Abby Poortinga

Identity Superhero Stuffie:

6th Grade

Big idea:
Identity
Essential questions:
1. How can we represent our identities through art?
2. How can you visually represent what makes you, you?

Objectives:
Students will brainstorm powers, colors, emotions, and many other concepts and ideas they feel that
they connect and identify with (connect)
Students will sketch out their stuffie with the colors, and icons they brainstormed to best represent their
identity.
Students will design and sew an identity superhero stuffy (create)
Students will name their stuffie and draw the details and icons that they thought best represents those
concepts they identify with, on to their stuffie minimum of 10 (present)
Students will compose a detailed artist state about how their piece represents themselves. (respond)

Artists; Books:
Lucy Sparrow: Fabric Artist
- She is a fabric Artist who sews and stuffs felt and fabric into life like food and grocery products.
Rashaad Newsome: Selected Works 2016
- Multimedia Artist, these particular artworks from 2016 are collaged icons that, together, can
create a sense of identity.
Zuiker Teen Topics Series: Comic Books
- this is a series of comic books about topics such as being transgender, bullying, Cyber bullying,
suicide, having divorced parents, autism, racism, body image, and school shootings.
Remi Blackwood, Future Hero Series: Small Artist becomes Hero
- This book and series is about a young artist who doesn’t fit in his world and fumbles upon a new
world where he is made to be a hero.

Vocabulary:
Identity: who you are and the things that make you who you are.
Iconography: icons, images, and symbols that are used in a work of art.
Fiber Art: Art that uses a medium of fabric.
Collage: a technique used with multiple different materials such as pictures or magazine cut outs, put
together to capture a whole new image/meaning.
Felt: a fabric material that is made by condensing and pressing fibers together.
Sewing: attaching objects with a needle and thread.
Artist Statement: A piece of writing that is written by the Artist to help the audience gain a better
understanding of their piece.
Abby Poortinga

Materials
Felt(different colors), sewing needle, sewing thread(different colors), embroidery thread(different
colors), writing utensil, sketchbook/paper, fabric markers, stuffing, fabric scissors(small and big)as
wooden skewer stick, Artist Statement Template

Procedures:
1. Teacher will begin by asking students what identity means to them.
2. Teacher will then ask what makes up our identities internally and externally.
3. Teacher will explain that students will design themselves as a superhero to give a sense of pride
and confidence to their identity, identity superhero stuffies.
4. Teacher will explain that students are going to come up with 5 concepts and ideas that represent
their identity
5. Teacher will ask students to get into groups and brainstorm these ideas in their sketch book.
6. Teacher will then talk about iconography and how we are going to use these concepts to create
iconography to show identity within our stuffies.
7. Once students have at least 5 concepts or ideas of their identity, students are then to design on
their sketchbooks 2 icons for each concept. At the end students should have 10 icons.
8. Teacher will show Rashaad Newsome’s selected collage art to give students ideas of what these
identity symbols, and iconography could look like in Artwork.
9. Teacher will then let students know that we will be using those later on in the lesson so don’t
forget or lose them.
10. Teacher will then ask if anyone knows what fiber art is?
11. Teacher will then show Lucy Sparrow and explain that fiber is Art that she’s the medium of fabric
12. Teacher will then ask if students have ever sewn and stuffed a stuffed animal before.
13. Teacher will explain that students will be making a stuffed and sewn super hero,
14. Students will use two different colors of felt for the body and one color of felt for the head, these
can be any color students feel best represents them and their identity.
15. Teacher will explain that students will use a marker to draw an outline of the body that is
whatever shape they want but big enough to put stuffing in.
16. Teacher will demonstrate this size on the felt.
17. Teacher will then explain that the students are to cut that body out and use it as a tracer on the
second color of felt so they are almost identical in size and shape.
18. Teacher will demonstrate how to cut the felt body out with fabric scissors and then use the
tracer to draw on the second color of felt
19. Once both of the felt bodies are cut out they should be almost exactly the same size.
20. Next, teacher will demonstrate two ways of how to stitch: running stitch, and over stitch
21. Teacher will explain that students are going to pick one to use to sew their two colored felt
bodies together but to leave a hole that is an unstitched section to attach the head.
22. Teacher will check for understanding with dismissing to get materials by asking each student
what the steps of each stitch are and which stitch they are going to use.
Abby Poortinga

