Visual & Performing Arts · 8th Grade

Active learning ideas

Art and Identity: Self-Expression

Active learning works for this topic because identity and self-expression are deeply personal. Students need opportunities to reflect, discuss, and experiment with materials to connect their experiences to artistic practice. Movement, conversation, and hands-on creation help them see how art becomes a tool for understanding themselves and others.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Creating VA.Cr1.1.8
• NCAS: Connecting VA.Cn10.1.8

• 25–90 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Identity Mapping

Students individually draw a simple diagram of overlapping circles, each labeled with an aspect of their identity they are comfortable sharing (cultural background, interests, role in family, neighborhood, language). They note which aspects they most want to explore in art and which are hardest to represent visually. Partners share one circle and one challenge, then the class discusses how artists make choices about what to include and what to withhold.

Analyze how artists use symbolism and metaphor to convey aspects of their identity.

Facilitation Tip

For the Identity Mapping activity, provide visual examples of identity webs and model how to start with broad categories before narrowing to personal details.

What to look for

Present students with 2-3 diverse artworks. Ask them to identify one symbol or metaphor in each piece and write a sentence explaining how it relates to the artist's potential identity or experience. Collect responses to gauge understanding of symbolism.

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

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Artists and Self-Representation

Post reproductions of self-portraits or identity-based works by artists from diverse backgrounds (Frida Kahlo, Kerry James Marshall, Kehinde Wiley, Yayoi Kusama, Zanele Muholi). Students circulate and note what aspect of identity each artist appears to be exploring and what visual strategies they use (symbolism, scale, color, juxtaposition). Debrief identifies the range of approaches artists use to make identity visible.

Differentiate between art as personal expression and art as social commentary.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, arrange artworks in thematic clusters to help students notice patterns in how artists use symbols and materials to express identity.

What to look for

Facilitate a small group discussion using the prompt: 'How might an artist use the color blue differently to express sadness versus calm? Provide an example from an artwork or your own ideas.' Listen for students applying vocabulary and connecting color choices to emotion.

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

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 90 min · Individual

Studio Project: Personal Symbol Artwork

Students design and create a finished artwork using at least three personal symbols that represent aspects of their identity. Before beginning, they write a brief artist statement explaining what each symbol represents and why they chose the visual form they did. Midway through, pairs exchange artist statements and offer one observation about how the symbols translate visually, which artists can use to refine their work.

Construct an artwork that reflects a personal experience or aspect of identity.

Facilitation Tip

In the Personal Symbol Artwork studio, circulate with guiding questions like, 'What part of your identity feels most urgent to express? How can your medium reflect that urgency?'

What to look for

Students share a sketch or concept for their identity artwork. Partners respond to the prompt: 'What aspect of identity does this artwork seem to explore? What is one artistic choice that helps convey this?' Students record feedback to refine their ideas.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

Critique Circle: Reading Identity in Art

In groups of four, students display their identity artworks and listen as peers describe what they observe and interpret. The artist does not explain before the group responds; instead, the artist notes where interpretations align with and diverge from their intent. After the group reads the work, the artist shares their artist statement. The discussion focuses on how artists manage the gap between intent and reception.

Analyze how artists use symbolism and metaphor to convey aspects of their identity.

Facilitation Tip

For the Critique Circle, model turn-taking with sentence stems like, 'I see... because...' to scaffold respectful peer feedback.

What to look for

Present students with 2-3 diverse artworks. Ask them to identify one symbol or metaphor in each piece and write a sentence explaining how it relates to the artist's potential identity or experience. Collect responses to gauge understanding of symbolism.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by centering student voice from the start. Avoid framing identity work as therapy or confession; instead, treat it as a rigorous investigation of how artists communicate complex ideas through visual decisions. Research shows students engage more deeply when they see identity as intersectional and evolving, not fixed. Provide examples of artists who challenge stereotypes or reclaim narratives to expand students' understanding of what counts as identity art.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying how identity shapes artistic choices and articulating their own creative intentions. They should use precise art vocabulary to discuss symbols, materials, and techniques that represent personal or cultural aspects of identity. By the end, their artwork and statements should reflect thoughtful synthesis, not just surface-level representation.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Gallery Walk, listen for students saying, 'This artist's work is only about them and doesn't matter to me.'

  Redirect by asking, 'What specific symbols or techniques make this artwork feel personal yet familiar? How do these choices help you connect to the artist's experience?'

• During Personal Symbol Artwork, watch for students treating their work as random or careless, saying, 'I just picked colors that felt right.'

  Pause their process and ask, 'What emotion or idea does each color represent? How do your color choices guide the viewer's response?' Have them annotate their sketches with these explanations.

• During Identity Mapping, observe students assuming classmates from dominant cultural backgrounds have 'nothing interesting' to explore.

  Provide examples of artists like Frida Kahlo or Yinka Shonibare who revealed hidden layers of their identities. Ask students to add 'invisible' categories to their maps, such as generation, language, or neighborhood.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk
• Project-Based Learning