LESSON-Identity Portraits
Submitted by Theresa Parker
Grades 4 - 5

From Theresa: I envision it as a self-portrait, but one intended to encourage students to celebrate their cultural heritage, and in turn, the cultural heritage of their peers.

Brief Description of Lesson

Students discuss the meaning of identity, explore traditional, cultural, and invented symbols, study portraits which use visual symbols, create a portrait which includes symbols to express their identity, and write a short artist's statement describing their work.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

How can an artist show aspects of identity besides physical appearance in a work of art?

GENERALIZATION:

Artists can use cultural and invented symbols to represent their own or others' identities.

Arts EALRs* Addressed:

1.1 concepts and vocabulary

1.2 skills and techniques (drawing, collage)

2.1 applies creative process

2.3 applies a responding process

3     communicates through the arts

4.4 Understands that the arts shape and reflect culture and history

Writing EALRS Addressed:

1 Writes clearly and effectively

2.2 Writes for different purposes

2.3 Writes in a variety of forms

Resources

Art objects: Portraits from Just Like Me: Stories and Self-Portraits, Tomie Arai

Images of various common symbols

Books: Symbols of Native America, Five-Fold Happiness: Chinese Concepts of Luck,Prosperity…, Symbols, The Dyer's Art

Art Materials: markers, colored pencils, lead pencils, 12” x 18” white drawing paper or other choices for collage.

Target Learning

The student:

·  Reflects on the meaning(s) of identity.
·  Compares and contrasts visual symbols used to communicate ideas in various cultures.
·  Creates a self-portrait to communicate their identity using cultural and/or invented symbols.
·  Writes an artist's statement describing their portrait.

Assessment Criteria

The student:

·  Explores their own identity through discussion and research.
·  Recognizes symbols as concrete signs or images that represent some other, more abstract thing or ideas.
·  Creates a self-portrait that employs cultural and/or invented symbols to express identity.
·  Writes an artist's statement that describes their identity-portrait

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES (What the Teacher Does)

DAY ONE

·  Introduces portrait which shows physical characteristics of individual, begins a discussion about other aspects of identity
·  Introduces portraits which use various adopted and/or invented symbols to convey information about the individual's identity
·  Reads sample artist's statement
·  Creates "identity map" on white board using students' suggestions
·  Has students use the rest of class time to break into groups for brainstorming symbols for identity portraits (each group could be assigned one identity trait to focus on)
·  Collects identity symbol ideas from groups for use next class.
·  Ask students to think about their own identities for homework and have at least five symbol ideas to begin their identity portraits next class.

DAY TWO

·  Asks a representative from each group to share one or two brainstormed ideas on symbols for identity traits
·  Asks for volunteers to share a personal identity symbol
·  Discusses procedure for beginning production of identity portraits (Here specific materials can be discussed, or students can be offered a choice of materials and techniques depending on material availability, their experience, and the physical constraints of the classroom
·  Circulates amongst tables to assist, offer suggestions, encouragement
·  As production period draws to a close, makes a verbal check of students' progress, has students place work in storage area, oversees clean-up

DAY THREE

·  Begins class by sharing an identity portrait and accompanying artist's statement and leads discussion on writing artist's statements
·  Oversees students' return to art production and writing activities, circulates
·  As production period draws to a close, check on progress, encourage completion, clean-up

CREATIVE PROCESS (What the Student Does)

DAY ONE

·  Participates in discussion of portrait
·  Observes portrait examples and identifies types of symbols used
·  Contributes to discussion on artist's statement
·  Contributes to "identity map"
·  Brainstorms symbols for identity portraits as part of group discussion
·  Homework: Thinks about identity, planning at least five symbols to include in identity portrait.

DAY TWO

·  Group representatives share brainstormed identity symbols from previous class
·  Shares personal identity symbol
·  Listens to instructions, asks any questions that come up
·  Gathers art materials and begins art production.
·  Places work-in-progress in storage area, cleans up work area

DAY THREE

·  Observes identity portrait, listens to artist's statement, participates in discussion on writing artist's statements
·  Continues art production and/or begins artist's statement
·  Wrap-up art production, writing, clean-up

Assessment Strategies

• Performance Assessment
• Teacher journal
• Checklist
  

Evidence of Student Learning

Student artworks include images of themselves, symbols representing aspects of their identities (physical characteristics, cultural background, interests, beliefs, etc.)

Vocabulary

·  identity
·  self-portrait (identity-portrait)
·  symbol (cultural, invented)
·  artist's statement

Post Lesson Reflection

Create an identity-portrait of an ancestor Visual Resource: Honoring Our Ancestors
*EALRs stands for Essential Academic Learning Requirements, Washington State's statewide academic standards.