Self-Portraits: Expressing IdentityActivities & Teaching Strategies
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.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify key facial features and their placement in a self-portrait.
- 2Compare and contrast the artistic choices made by two different artists in their self-portraits.
- 3Design a self-portrait that communicates a chosen emotion or personality trait using specific colors and line types.
- 4Justify the selection of materials and techniques used to represent personal identity in their self-portrait.
Want a complete lesson plan with these objectives? Generate a Mission →
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.
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 Observation Station, students may insist their self-portrait must look exactly like a photograph.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring Gallery Walk, students assume a self-portrait only includes the face.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring Think-Pair-Share, students say they need special skill to draw a face.
What to Teach Instead
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?'
Assessment Ideas
After Observation Station, give students a small paper and ask them to draw one facial feature and write one emotion word it shows. Collect these to check observation and emotional vocabulary.
After Gallery Walk, show two self-portraits side by side. Ask: 'What do you notice about how these artists drew themselves? How are they different? How are they the same?' Listen for understanding of artistic choices and identity expression.
During Studio Project, circulate and ask each student: 'Tell me about the colors you are using. Why did you choose those colors?' Note connections between color choice and intended identity or emotion.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to add a background that tells a story about their family or a favorite place.
- Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide pre-drawn facial outlines with labeled features to trace before adding their own details.
- Deeper exploration: Invite students to write a short artist’s statement explaining their color choices and symbols after completing their portrait.
Key Vocabulary
| Self-Portrait | A portrait an artist creates of themselves. It is a way to show how you see yourself. |
| Facial Features | The distinct parts of a face, such as eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair. |
| Expression | The way your face looks to show feelings, like happy, sad, or surprised. |
| Line | A mark made on a surface, like a straight line or a curvy line. Lines can show shape and feeling. |
| Color | The property of light that creates the different shades we see, like red, blue, or yellow. Colors can show emotions. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in The Artist's Eye: Line, Shape, and Color
Lines and Textures in Nature
Identifying and recreating the various lines and textures found in the natural environment using pencils and charcoal.
2 methodologies
Exploring Basic Shapes: Geometric vs. Organic
Students will identify and draw basic geometric and organic shapes, understanding their presence in art and the environment.
2 methodologies
Color Mixing and Emotional Expression
Understanding primary and secondary colors and how specific hues can represent different feelings.
3 methodologies
Warm and Cool Colors: Creating Depth
Students will experiment with warm and cool colors to understand how they can create a sense of depth and distance in a composition.
2 methodologies
Sculpting Three-Dimensional Forms
Using clay and recycled materials to transform 2D shapes into 3D sculptural objects.
3 methodologies
Ready to teach Self-Portraits: Expressing Identity?
Generate a full mission with everything you need
Generate a Mission