Identity Self Portrait

Mixed Media
Grades 6, 7, 8

Fig 1. Example of a mixed media portrait.

Mixed media self-portraits. Twenty-First Century Art and Design. (2016, November 8). Retrieved October 17,
2021, from https://benjaminclancy.com/about/visual-art/visual-art-projects/mixed-media-self-portraits/.
Ellie Lawson
10/17/2021

Introductory Information:
Identity Self-Portraits
Grades 6,7,8
Class size: 15-20 students
Length of period: 45 minutes, 4-5 class periods

In this lesson, students will explore their identity through the creation of self-
portraits. Students will discuss the impacts of assumptions and stereotypes and
how they can negatively affect communities of people. Students will look inwards
and choose the parts of their identity that they feel are the most important to
communicate through a mixed media self-portrait.

STAGE 1: DESIRED RESULTS

A. ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
Students will understand artists reflect on their personal histories when
creating meaningful works of art
Students will understand assumptions can lead to unfair judgements about
groups of people or stereotypes.

B. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How do portraits tell a story?
Why do artists create self-portraits?
How does looking into ourselves help us understand others?

C. STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED:

MA Visual Art Standards Cluster 1, Practice 1. Generate and conceptualize
artistic ideas and work.
MA Visual Art Standards Cluster 1, Practice 2. Organize and develop
artistic ideas and work.
MA Visual Art Standards Cluster 4, Practice 10. Synthesize and relate
knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

D. ACQUISITION/ LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Students will create mind maps organizing the different aspects of their
identity.
  Students will be able to explain what is important to their identity and
translate them into their artwork
 Students will be able to create artwork utilizing a variety of mediums and
methods

STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

A. PERFORMANCE TASK OR FINAL PRODUCT:
The final product with be a well-thought-out self-portrait reflecting the
student’s identity in some way through the use of multiple mediums and
methods. A successful example of a self-portrait will include the use of the
words written in the identity map created at the beginning of the project
visually in the final artwork.

Figure 2. Example of a portrait using collage and paint

Marcil, B. (2012). Mixed Media Portrait for Grade 5. Art From the Inside Out. Retrieved October 23,
2021, from https://www.artfromtheinsideout.com/mixed-media-portrait-for-grade-5/.

B. CONTINUUM OF ONGOING/FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:

 Students will participate in brainstorming elements of their identity with
tablemates that will be used to create an identity mind map.
 Students will complete a mind map about different aspects of their identity
including appearance, hobbies, personality, relationships, stereotypes as
 well as two categories of their choosing (potentially values, beliefs,
traditions, likes, dislikes, habits, communities, talents).
 Students will create a sketch of their self-portrait and consider how to use
the materials.
 Students will reflect on their final artwork during a gallery walk, considering
aspects of their classmates’ identities that they had not known as well as
reflecting on what they would do the same and/or differently if they
repeated the process of this project.

STAGE 3: LEARNING PLAN

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT:

 11”x17” white paper

 Mirror
 Newspaper
 Magazines
 Construction paper
 Watercolor paint
 Tempera paint
 Crayons
 Markers
 Oil pastels
 Colored pencils
 Woodsies
 Cardboard
 Fabric
 Yarn
 Glitter
 Wire
 Beads
 Buttons
 Mod podge
 Glue
 Light box/projector
 Tracing paper
 Scissors
 Color printer

RESOURCES: VISUALS, TEXT, MEDIA, AND WEB

Visual resources:
Kahlo , F. (1940). Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair MoMA, New York, New York.

Baird, C. (1993). Art No. 2 Kansas City, MO.

Basquiat, J.-M. (1982). Self-Portrait as a Heel.
Figures 3 and 4. Examples of mind maps
Self-portrait ideas for ESL students - English teaching 101. ESL Resources &
Activities - English Teaching 101. (2021, May 10). Retrieved October 17, 2021,
from https://englishteaching101.com/self-portrait-ideas-esl/.
Figure 5. Example of a portrait using four different methods.
Bufdiz. (1970, January 1). Beaudesert Art. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from
http://beaudesertart.blogspot.com/.

Figure 6. Example of a portrait using digital photography.

