Art and Design · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Self-Portraits with Emotion

Active learning works well for Self-Portraits with Emotion because students need to physically try different lines and marks to truly understand how expressions change. Watching their own faces in mirrors while drawing keeps them engaged and builds confidence in observing details.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Art and Design - Drawing and Portraits

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Mirror Emotion Draw

Students work in pairs with hand mirrors. One pulls a feeling card, makes the face, and the partner draws it using line variations. They switch, guess the emotion, and discuss line choices that worked best.

Draw a self-portrait that shows one feeling , like happy, worried, or excited.

Facilitation Tip

During Mirror Emotion Draw, remind students to focus on the shape and size of their eyes in the mirror before sketching, as this helps them capture the emotion accurately.

What to look for

Observe students as they draw. Ask: 'Show me how you are making your eyebrows look worried.' or 'What kind of line are you using for a happy mouth?' Note which students are experimenting with different marks.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Emotion Line Stations

Set up stations for happy, worried, and excited faces. Groups rotate, practicing thick/thin lines and marks on large paper. At each station, they label techniques and note changes in expression.

How can making your lines thicker or thinner change how a face looks?

Facilitation Tip

At Emotion Line Stations, rotate among groups to listen for students describing how line thickness changes their drawings, reinforcing the connection between technique and emotion.

What to look for

Students hold up their portraits. Ask pairs to discuss: 'What emotion does your partner's portrait show?' and 'What specific lines or marks helped you guess the emotion?' Encourage them to use vocabulary like 'thick lines' or 'curved mouth'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Portrait Share Circle

Students display portraits around the room. Class walks the gallery, guesses emotions, and gives one specific line feedback per portrait. Teacher charts common techniques on the board.

Show your portrait to a partner , can they guess which feeling you drew?

Facilitation Tip

In Portrait Share Circle, sit in a circle and model how to give specific feedback by pointing to lines or marks that helped you guess the emotion.

What to look for

Give students a slip of paper. Ask them to draw one facial feature (e.g., eyebrows) that shows 'surprise' and one that shows 'sadness', using only lines. They should label each feature with the emotion.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Individual

Individual: Emotion Sequence

Each student draws their face three times, changing one emotion per portrait. They add notes on lines used and self-assess which shows the feeling best.

Draw a self-portrait that shows one feeling , like happy, worried, or excited.

What to look for

Observe students as they draw. Ask: 'Show me how you are making your eyebrows look worried.' or 'What kind of line are you using for a happy mouth?' Note which students are experimenting with different marks.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model drawing techniques while thinking aloud about why certain lines match an emotion. Avoid correcting too soon; instead, ask students to explain their choices. Research shows that young learners benefit from repeated opportunities to experiment, so short, frequent drawing sessions work better than one long session.

In successful learning, students will use varied lines and marks to show emotions clearly and accurately. They will discuss and justify their choices with peers, using specific vocabulary like thick or thin lines and curved mouths.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Emotion Line Stations, watch for students who alter only the mouth to show emotion.

  Remind them to check their eyes and eyebrows in the mirror and adjust those features. Ask, 'How do your eyes look when you feel worried?' to guide their attention beyond the mouth.

• During Mirror Emotion Draw, watch for students who assume thick lines always mean anger.

  Encourage them to test different thicknesses by comparing lines for excitement versus sadness. Ask, 'Does your line feel bouncy or heavy?' to connect technique to emotion.

• During Portrait Share Circle, watch for students who compare their portraits to photos.

  Redirect by asking, 'What feeling does your partner’s drawing show?' and 'Which lines helped you know?' to shift focus from realism to expression.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning