Self-Expression and IdentityActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps Year 7 students move from abstract ideas to tangible creation when exploring self-expression and identity. When pupils physically gather objects, sketch ideas, and discuss choices in real time, they connect personal meaning to artistic decisions more deeply than with passive instruction.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze how specific objects and colors in a self-portrait symbolize personal traits and experiences.
- 2Create a symbolic self-portrait that represents inner identity without depicting a literal face.
- 3Evaluate the effectiveness of an artist's background choices in communicating the narrative of a portrait.
- 4Synthesize personal narrative elements into a visual composition using symbolic representation.
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Mind Mapping: Personal Symbols
Students list five personality traits and brainstorm linked objects or colors on paper. They draw branching mind maps with quick sketches. Pairs swap maps to suggest additions, then refine individually.
Prepare & details
Represent your inner self without drawing a literal face.
Facilitation Tip: During Mind Mapping: Personal Symbols, circulate and gently ask students to explain why each symbol matters to them, shifting focus from quantity to personal relevance.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Object Hunt: Life Story Items
Pupils bring or find classroom objects representing life events, like a family photo or hobby tool. In groups, they arrange items into compositions and photograph setups. Discuss symbolic meanings before sketching.
Prepare & details
Select objects to include in a portrait that tell your life story.
Facilitation Tip: In Object Hunt: Life Story Items, remind students that everyday objects carry meaning—ask them to explain their choices aloud to reinforce connections.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Artist Analysis: Background Walk
Display prints of symbolic portraits. Students walk the gallery, noting background choices and narratives in notebooks. Whole class shares three insights, then apply to own sketches.
Prepare & details
Analyze how an artist's choice of background influences the narrative of the portrait.
Facilitation Tip: For Layered Portrait Build: Symbol Layers, encourage students to pause and consider how each new layer changes the portrait’s narrative before adding more.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Layered Portrait Build: Symbol Layers
Start with background wash for mood, add symbolic objects in layers, finish with color accents. Students test compositions on scrap paper first. Individual work with optional pair check.
Prepare & details
Represent your inner self without drawing a literal face.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Teaching This Topic
Teach this topic by modeling your own thinking out loud. Share how an object like a favorite hoodie or a sketchbook represents a part of you, then invite students to try the same. Avoid correcting early ideas—instead, ask guiding questions that help students refine their own understanding. Research shows that students build stronger identity connections when they articulate their choices in conversation with peers.
What to Expect
Successful learning happens when students move from listing random objects to intentionally selecting symbols with clear personal significance. They should articulate how colors, objects, and backgrounds work together to represent inner traits rather than outward appearance.
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 Mind Mapping: Personal Symbols, watch for students filling pages with generic objects like 'phone' or 'shoes' without personal meaning.
What to Teach Instead
Prompt students to circle only the objects tied to specific memories or emotions, then ask them to write a sentence next to each explaining the connection before moving on.
Common MisconceptionDuring Object Hunt: Life Story Items, watch for students selecting objects based on aesthetics rather than personal significance.
What to Teach Instead
Have students present their objects in pairs, explaining the story behind each before sketching. If an object lacks meaning, ask them to swap it for something with a clearer connection.
Common MisconceptionDuring Artist Analysis: Background Walk, watch for students treating backgrounds as decoration after seeing examples.
What to Teach Instead
After the walk, ask students to sketch two quick background ideas for one of their objects, then choose the one that best supports their narrative before finalizing.
Assessment Ideas
After Layered Portrait Build: Symbol Layers, students select one object and write two sentences explaining its personal meaning and how it represents their identity. They identify one color and explain its symbolic significance in one sentence.
After students display their symbolic self-portraits, pairs discuss: 'What is one object that tells a story about your partner?' and 'What is one color that communicates a feeling or trait?' Partners provide one specific suggestion for enhancing the symbolism.
During Mind Mapping: Personal Symbols or Object Hunt: Life Story Items, ask students: 'How does this object represent you without showing your face?' and 'What is the narrative you want your background to communicate?' Listen for answers that link objects to inner traits or emotions.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge students to create a second version of their symbolic portrait using only monochrome colors, explaining how this changes the narrative.
- For students who struggle, provide a list of starter objects (e.g., a book, a sports ball, a camera) to spark ideas and reduce decision fatigue.
- Encourage deeper exploration by asking students to research an artist who uses symbolic self-representation and write a short paragraph comparing their approach to their own.
Key Vocabulary
| Symbolism | The use of objects, colors, or images to represent abstract ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning. |
| Iconography | The visual images and symbols used in a work of art, and the interpretation of their established meanings. |
| Narrative Composition | Arranging elements within an artwork to tell a story or convey a sequence of events or ideas. |
| Personal Iconography | Symbols that hold unique and personal meaning for an individual, often related to their life experiences or identity. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in The Art of the Portrait
Anatomy and Proportion
Mapping the mathematical relationships of the human face to achieve realistic representation.
2 methodologies
Portraits Through Time
Comparing traditional oil portraiture with contemporary digital and photographic approaches.
2 methodologies
Caricature and Exaggeration
Exploring how artists exaggerate features to create humorous or critical portraits, focusing on observation and distortion.
2 methodologies
The Gaze and Viewer Interaction
Investigating how the subject's gaze in a portrait influences the viewer's experience and interpretation.
2 methodologies
Symbolism in Portraiture
Examining how artists incorporate objects, clothing, and settings to convey deeper meanings about the sitter.
2 methodologies
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