B, C. (1970, January 1). The Identity Project: Q 2, ms. Blain's grade 8. The
Identity Project: Q 2, Ms. Blain's Grade 8. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from
https://mmsvisualart.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-identity-project-q-2-ms-
blains.html.

Figure 7. Examples of portraits using visuals to express idenity.

Jacobs, E. (2021, October 16). Celebrating identity through portraiture. Kids VT.
Retrieved October 17, 2021, from https://www.kidsvt.com/vermont/celebrating-
identity-through-portraiture/Content?oid=6252204

Figure 8. Example of an abstracted portrait.

Canicosa, G. (n.d.). Abstract self-portrait. Behance. Retrieved October 17, 2021,
from https://www.behance.net/gallery/56504797/Abstract-Self-Portrait
Figure 9. Example of a portrait using complementary colors and words.
Complementary identity portraits. The Art of Education University. (2021,
September 15). Retrieved October 17, 2021, from
https://theartofeducation.edu/flex/lesson-plans/complementary-identity-portraits/.

Text, Media, and Web Resources:

Social Justice Standards: Unpacking Identity. Learning for Justice. (n.d.).

Retrieved October 17, 2021, from
https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/social-justice-
standards-unpacking-identity.

What are gender stereotypes? Learning for Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved

October 17, 2021, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-
resources/lessons/what-are-gender-stereotypes#:~:text=stereotype
%20%5B%20ster%2Dee%2Duh,a%20group%20are%20the%20same.

Identity charts. Facing History and Ourselves. (n.d.). Retrieved October

17, 2021, from https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-
strategies/identity-charts.

Identity self-portraits. Learning for Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17,

2021, from
 https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/student-tasks/do-
something/identity-selfportraits.

VOCABULARY WITH DEFINITIONS:

Portrait – an artwork of a person
Self-portrait – an artwork of an artist created by the artist themselves
Identity – who you are, what you are known for, and how you see yourself
Stereotype – an oversimplified or unfair belief or idea that groups of
people have particular characteristics or are all the same.
Assumption – Something that is accepted as true without proof
Mixed media – using more than one medium
Collage – an artwork created using parts of different materials to create a
new whole
Complementary colors – colors across each other from the color wheel;
red and green, yellow and purple, blue and orange.
Mind map - a method of organizing related ideas visually.

TEACHER INSTRUCTION:
1. The teacher will put a half sheet of paper with the instructions “Look at the
work on the screen and write ten things you notice” on each desk so
students can start examining Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair
as soon as they enter class. Then once students finish, the teacher will
ask students, “What did you notice?” Then the teacher will ask students to
flip their half-sheet over and write ten more things. The teacher will then
ask, “What did you notice the second time?”
2. The teacher will introduce the PowerPoint for Identity Self-Portraits by
asking students “What is a portrait?” and then, “What is a self-portrait?”
3. The teacher will show the painting Art No. 2 created by Chuck Baird and
lead a short discussion using the questions, “What do you notice? What
makes you say that? What more can you find?” The teacher will share
with students the portrait is of his hands because he is a deaf artist. The
teacher will ask students to hold their dominant hand facing them and take
their pinky finger on their non-dominant hand and make a scribble motion
over their dominant hand. The teacher will explain that this is how to sign
“Art” in ASL. Then the teacher will ask students “Why or why not is this
painting a self-portrait?” to lead a discussion on the many ways they can
create a self-portrait.
4. The teacher will ask students “What is identity?” and the class will develop
a definition. Then the teacher will share a definition for identity: who we
are, what you are known for, and how you see yourself.
5. The teacher will ask students to turn to their table group and brainstorm
some aspects of their own identities. The teacher will ask a few groups to
share some of their brainstorm ideas.
6. Then the teacher will ask students, “What is a stereotype?” and provide
the definition, a stereotype is an oversimplified and/or unfair belief or idea
 that groups of people have particular characteristics or that all people in a
group are the same.
7. Then the teacher will play a short video on stereotypes. After the video,
the teacher will ask students to share some stereotypes they have heard
before and ask why stereotypes are harmful.
8. The teacher will ask students to consider identity and stereotypes while
looking at Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Self Portrait as a Heel. The teacher will
ask students “What do you notice? What makes you say that? What more
can we find?” and lead short discussion on the painting.
9. The teacher will introduce the project for the rest of class, identity mind
maps. The teacher will explain that a mind map is a method of organizing
related ideas visually.
10. The teacher will share an example of a mind map and explain the section
for stereotypes, which will have students write down some assumptions
people may make about them based off of the way they look. The teacher
will ask students to write these assumptions in quotations.
11. The teacher will pass out paper and have students get started by writing
their preferred name in the center of the paper, then creating five bubbles
for personality, hobbies, relationships, appearance, and stereotypes. The
teacher will give the expectation of at least two descriptions for each
bubble but will encourage students to write more. Then the teacher will
give students a list of extra categories (including values, beliefs, traditions,
likes, dislikes, habits, communities, and talents) and ask students to add
two or three more of these categories to their mind maps. The teacher will
encourage students to create their own categories.
12. Before clean-up, the teacher will share examples of mixed media identity
self-portraits so students can think about their projects over the next week.
13. In the second class, the teacher will share examples and ask students to
create a sketch of their self-portraits, including which materials they would
like to use. Students will be given paper and pencil as well as a mirror.
14. Once students finish their sketches, the teacher will provide them with an
11”x17” piece of white paper for their self-portrait and students will be
allowed to use any materials available to create their finished work over
the next three to four class periods.
15. At the end of the project, all of the self portraits will be hung in the
classroom and the teacher will guide a gallery walk. Students will be
provided with post-it notes and asked to write one thing they learned about
the artists identity based off of their finished artwork. The teacher will ask
students what they learned about their classmates.
16. Finally, the teacher would ask students to reflect on their own artwork by
asking “If we did this project over, what would you do differently? What
would you do the same?”

