Self-Portraits and IdentityActivities & Teaching Strategies
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.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze their own facial features and identify proportional relationships within their self-portrait.
- 2Create a self-portrait using at least two different drawing materials, demonstrating deliberate choices in representation.
- 3Explain how specific artistic choices in their self-portrait communicate aspects of their personal identity.
- 4Compare and contrast their self-portrait with a classmate's, identifying similarities and differences in facial features and expressive elements.
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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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
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.
Prepare & details
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.
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: 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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.
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 Mirror Observation, watch for students who assume eyes belong near the top of the head because that is where they feel like they are.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring Observational Self-Portrait, watch for students who believe a self-portrait must look exactly like them or it is a failure.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring Identity Choices, watch for students who limit their self-portrait to only their face.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Assessment Ideas
During Observational Self-Portrait, circulate and ask each student: 'What feature are you drawing right now?' and 'How did you decide where to place it on the page?' Listen for evidence of observational placement and proportional thinking.
After Observational Self-Portrait, students complete the exit ticket: '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 both observation and identity connection.
After Observational Self-Portrait, pair students and prompt: 'Point to one facial feature your partner drew well.' Then ask: 'What is one thing you notice about your partner's portrait that tells you something about them?' Listen for observations that go beyond accuracy to include identity.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Students add a symbolic object or color from their culture or family to their self-portrait.
- Scaffolding: Provide a head-outline stencil with horizontal lines marking eye, nose, and mouth placement for students who need structure.
- Deeper exploration: Compare self-portraits from different artists and write a sentence about how each artist showed their identity.
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 eyebrows. These are key elements to observe when drawing a face. |
| Proportion | The relationship of one part of an object to another part. For faces, this means how the size and placement of eyes, nose, and mouth relate to each other and the head. |
| Expression | The way an artist shows feelings or ideas through their artwork. In a self-portrait, this can be shown through facial expression or the choice of details. |
| Observation | The act of looking at something very carefully to gather information. Artists use observation to accurately draw what they see. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in The Artist's Palette: Visual Foundations
Exploring Primary & Secondary Colors
Students identify and mix primary colors to create secondary colors, understanding the basic color wheel.
2 methodologies
Color and Emotional Expression
An investigation into how different hues can represent specific feelings and moods in art.
2 methodologies
Understanding Line and Shape
Students explore different types of lines (straight, curved, zig-zag) and basic shapes (geometric, organic) in drawing.
2 methodologies
Creating Texture in 2D Art
Students experiment with drawing and painting techniques to create the illusion of texture on a flat surface.
2 methodologies
Form and Space in Sculpture
Students use clay and recycled materials to understand how art can be felt and viewed from multiple angles, focusing on 3D form.
2 methodologies
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