PORTRAITURE, IDENTITY,

AND SYMBOLISM
Identity Awareness by Kimberly Cossey
PORTRAITURE, IDENTITY, AND SYMBOLISM
Identity Awareness
Grades 7, 8, and 9
 ENDURING
UNDERSTANDINGS
• What enduring understandings will students acquire
about the big idea?
1. Students will gain an awareness of themselves.
2. Students will learn to identify their personal symbols, and they will refine
their personal aesthetic.

3. Students will learn how artists use symbols to create meaning in their art.

EQ #1 What is my identity
and why is it important to
gain an understanding of it?
1. Students will gain an
understanding of
themselves.
2. Students will learn to
identify their personal
symbols, and they will refine
their personal aesthetic.
3. Students will learn how
artists use symbols to create
meaning in their art.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
EQ #2 What is my personal
aesthetic, and how do I EQ #3 What creates my
express my identity environment?
artistically?
What do I like to do? Hobbies?
What is my favorite Sports?
color/colors?
What is my favorite pet?
What Artists do I like? Why? Animal?
What are my favorite What is my fashion sense?
paintings?
 VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES VTS
IMAGE #1
CHUCK CLOSE IN HIS STUDIO, PHOTOGRAPH, CHUCK CLOSE

o EQs seeded by VTS Image #1: EU #1 What is my

o EUs introduced by VTS Image #1:
Students will learn how artists use
symbols to create meaning in
their art.
identity and why is it important to gain an
understanding of it? EU #2 What is my personal
aesthetic, and how do I express my identity
artistically? EU #3 What creates my environment?

STRATEGIES IMAGE #1
• Selection: The rationale for
selecting the Chuck Close image
centers around his use of the
”Grid” to create his paintings, and
his subject matter of
“portraiture”, both of which are a
part of the unit lesson.
VISUAL THINKING
RATIONALE:
• Sequencing: The rationale for
choosing the Chuck Close
image in this sequence centers
around scaffolding the lesson in
which students first learn to
create drawings using a “grid”.
 VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES
IMAGE #2
DISNEY DREAMS, RACHEL WEISZ AS SNOW WHITE, PHOTOGRAPH, ANNIE LIEBOVITZ

o EQs explored by VTS Image #2:
What is my identity and why is it
important to gain an understanding
of it? What is my personal
aesthetic, and how do I express my
o EUs reinforced, elaborated &/or expanded by
VTS Image #2: Students will learn to identify
their personal symbols, and they will refine
their personal aesthetic.; Students will learn
how artists use symbols to create meaning in
their art.
 VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES
IMAGE #2 RATIONALE:

• Selection: The rationale for • Sequencing: The rationale for

selecting the “Disney Dreams”
image by Annie Liebovitz, centers
around her use of composition to
create her photographic portrait
story, her subject matter of
“portraiture”, and her use of
symbolism, all of which are a part
of the unit lesson.
choosing the “Disney Dreams”
image by Annie Liebovitz, in
this sequence centers around
scaffolding the lesson in which
students are learning to
include elements of
composition and symbolism
into their self-portraits.
 VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES IMAGE #3
AUTORRETRATO CON CHANGUITO (SELF PORTRAIT WITH SMALL
MONKEY), 1945, OIL ON COMPOSITE BOARD, FRIDA KAHLO.

o EUs assessed by VTS Image #3: o EQs reignited by VTS Image

o 1. Students will gain an understanding
of themselves.
o 2. Students will learn to identify their
personal symbols, and they will refine
their personal aesthetic.
o 3. Students will learn how artists use
symbols to create meaning in their art.
#3:
o EU #1 What is my identity
and why is it important to
gain an understanding of it?
o EQ #2 What is my personal
aesthetic, and how do I
express my identity
artistically?
 VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES
IMAGE #3 RATIONALE:

• Selection: The rationale for • Sequencing: The rationale for

selecting the Autorretrato con
Changuito (Self Portrait with Small
Monkey), by Frida Kahlo, centers
around her use of composition to
create her self-portrait , her
inclusion of animals, and her use
of symbolism, all of which are a
part of the unit lesson.
choosing Autorretrato con changuito
(Self Portrait with Small Monkey), by
Frida Kahlo, in this sequence,
centers around scaffolding the
lesson in which students are
learning to incorporate their culture,
personal symbols, their pet(s) or
favorite animal, and their personal
aesthetic into their self-portraits.
STUDIO LIFE: LESSON PLANS:
- Learning to identify personal symbols to create self-portraits using
the grid method.
 STUDIO LIFE: LESSON #1
Lesson Outline & Brief Description of
Activities: Lesson #1: Total Minutes:
120 minutes.
1.Powerpoint lesson based on the concept of “self-
identity” and artists who paint self-portraits. Video
about Chuck Close.
2.VTS Image #1, Chuck Close working in his
studio, Photograph.
3.Instructional lecture on how to draw a grid onto
blank paper and a photograph of geometric
shapes, and then to transfer the photographed
image onto the blank paper.
4.Students complete gridded drawings of the
geometric shapes.
5.Students will complete gridded drawing of facial
features.
STUDIO LIFE: LESSON #2
Lesson #2: Total Minutes: 120 minutes.
Lesson Outline & Brief Description of
Activities:
1.Powerpoint lecture about the use of
symbols by artists and composition. Video
about identity. Video about visual symbols.
2.VTS image #2, Disney Dreams, Rachel
Weisz as Snow White, Photograph, Annie
Liebovitz.
3.Students complete image/identity
worksheets.
4.Students pick a “short list” of symbols from
their Image/Identity lists to use in their self-
portraits.
 STUDIO LIFE: LESSON #3
Lesson #3: Total Minutes: 600 minutes, or 7 class
periods. Lesson Outline & Brief Description of
Activities:
1.Powerpoint lecture about the use of color. Students will
choose their color palette.
2.VTS image #3, Autorretrato con changuito (Self Portrait
with Small Monkey), 1945, Oil on Composite Board, Frida
Kahlo.
3.Students use their sketchbooks to create a composition
including their personal symbols for their self-portrait.
4.Students participate in a critique to reinforce their use of
terminology, and to get feedback on their use of symbols
and composition for their self-portraits. 5.Students create
gridded “to scale” drawings of their gridded self-portrait
paintings with personal symbols
6.Students draw a grid onto their blank canvas.
7.Students draw their gridded self-portrait onto their
canvases.
8.Students paint their gridded self-portrait.
9.Students write artist statements using proper
terminology.
STUDIO LIFE: LESSON #4