QUESTIONS TO GENERATE DISCUSSION:

Introductory:
 What do you notice about this artwork? What makes you say that? What
more can we find?

PowerPoint questions:
What is portrait? What is a self-portrait? Why are they different?
What does identity mean? What are some aspects of identity? Why is identity
important?
What is a stereotype? What is an example of a stereotype you have heard?
Why are stereotypes harmful?
What does mixed media mean? How can we use more than one medium in
our artwork?

Reflection:
What did you learn from looking at your classmates’ work? What is one thing
you would do differently if you repeated this project?

LEARNING ACTIVITY:
Students will discuss self-portraiture and reflect on works of art from Frida
Kahlo, Chuck Baird, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Students will discuss identity and stereotypes as a whole class and in
small groups.
Students will independently reflect on their identity through the creation of
a mind map.
Students will practice drawing faces by creating a sketch which will include
what materials they plan to use for their portraits.
Students will create portraits using any materials in the classroom,
including combinations of drawing, painting, and collaging.
Students will reflect on the final works of art as a class, leaving comments
on each other’s completed work.
Figure 10. Example of a mind map.

Figure 11. Example of a simple face sketch.

Face Drawings (2019, June 13). Face drawings by 2018-2019 middle school students TOCS. Retrieved
October 22, 2021, from https://www.tocsweb.com/patrickfranklin/2019/06/12/face-drawings-by-2019-middle-
school-students/.
Figure 1.Example of a mixed media portrait.
Mixed media self-portraits. Twenty-First Century Art and Design. (2016, November 8). Retrieved October
17, 2021, from https://benjaminclancy.com/about/visual-art/visual-art-projects/mixed-media-self-portraits/.

Figures 12 and 13. Examples of post-it note critiques.

Debello, M. (n.d.). Post-it-note critique. Post-it-Note Critique. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
http://ibartstudio.blogspot.com/2011/09/post-it-note-critique.html.
DIFFERENTIATION/ACCOMMODATION:

The teacher will provide written and verbal instructions with visuals for each part
of the project
The teacher will emphasize the choices students have to use any medium they
feel comfortable with
The teacher will encourage students who need more of a challenge/finish quickly
to include a 3-D aspect.
The teacher will provide a physical copy of the mind map, a sketch, and a
finished work for the students to look at during the project.
The teacher will provide printed mind maps with spaces to fill in
The teacher will allow mind maps to be created using imagery instead of words
The teacher will label supplies with both words in multiple languages and pictures
The teacher will lead whole class discussions, but allow time for small-group
discussions and individual reflection