Visual & Performing Arts · 1st Grade

Active learning ideas

Self-Portraits: Expressing Identity

Active learning helps first graders connect observation with identity by making abstract emotions and self-perception concrete. When students draw their own faces while using a mirror, they practice close looking and personal reflection simultaneously. This hands-on process builds confidence in both art skills and self-expression.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Creating VA.Cr1.2.1
• NCAS: Connecting VA.Cn11.1.1

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 35 min · Individual

Observation Station: Mirror Drawing

Place small mirrors at each station. Students practice sketching what they see in sections: first just eyes, then nose placement, then mouth. After three small practice sketches, they combine observations into a full face drawing. Partners give one specific observation about what looks realistic in each other's portraits.

Analyze how different artists portray themselves in self-portraits.

Facilitation Tip

During Observation Station, circulate with a small mirror yourself to model how to tilt the head or hold the mirror for best viewing angles.

What to look for

Give students a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one facial feature and write one word describing the emotion it shows. Collect these to check understanding of expression.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: How Artists Show Identity

Post six diverse self-portrait reproductions, including works by Frida Kahlo, Kehinde Wiley, and Faith Ringgold. Students tour the gallery with a simple observation card: What does this artist show about themselves? What artistic choices tell you something about who they are? Partners compare observations.

Design a self-portrait that communicates a specific emotion or personality trait.

Facilitation Tip

For Gallery Walk, arrange portraits with key questions on cards next to them to guide student noticing before discussion.

What to look for

Show students two different self-portraits. Ask: 'What do you notice about how these artists drew themselves? How are they different? How are they the same?' Guide them to discuss artistic choices.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Design Your Portrait

Before students start their final self-portrait, ask: what do you want viewers to know about you? What colors, objects, or settings would you include? Students discuss with a partner, then sketch a quick plan including at least one element that communicates something specific about their identity.

Justify the artistic choices made to represent one's own identity in a portrait.

Facilitation Tip

When students work on Studio Project, provide a color wheel chart so they can confidently match skin tones and expressive colors.

What to look for

As students work on their self-portraits, circulate and ask: 'Tell me about the colors you are using. Why did you choose those colors?' Listen for connections between color choice and intended expression.

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

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 50 min · Individual

Studio Project: Self-Portrait with Identity Elements

Students create a full self-portrait using their preferred media (crayon, watercolor, collage) and include at least one background element, object, or color choice that says something specific about who they are. After completing, they write or dictate one sentence about the choice they made.

Analyze how different artists portray themselves in self-portraits.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share, give sentence stems like 'I chose this color because...' to support students with limited verbal skills.

What to look for

Give students a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one facial feature and write one word describing the emotion it shows. Collect these to check understanding of expression.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start by normalizing diverse self-portraits, showing students that art can reflect feelings and stories, not just appearances. Model your own observation process by talking aloud as you draw your facial features to make your thinking visible. Avoid correcting students' technical errors during early stages; instead, ask questions that help them self-correct. Research shows that identity-based art builds stronger engagement and long-term memory than skill-focused lessons alone.

Successful learning looks like students using mirrors to observe and record facial features with growing accuracy. They should explain choices about colors, symbols, or backgrounds by linking them to their identity. By the end of the unit, they can discuss how different artists represent themselves.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Observation Station, students may insist their self-portrait must look exactly like a photograph.

  Offer examples of expressive artists like Frida Kahlo alongside photo-realistic portraits. Ask students to compare how each artist shows their face, pointing to lines, shapes, and colors that express personality rather than copying exactly.

• During Gallery Walk, students assume a self-portrait only includes the face.

  Point to Kehinde Wiley’s floral backgrounds and Van Gogh’s clothing details. Ask students to find one example where the artist included more than just the face, then share what that added to the portrait.

• During Think-Pair-Share, students say they need special skill to draw a face.

  Remind them that the goal is self-expression, not perfection. Show a first grader’s stylized self-portrait with big hands or a favorite color and ask, 'What does this tell us about who they are?'

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share