Lesson Plan

Topic/BigIdea:
Identity

Class/Grade:
4th

EssentialQuestions
:Whatisidentity?Howdowedefineourselves?Howismyidentity
influenced?Howdootherpeopleviewmyidentity?Doesaselfportraitshowourtrue
identity?
Objective(s)
:
Studentswill...
know
understandhowsymbolsconveymeaningandhowartcanrepresentself.
beableto...createansymbolisticselfportraitthatrevealstheirtrueidentity.
StandardCoding

ActivityDescription

SAMRlevel

ISTES3
VA:Cr1.1.4a
VA:Cr2.1.4a
VA:Re7.1.4a
VA:Re7.2.4a
VA:Cn11.1.4a

InvestigateandPlan:Studentswillexamineother
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portraitsbycontemporaryartistsdiscussinghow
theseartistsdealwiththeideaofidentity.Iwillshow
portraitsinmultipletypesofmediums.Studentswill
discusswhatidentitymeanstothemasa
preassessment.Studentswillthendiscussthe
phraseyouarewhatyoueat.Wewilldiscussifthat
istrueandwhatthismetaphormeans.Wewilldiscuss
howthemediaandotherthingsweconsumeaffect
ouridentities.Studentswillthencreatealistofthe
thingsthatinfluencethem:thingstheyeat,places
theygo,thingstheybuy,thingstheywatch,things
theyhear,andclothingtheywear.Studentswilluse
theselistsasaspringboardwhentheygotocomputer
classtolookuptheimagesandprintagroupingof
imagesthatrepresentthemandtheirpreferences.

ISTES3
VA:Re7.2.4a

SearchandSave:Studentswillbeinthecomputerlab Augmentation
searchingforsymbolsoftheirlistofimages.Students
willlearnhowtocopyandpasteandwilllearnwhatis
appropriatetosearchandkeepandwhatisnot.
Studentswillbecopyingandpastingimagesfromthe
internettoadocumentthattheycansaveandprint.
Theywillalsobelearninghowtocropimagestosave
spaceontheirpaper.Studentswillprintpicturesin
colorattheendoftheday.(Iamhavingmycomputer
labteacherteachthispartofthelesson.Ifyouhave
programslikephotoshop,thisartworkcouldbedone
digitally.However,Idonot.)


ISTES2
ISTES4
VA:Cr1.2.4a
VA:Re9.1.4a

Investigations:Studentswillinvestigatehowtheyview
othersidentitiesandhowtheyareviewed.Theywill
Modification
discusstheidentityorassumptionsofahighschool

student.Theywillcreateaportraitonthesmartboard
ofwhatageneralhighschoolstudentislikewith
wordstoaccompanyit.Then,wewouldcomeupwith
interviewquestionsforahighschoolstudentand
emailthemtoahighschoolstudent.Thestudents
couldaskthehighschoolstudentquestionsaboutthe
accuracyoftheirvisualdescription.Thiscouldalsobe
doneusingskypeorfacetime.Afterinterviewingthe
highschoolstudent/students,theywilldiscusshow
accuratethisactuallyisandhowouridentitiesarent
alwayswhattheyseemfromtheoutsideandthat
assumptionsarentalwaysaccurate.Theywillgoona
photoscavengerhuntlookingforoneitemthat
representstheiridentity.Iwilltakethephotosandput
themonawebsiteofminesimilartoLTLYMandwe
willcompareresponses.Theywillmakeconnections
tohowotherstudentsaresimilartoanddifferentfrom
them.Theywillalsodiscusshowallofthemcanhave
differentartisticresponsestothesameartwork.

ISTES1
ISTES4
VA:Cr1.1.4a
VA:Cr2.1.4a
VA:Cr2.2.4a

PlayandPractice:Tocontinuetheflowofthelesson Redefintion
wewilltakethefirstportionoftheclasstodiscussthe
problemwithsimpleselfportraitsorselfies.Wewill
discussanswerstothequestion:Howcanweshow
ourtrueidentityinaselfportraitorselfie?.Iwillteach
thestudentscorrectfacialproportions.Iwillteach
themhowtocollage,howtowatercolor,howtouse
temperapaint,andhowtouseavarietyofdrawing
materials.Theywillcreateminiartworks(4by6in.)
experimentingwithportraitsindifferentmediums.IfI
hadpersonalcomputersandphotoshop,thiswouldbe
replacedbyplayandexperimentationinphotoshop.

ISTES1
VA:Cr1.2.4a
Va:Cr3.1.4a

Finalities:Thestudentswillutilizetheirimagesfrom
thecomputerlabvisittocompleteaselfportrait
usingtheirdigitalimages.Again,ifyouhave
photoshop,and1to1computersforthestudents,
theycouldcompletethisportionofthelessonin
photoshop.However,Idonot.So,thestudentswill
decidewhichmethodofartmakingfromour
experimentslastclasstheywillusetocompletetheir
collage.Forourfeedback,thestudentswillgetto
collaboratewithotherartiststoaddadimensionto

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theirartworkaboutwhatothersnoticeabouttheir
identity.Forexample,theymightdowordsorphrases
aroundtheirportraitsallowingotherstowriteontheir
art.
ISTES2
VA:Re9.1.4a
VA:Re8.1.4a
VA:Re7.1.4a
VA:Pr6.1.4a

PresentationsandCritique:Thestudentswillwrite
writtenreflectionsabouttheirartworkandartmaking
process.Theywillthensetupaminiartgalleryinour
classroom.Iwillallowthemtimeforagallerywalkon
theirown,thenwewillparticipateinagallerywalkas
aclassanddoconstructivecritiques.Iwillthenhave
thestudentsphotographingtheirownartworkfor
displayonartsoniaoronaclassroomblog(onceIget
onestarted).Again,ifIhadpersonalcomputersor
numerousdevices,studentscoulddovoicethreadsor
typetheirartiststatementsinanonlineartgallery.

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OriginalPinterestLessonInspiration:

Thisassignmentwasbasedlooselyoffoftheideaoftherecycledmagazinecollagesilhouettes
andtheKleeselfportraitswithnamepoems.