Activity 01
Think-Pair-Share: Identity Web Brainstorm
Students create a personal identity web in the center of a blank page: their name in the middle, surrounded by words and images representing their family, cultural background, languages, interests, and important experiences. Partners share two elements from their web and explain why each matters. This brainstorm becomes the source material for their artwork.
How can art be a way to express your unique personal story or cultural heritage?
Facilitation TipDuring Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for identity-related vocabulary students use to ensure they move beyond surface-level traits like appearance.
What to look forStudents share their initial sketches or works in progress. In pairs, they use sentence starters: 'I see you are using [element] to show [aspect of identity]. This makes me think of [idea]. Have you considered [suggestion]?' Students record feedback received.
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Activity 02
Gallery Walk: Artist Identity Examples
Post 6 examples of artworks by artists who have used their medium to express identity (diverse in cultural background, medium, and era). Each station includes a brief artist bio card. Students observe and note: What element of identity does this artist emphasize? What artistic choices signal that? What does the work make you feel or think about the artist? Debrief by discussing the range of approaches.
Design an artwork that represents an important aspect of your identity.
Facilitation TipFor the Gallery Walk, place artist identity examples in chronological order so students can observe how identity themes evolve throughout an artist's work.
What to look forDuring a gallery walk of finished artworks, pose questions like: 'What story does this artwork tell about the artist? What specific artistic choices helped you understand their identity? What symbol or color stands out to you and why?'
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Activity 03
Individual: Artistic Choice Justification
Before finalizing their identity artwork, each student completes a written planning form: What aspect of my identity will this artwork represent? What visual elements (color, symbol, composition, medium) will I use? Why did I choose each element? This written justification is turned in with the finished artwork as assessment evidence.
Justify the artistic choices you made to convey your personal message.
Facilitation TipWhen students write their Artistic Choice Justification, provide sentence stems to scaffold the connection between intention and outcome.
What to look forAfter students have created their final artwork, have them write a short artist statement (3-4 sentences) explaining one key symbol or color they used and what it represents about their identity. Collect these to check for understanding of intentional choice.
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Activity 04
Small Group: Peer Feedback Protocol
In groups of three, each student shares their in-progress artwork and reads their planning form aloud. The two peers give structured feedback: 'I can see [identity element] in your work because...' and 'One thing I'm curious about is...' The artist responds with what they intended. This protocol surfaces gaps between intention and execution before final submission.
How can art be a way to express your unique personal story or cultural heritage?
What to look forStudents share their initial sketches or works in progress. In pairs, they use sentence starters: 'I see you are using [element] to show [aspect of identity]. This makes me think of [idea]. Have you considered [suggestion]?' Students record feedback received.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Start with broad identity brainstorming to validate all students' lived experiences, then narrow to specific, meaningful symbols. Avoid rushing to product before process; guide students to refine their ideas through multiple sketches. Research shows that identity formation in children benefits from repeated reflection, so space several activities over days to allow ideas to deepen.
Successful learning looks like students confidently articulating the connection between their identity and their artistic choices. They should use specific language to describe symbols, colors, and composition. Their artwork should clearly communicate at least one aspect of their identity to an audience without explanation.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Think-Pair-Share: Identity Web Brainstorm, watch for students who list only physical traits like 'I have brown hair' and redirect them by asking, 'What experiences or values make that trait meaningful to you?'.
During Think-Pair-Share, have students share one identity trait and then explain why it matters to them. Use the follow-up question, 'How could you represent the significance of this trait visually?' to shift focus from listing to meaning.
During Gallery Walk: Artist Identity Examples, watch for students who dismiss non-realistic artworks as 'not good' because they prioritize technical skill over communication.
During the Gallery Walk, provide a handout with questions that emphasize meaning over skill, such as 'What emotion or idea does the artist communicate through color or shape?' and 'How does this artwork make you feel connected to the artist?'.
During Individual: Artistic Choice Justification, watch for students who describe their choices in vague terms like 'I picked blue because I like it.'
During the Artistic Choice Justification, require students to tie each choice to a specific identity element, such as 'I used the color blue to represent my brother’s favorite shirt, which reminds me of the time we spent together at the beach.' Provide a sentence frame to support this.
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