Abby Sears

Reading in the Content Area

SUB19 AE3240
Erica Richard

Non-Traditional Self Portraits- A Summative Project at the end of a 5 week unit

about Identity

What​: 7th grade students will be making a non traditional self portrait, incorporating
different exercises we completed. The artwork must have a strong personal meaning
behind it and clear artistic efforts that can be written about and discussed in class. The
artwork must be connected to the identity of the student and his/her community.

Why​: ​The purpose of this assignment is to explore identity. For 7th graders they are just
beginning to come into their own, they are exploring hobbies and interests and are still
finding themselves. This assignment will allow them to think outside of the box about
what a self portrait is and how they can create one that has significant meaning to them,
rather than a stiff drawing of themselves. What makes up a person's identity? Is it just
their personal interests or does it go deeper into social standing, personal cultures and
community involvement? Students will have more freedom to explore materials and will
be able to experiment with many different ideas through smaller assignments and
critiques.

● Students will understand how to analyze artwork and infer meaning

● Students will understand how to determine meaning in artworks using visual
literacy skills
● Students will understand how to plan, anticipate outcomes and use feedback to
grow as artists
● Students will understand what it means for an artist to narrate their social context
● Students will understand how to use various technical skills in their artworks

How​: This lesson sketch is the final summative project for a six week unit in which
students will be growing their arsenal of techniques and understandings. So before I go
into the details of this specific project I will be discussing the other assignments that will
lead up to this one.

● Students will create a traditional self portrait using either charcoal, colored
pencils or markers, and must be able to explain why they chose their material (1
class lesson)
 ● Students will create a poster board college filled with interests, hobbies, and
important aspects of their lives. (2 class periods)
● Students will create a self portrait in the manner of a famous artist (try to stay
within the last 100 years) (3 class lesson)
● Students will have to create a short powerpoint with who they are and their
community (2 class lesson)
● Students will be looking at artists’ self portraits and determine how artists add
meaning to their artwork and how they show identity in their portraits (i.e Frida
Khalo’s self portraits) (2 class lesson)
● Students will have to endure a class period where we look at artists who are
heavily influenced by their culture and use many different cultural references in
their art (1 class period)
● Students will do a still life study incorporating at least two techniques discussed
in class (for example, blending and stippling) (2 class lesson)
● Students will pair up with a classmate and have a class workshop day where
they draw each other, they will do figure drawing to practice their skills in drawing
human anatomy (1 class)
● After the anatomy class students with a different student and interview them
about their interests, their family etc then create a small drawing that would best
describe the classmate they interviewed (not a traditional portrait) (1 class
period)
● At the end of every class students will journal their experiences.

After these small assignments we will begin our final assignment which is the
non-traditional self portrait. In the ideation phase students will have to come up with 6
different concepts they can potentially do for the final and in their journals, sketch out
three thumbnails for each concept. The students’ concepts will have to display 2-3
important symbols of their identity as well as 2 techniques we have learned in class.
The choice of material is fairly open as long as students can still complete the
requirements. Students will have 2 weeks to idealize, sketch and create their final
non-traditional self portrait. At the end of week one we will have an in progress critique
where students can help each other further develop their ideas. At the end of the
critique day students will be asked to journal about their experience. At the end of the
second week students will be required to have their final artwork as well as a written
artist statement. We will then have a gallery walk art critique to showcase their final
work. (Teachers need to know that if they are not keeping students in line with exit
tickets, journal check-ins and weekly progress critiques, the students’ final artwork will
not be completed to the best of their abilities.)

Standards​: a list of any standards that are integrated in the sketch

● Analyze works of art and apply the language of visual art and design to infer
meaning. VA.7.1.1
● Determine meaning from works of art and design using visual literacy skills such
as interpretation, negotiation, appreciation and selection. VA.7.2.1
● Plan, anticipate outcomes and use feedback to grow as an artist. VA.7.3.1
● Demonstrate technical skills and processes to achieve desired results. VA.7.3.2
● Investigate how artists, designers and scholars narrate their social context.
VA.7.4.1

Research​: how does this incorporate best practices? Identify specific examples

● I believe that this lesson incorporates best practice because it integrates culture
and helps kids explore identity. Olivia Gude in her article “Principles of
Possibility” also acknowledges the importance of demonstrating culture and
investigating community themes, which is what these students will need to do in
order to incorporate a meaningful symbol of social context in their non-traditional
self portrait.
● I believe this lesson also incorporates best practices because it makes students
question what is important to their identity and guides them in their curiosity. In
Jessica Hamlin and Joe Fusaro’s article “Contemporary Strategies for Creative
and Critical Teaching in the 21st Century” there is a wonderful quote that
emphasizes the importance of students’ need to explore identity and curiosities:
“Andersen’s central question emboldened students to consider their own roles as
members of a school community a neighborhood, a family, a culture, and a
nation, and to connect their personal experiences with the narratives of artists
and writers.” If students can consider all of the roles they perform in their lives,
they can start to discover their personal narratives, which we want to explore in
their projects.
● I believe this lesson incorporates best practices in the form of choice-based art
education. In the reading ​Introducing Choice-Based Art Education​ the author
writes “students need to learn about materials and techniques, concepts and art
 history; teachers need to connect the child’s world to the curriculum.” With this
assignment students are able to explore materials and techniques and will be
introduced to art history which relates to artists identity, so that the students can
create connections to their own art.
● I think that this lesson plan is just starting to touch upon the best practice idea of
culturally responsive teaching. In the article ​Preparing for Culturally Responsive
Teaching b ​ y Geneva Gay she writes: “using the cultural characteristics,
experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as conduits for
teaching them more effectively.” Although I am not exactly doing this in this
particular lesson plan, the assignment’s results can lead me to a better
understanding of my students, so that I can teach them more effectively and
personally.

Outcomes​:

● Students will be able to analyze each others artwork and infer meaning
through the critique process. VA.7.1.1
● Students will show identity and meaning through the incorporation of
personal 2-3 elements in their final self portrait. VA.7.2.1
● Students will be able to plan, anticipate outcomes and use feedback in
their formative projects in order to grow as artists. VA.7.3.1
● Students will be able to demonstrate various technical abilities in their
artwork and will be required to show two different techniques in their final
self portrait. VA.7.3.2
● Students will be able to narrate their own social context by incorporating
one visual representation in their summative project. VA.7.4.1