Visual & Performing Arts · 2nd Grade

Active learning ideas

Self-Portraits and Identity

Active learning works for this topic because young children enter art with strong opinions about what faces should look like, and hands-on exercises correct those misconceptions immediately. When students measure, draw, and discuss their own faces, they replace vague ideas with concrete skills and personal meaning.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Creating VA.Cr1.2.2
• NCAS: Connecting VA.Cn10.1.2

• 15–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Mirror Observation

Give each student a small mirror. Ask them to look at their face and find three details they had not noticed before (a freckle, the curve of their nose, the shape of their eyebrows). Partners share their observations, and the class records surprising discoveries on a shared chart before anyone begins drawing.

What can a self-portrait tell us about who an artist is?

Facilitation Tip

During Mirror Observation, have students hold a ruler vertically against their partner’s head to locate the midpoint before they begin drawing.

What to look for

As students begin drawing, circulate and ask: 'What feature are you drawing right now?' and 'How did you decide where to place it on the page?' Note student responses about their observational process.

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

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 50 min · Individual

Individual Studio: Observational Self-Portrait

Students draw their self-portrait using a mirror or printed photograph, starting with the overall oval of the head before placing eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Pause at two checkpoints: once after placing the eyes (are they in the right place relative to the top of the head?) and once after placing the nose and mouth.

What is tricky about drawing your own face, and how can you figure it out?

Facilitation Tip

During Observational Self-Portrait, play quiet observational music to help students focus on details rather than rushing.

What to look for

Students complete their self-portrait. On the back, they write: 'One thing I learned about drawing faces is...' and 'One detail I included to show who I am is...' Collect these to check understanding of observation and identity connection.

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

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 15 min · Pairs

Collaborative Discussion: Identity Choices

Before adding details like hair, clothing, or background, students discuss with a partner: what is one thing about yourself you want anyone who looks at this portrait to know? Partners offer one idea of a visual detail that could show that quality. Students then make those additions to their portrait.

What parts of yourself would you include in a self-portrait to show who you are?

Facilitation Tip

During Identity Choices, ask students to whisper one word that describes their portrait to a partner before sharing with the class.

What to look for

Students pair up and look at each other's portraits. Prompt: 'Point to one facial feature your partner drew well.' and 'What is one thing you notice about your partner's portrait that tells you something about them?'

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

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Portrait Stories

Display finished self-portraits around the room. The class walks the gallery and writes one sticky note per portrait noting something specific they can see in the portrait, not just that it looks like the person, but a detail such as the colors chosen or an object included that reveals something about who the artist is.

What can a self-portrait tell us about who an artist is?

Facilitation Tip

During Gallery Walk, ask students to hold their portrait while walking so they can see it in relation to others’ work.

What to look for

As students begin drawing, circulate and ask: 'What feature are you drawing right now?' and 'How did you decide where to place it on the page?' Note student responses about their observational process.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by first letting students draw freely to reveal misconceptions, then guiding them through structured observation to build accuracy. Avoid showing a finished example first, which can limit creativity. Research shows that children learn facial proportions best by measuring their own faces, not by copying a model. Emphasize that identity includes emotions and interests, not just appearance.

Successful learning looks like students using measuring tools to check facial proportions, explaining where they placed features, and adding identity details that show who they are beyond physical traits. They should connect their artistic choices to their own sense of self.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Mirror Observation, watch for students who assume eyes belong near the top of the head because that is where they feel like they are.

  Use a ruler to measure each other’s heads and mark the midpoint with a pencil. Ask students to place their finger on their partner’s forehead at the midpoint, then look closely at where the eyes actually sit in relation to that point. Have them sketch the midpoint on their own paper before adding any features.

• During Observational Self-Portrait, watch for students who believe a self-portrait must look exactly like them or it is a failure.

  Show two self-portraits side by side: one realistic and one symbolic. Ask students to point out what each artist chose to emphasize. Remind them that artists like Frida Kahlo added symbolic elements to show feelings or beliefs, and second graders can do the same to show something true about themselves.

• During Identity Choices, watch for students who limit their self-portrait to only their face.

  Provide examples of self-portraits that include backgrounds or objects, such as Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait with a straw hat or a student drawing of themselves playing soccer. Ask students to list three things that tell others who they are and encourage them to include one in their drawing.

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Methods used in this brief

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