23. When everyone is dismissed students can get materials and start cutting out and sewing their
bodies together.
24. Once everyone is done with that, the teacher will explain that students will next pick out one
color but will need two pieces of felt for the head of their identity superhero.
25. Teacher will explain that students are to put their bodies aside for now
26. Teacher will explain that the process for the head is the same as the body
27. Teacher will then remind students to use a marker to draw the shape of the head and use fabric
scissors to cut it out and trace it onto the next piece of felt and make sure that the size is big
enough to stuff it and when stitching make sure to leave a hole that is an unstitched section that
will connect to the body.
28. Teacher will dismiss students to get materials once the reminder is heard
29. Before students get to the sewing stage of the head process, the teacher will ask students if they
need another demonstration of how to do the two types of stitching: running stitch, over stitch.
30. Teacher will grab the students who need the demonstration and demonstrate how to do the
stitches again.
31. Once the two head pieces are stitched together with the hole for the body, students can grab the
body and stitch only one side of the body and head together leaving an opening on the other
side to put the stuffing in.
32. Teacher will demonstrate how to stitch the two together on only one side and how to use a
wooden skewer stick to shove the stuffing into the stuffie
33. Teacher will then demonstrate that after they have stuffed their stuffie then they can sew up the
other side.
34. Teacher will explain to students that it might be a little more challenging to sew with the stuffing
in the stuffy and that the teacher will be there and if anyone needs guidance or help to just raise
their hand.
35. Teacher will ask for understanding by passing out the wooden skewer sticks but making each
student repeat the steps and what the skewer sticks are used for, before giving it to them, and
the ok to get started.
36. Once students have materials they can get started on sewing the one side of the head and body,
then stuffing their identity superhero, and sewing it all up together.
37. Teacher will watch for hands and go around to each table making sure everyone is on the right
track through this process.
38. Once the stuffies are complete. Students can choose to add a cape or a belt by cutting it out and
using the running stitch method, sew in and out of the body to attach the cape or belt.
39. Next teacher will tell students to draw whatever face and accessories they want on the head of
their super hero
40. Then the teacher will ask students to get out their 10 icons that were made previously in the
lesson.
41. Teacher will explain that students will need to combine the 2 icons for each concept in a way
that best captures that concept, into one abstracted icon. Leaving them with 5 unique identity
icons for each concept or idea.
42. Teacher will explain that students are then to reciprocate those icons onto their stuffy
Abby Poortinga

43. Teacher will demonstrate a couple of examples of ways to combine the icons into unique identity
icons with fabric marker colors on a piece of felt.
44. Teacher will ask by a show of hands what students have questions.
45. Once questions are answered students will grab materials and get started.
46. Once students have finished all 5 unique identity icons on their stuffy, the teacher will explain
that students will name their stuffie and write an artist statement about it.
47. Teacher will ask students if they know what an artist statement is.
48. Teacher will then explain what an artist statement is and introduce the template they will be
filling out about their piece.
49. The teacher will describe what is expected for each section of the template.
50. Students will grab writing utensils and start on their Artist Statement
51. Once completed students will turn in Artist statement for a grade
52. Finally, students can take home stuffies

Formal Assessments:
1. Dismissal
2. Skewer sticks
3. Show of hands
4. Artist statement

Example
Images:
*These are
before I added
the combine
step*

Front identity
superhero

Back identity superhero

Abby Poortinga

Back with cape identity

superhero

Front with hand

comparison identity
superhero

Combined unique Identity Icons

Abby Poortinga

Front Back
Artist Statement Template