Art and Design · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Symbolism in Portraiture

Active learning lets students move beyond passive observation to become detectives of meaning. When Year 6 pupils examine portrait symbols, they shift from 'What do I see?' to 'What is this person really saying?' This hands-on approach strengthens critical thinking and historical empathy, making abstract concepts visible and memorable.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Meaning and Context
• KS2: Art and Design - Drawing and Painting

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Role Play: The Sitter's Interview

One student plays a historical figure in a famous portrait, while the other acts as a journalist. The journalist asks why specific objects (like a globe or a skull) were included, and the 'sitter' must explain their symbolic meaning based on research.

Explain how objects in a painting act as a symbolic language for the viewer.

Facilitation Tip

For Role Play: The Sitter's Interview, give each pair a portrait and a persona card so students prepare answers that stay true to the era and symbols shown.

What to look for

Provide students with a print of a historical portrait containing clear symbols. Ask them to identify two objects and explain what they symbolize about the sitter. Then, ask them to write one sentence about how the background contributes to the portrait's story.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Symbol Sorting

Provide groups with a collection of objects or images. They must categorize them into 'Personal Identity,' 'Social Status,' and 'Values,' then present one object and explain how it could be used as a symbol in a modern portrait.

Design a set of symbols to represent your own digital and physical identity.

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation: Symbol Sorting, provide printed object cards and a large chart with categories to encourage group discussion and debate.

What to look for

Present two portraits of the same historical figure, one with significant symbolic objects and one without. Ask students: 'How does the presence or absence of symbolic objects change the story the portrait tells? Which portrait do you find more informative, and why?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Digital Self

Students list three emojis or digital icons they use frequently. They share these with a partner and discuss what these symbols 'say' about their personality to someone who doesn't know them, then sketch a portrait layout using these symbols.

Analyze how a background can alter the narrative of a portrait.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share: The Digital Self, ask students to bring or sketch a personal symbol before the lesson so they have a concrete starting point for comparison.

What to look for

During the symbol design activity, circulate and ask individual students: 'What does this symbol represent for you? How does it connect to your physical or digital identity? Is it clear to someone else what it means?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach symbolism by modeling curiosity first. Share your own interpretations aloud, then invite students to challenge or add to your ideas. Use contrast deliberately—compare a portrait with strong symbols to one without—to show their power. Avoid rushing to answers; give time for students to notice details and make connections before formalizing ideas.

Students will confidently identify and interpret symbols, explain how background and objects shape identity, and apply these ideas to their own digital representations. Success looks like clear explanations, thoughtful comparisons, and creative symbol design with supporting reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role Play: The Sitter's Interview, watch for students who assign only literal meanings to objects, such as 'a crown means the king is important.'

  Prompt them with questions like, 'What might this crown represent beyond power? Could it also hint at responsibility or duty? How would the interviewee describe it?' to push metaphorical thinking.

• During Collaborative Investigation: Symbol Sorting, watch for students who treat the background as decoration rather than narrative context.

  Ask groups to place portraits on a timeline and discuss how backgrounds change by era, then have them write one sentence linking the setting to the sitter’s story.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share