Lesson Level Understanding Goals-Being able to draw themselves:

•Students gain an understanding of the ‘geography’ of their faces and bodies

• Students understand proportions, spatial relationships, shapes/forms, textures, color and line

•Students recognize and articulate the Elements of Art and Principles of Design involved in this project

Steps and Scaffolding

Before we did anything, we brainstormed and broke down everything we could see on our own and each other's faces; the shapes, sizes, colors, textures, relationships/proximity, lines ...EVERY LITTLE THING.

We accomplished this by going on a scavenger hunt! Students drew each other's eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, eyebrows, etc. out of the context of the face, collecting as many 'face parts' as they could.

Students did observational drawings, looking at themselves in the mirror through which they gained an understanding of the ‘geography’ of their faces and bodies and understand proportions, spatial relationships, shapes/forms, textures, colors, etc.

As with everything done in The Studio, there was continual acknowledgment, respect and support of their  artistic and developmental abilities.

Books we read that helped us with our journey:

The Colors of Us, by Karen Katz

Let's Talk About Race, by Julius Lester

Just Like Me, Children's Press Anthology of 14 artists self-portraits and reflections

Skin Again, by bell hooks

500 Artists' Self-Portraits

Looking at self-portraits by different artists we noticed many different styles and how differently artists portrayed themselves. The students looked at each other and their own work anew.

We noticed how none of us were really white  or black, rather we were varying shades of brown. Students learned about melanin and why some people had more than other and where we came from way back when.

The students went to work.They looked in the mirror and drew themselves in their sketchbooks.

Understanding Goals-What is most important for the students to understand through this work?

•How can we work together to find the underlying thread of humanity and learn acceptance and understanding?

•In what way can art skills help us learn about what we look like and who we are?

•Will looking at our similarities and differences help us look beyond first impressions?

•How can art skills help us learn about ourselves and others?