FINAL PROJECT – ART & CREATIVITY – ANA CARDENAS

 Subject Area: Art

 Target grade level range: 8th Grade (secondary)
 Theme: Identity
 Artwork Title: Portrait of Miro
 Artist: Joan Miro with Louis Marcoussis
 Date: 1938
 Materials
 Viewfinder
 Scissors
 Glue
 Crayons
 Pens or pencils
 Magazines
 White paper
 Joan Miro Photography

 Activity Description:

Activity 1:

Start the activity by presenting the piece (name, author, year). Distribute the viewfinders and ask
them to observer carefully every detail of the portrait; like lines, elements and symbols. Allow them
to observe the piece for 3 minutes. Once the time is over, split the group in partners and give them
the white paper and pencils/pens. Instruct them that based on what they saw, to answer the next
questions:

- What does self-portrait means?

- What do you find odd or out of the ordinary in the drawing?
- Do you think the artist is a woman or a man?
- What age you think she or he had?
- What do you think the symbols mean?

Give them 5 minutes to discuss these questions with their partners and to agree on an answer that
both feel comfortable. When the time is up, gather around the group and show them a photography
of Joan Miro. Ask them If they photography was what them expected the artist to be. Allow them to
share their answers and help them create the definition of “Identity”. The goal is to realize that
Identity goes beyond your gender, age, name, appearance or nationality. Give them examples of the
next different aspects that are part of their identity:

- Occupations (e.g., teacher, physician, plumber)

- Social relationships (e.g., husband/wife, friend, colleague)
- Familial relationships (e.g., brother/sister; son/daughter; mother/father)
- Quasi-occupations (e.g., helper, volunteer)
- Avocations (e.g., athlete, musician, artist, collector, helper, volunteer)
- Affiliations (e.g., Shriner, Yankee fan)
 - Abilities/disabilities (e.g., smart person, funny person, shy person with a disability,
“patient”)
- Salient attributes (e.g., reliable, hard working, good looking, lazy, dishonest)
- Spirituality (e.g., child of God, Catholic, Buddist)

Activity 2:

This is an individual activity. Distribute the crayons, scissors, white paper, magazines and glue.
Indicate them that based on what they learn what Identity means, using crayons and/or imagines
that they can cut from the magazine, they must create a self-portrait about what their identity is.
Allow them to ask questions if they have any doubts regarding the activity and make sure they know
they can use the materials however they feel too.

Give them 10 minutes to realize their self-portraits. Once the time is over, ask who would want to
share their self-portrait first. Allow the students to ask questions and comments, ask questions like
“what would they think the portraits have in common and what makes them different?” The goal is
to understand how our identity defines us as individuals but also it can be a connecting point
between ourselves and the people around us.