Lesson #4: Total Minutes: 60

minutes.
Lesson Outline & Brief
Description of Activities:
1.A brief lecture on critique etiquette.
2.Students will participate in a critique
of their artwork displayed with their
artist statements.
 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
List & briefly describe FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT activities/strategies.
1.Students will fill out Image/Identity forms. The initial grid drawings of geometric
2. Students will learn to draw a “grid” onto a blank sheet of paper.
shapes, and facial features, help to
scaffold learning by using a simple
3.Students will learn to draw geometric shapes using the “grid” and understandable method for
method. Comprehension
recreating an object, or a portrait.
4.Students will draw facial features such as: eyes; nose; ears; shape of This begins by helping the student
face. gain confidence in his or her ability to
5.Students will create a composition, including their personal symbols, recreate a simple object. The
for their “grid-method self-portrait”. drawing then informs their ability to
6.Students will “grid” their chosen “Self-Portrait grid drawing” onto a draw more complex images, such as
canvas. facial features, and finally to create a
7.Students will choose their color palette for their Self-Portrait painting. composition with multiple points of
reference. The gridded drawings
8.Students will draw a grid and a “gridded drawing” onto the canvas of
their “Self-Portrait grid-method painting”. provide a foundation for the most
complex image, through a self-
9.Students will paint their self-portrait painting onto their canvas.
portrait painting which includes their
personal symbols (self-awareness), a
hierarchy of their symbols, to create a
dynamic and interesting composition.
 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:

List & briefly describe SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT activities/strategies.

1.Students will complete a self-portrait using the grid method--included in
the composition will be their personal symbols. This will demonstrate their
understanding of the visual part of the assignment.

2.Students will write artist statements to demonstrate their process and

mastery of the assignment.
 ANTICIPATED STUDENT
OUTCOMES:
• Upon the completion of the “Portraiture, Identity, and Symbolism” unit, students should have greater
insight into their self identity due to their investigation of their personal culture, values, beliefs, and
symbols. Middle and High School-age students need to investigate who they are, what they value,
and their belief systems to really find self-awareness their transition into adulthood and lifelong
learning demands. Through multiple variations of self investigation into these belief and value
systems, students should gain self-confidence and resolve in their thoughts, ideas, and concepts of
social, and cultural practices. They will learn how their personal choices can affect their lives. Self
knowledge can help to provide the maturity teens need to become pro-active and successful in their
education, and possibly propelling those who wouldn’t have considered it, to continue onto college.
• The studio portion of this unit teaches students confidence in their mark making abilities, by
simplifying the methods for recreating the human image. Learning to draw the likeness of a person,
especially themselves, is an intellectually, psychologically, and emotionally challenging task. Many
students could be discouraged at the thought of having to create a drawing of themselves, without
some type of aid such as the “grid”, which gives them an alternative to creating a freehand drawing
of themselves. The psychological aspects of the task alone might cause some students to avoid the
task altogether. While conquering the inner demons of self confidence, students will improve their
understanding of geometry and spatial relationships. Student’s technical skills will improve through
repetition and scaffolding of the level of difficulty from simple geometric shapes, to more complex
facial features, to a self portrait complete with a personal color palette and symbolism.
 SELF REFLECTION:
My VTS-Integrated Studio Art Unit has been plenty of fun to
create. I love this type of lesson, where students investigate
those things about themselves that they value. I also think
it helps to create a community of learners who can learn
about their similarities, and differences, while discussing
these differences/similarities in the classroom environment
with a teacher who can help them navigate social
boundaries with each other, in an atmosphere of respect and
mutual trust. I am hoping the students will enjoy the unit,
and the various artists we will study during the course of the
lesson, will provide the visual stimulation they need to
create a high level of interest and motivation in the creation
and making of Art.
 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
FUTURE TEACHING:

My recommendation for the future teaching of this unit plan would be to

reinforce student’s pre-learning with exercises which would help students with
self-identification. I think Art is a perfect place for students to concentrate on
self-awareness and to process their thoughts and ideas about artmaking. With
this said, I recommend teaching students additional content about the
relationships between colors, and the use of particular color palettes to raise
aesthetic awareness in art creation, as this will give students a solid basis for
learning how to use color more successfully. Composition should also be an area
of concentration. I recommend the utilization of a trianglular composition for
beginning this process.