair and a jagged lightning bolt for a hobby, then ask students to name the mood and the interest. Avoid correcting every line; instead, ask questions that help students self-assess, such as, 'Does your eyebrow shape match the mood you want?' Research shows that when students articulate their own choices, their understanding of identity and expression deepens.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students using symbols and facial features to communicate who they are and how they feel. Their portraits should include at least one clear symbol and one expressive facial feature that peers can understand without explanation.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Gallery Walk: Symbol Spotting, watch for students who assume symbols must look exactly like the real object.
What to Teach Instead
Pause at the first artwork and ask, 'How does this curved shape show music without drawing a whole instrument?' Encourage students to point to abstract lines or colors that hint at the idea.
Common MisconceptionDuring Small Groups: Personal Symbol Brainstorm, watch for students who only list realistic drawings.
What to Teach Instead
Place three abstract symbols (a spiral, a zigzag, a dot) on the table and ask, 'Which of these could stand for friendship?' This pushes students to think beyond literal depictions.
Common MisconceptionDuring Mood and Symbol Portrait Draft, watch for students who focus only on the mouth to show mood.
What to Teach Instead
Give each student a small mirror and say, 'Draw your eyebrows and eyes first. How does changing their angle change the mood?' Have them practice on scrap paper before committing to the final portrait.
Assessment Ideas
After Mood and Symbol Portrait Draft, provide students with a simple outline of a face. Ask them to draw one facial feature that shows happiness and another that shows surprise. Then, ask them to draw one object near the portrait that represents a hobby.
After Gallery Walk: Symbol Spotting, show students a portrait of a famous person. Ask: 'What symbols do you see in this portrait? What do these symbols tell us about the person? How do the facial features help us understand their mood?' Record responses on chart paper for later reference.
During Pairs: Feedback Swap, students share their work-in-progress self-portraits. Partners look for one symbol that tells a story and one facial feature that shows a mood. They offer one specific suggestion for how to make the symbol clearer or the mood more evident.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Provide magazines and scissors for students to collage additional symbols around their portraits that represent future goals or secret interests.
- Scaffolding: Offer a word bank of mood words (excited, calm, curious) and a symbol bank (book, soccer ball, paintbrush) on a side table for reference.
- Deeper exploration: Invite students to write a short caption that explains each symbol and facial feature, then attach the caption beneath the finished portrait for a gallery display.
Key Vocabulary
| Symbol | An object or image that represents something else, often an idea or a personal interest. |
| Self-portrait | A portrait created by the artist of themselves, often used to explore identity and personal expression. |
| Visual Convention | An agreed-upon way of representing something in art, such as using certain colors or shapes to show feelings. |
| Facial Features | Parts of the face, like eyes, eyebrows, and mouth, that can show emotions and help identify a person. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in Visual Worlds: Color and Shape
Primary & Secondary Colors: Mood
Exploring primary and secondary colors and how they influence the mood of a painting.
2 methodologies
Mixing Colors: Hues and Tints
Experimenting with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors and exploring tints and shades.
2 methodologies
Texture and Pattern: Exploring Aboriginal Dot Art
Identifying and recreating natural patterns and textures using mixed media and rubbings.
2 methodologies
Geometric vs. Organic Shapes
Distinguishing between geometric and organic shapes and using them to create different visual effects.
2 methodologies
Line: Expressing Movement and Emotion
Exploring different types of lines (straight, curved, zigzag) and how they can convey movement, direction, and emotion in art.
2 methodologies
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