The Arts · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Portraits and Identity

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.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9AVA2C01
• AC9AVA2R01

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

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.

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.'

What to look for

Provide students with a simple outline of a face. Ask them to draw one facial feature (e.g., mouth, eyebrows) that shows happiness and another that shows surprise. Then, ask them to draw one object near the portrait that represents a hobby.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Small Groups

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.

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.

What to look for

Show students a portrait of a famous person (e.g., a historical figure or artist). 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?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Individual

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.

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.'

What to look for

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.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Pairs

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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple outline of a face. Ask them to draw one facial feature (e.g., mouth, eyebrows) that shows happiness and another that shows surprise. Then, ask them to draw one object near the portrait that represents a hobby.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Gallery Walk: Symbol Spotting, watch for students who assume symbols must look exactly like the real object.

  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.

• During Small Groups: Personal Symbol Brainstorm, watch for students who only list realistic drawings.

  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.

• During Mood and Symbol Portrait Draft, watch for students who focus only on the mouth to show mood.

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Stations Rotation