DESIGN DOWN UNIT

TEMPLATE

Unit Title: Conveying identity through

Self-portraiture

Teacher: Lena
Grade:

11

What are the Big Ideas that we want students to walk away with after this unit? What are the connections to equity and social justice that will be EXPLICITLY
embedded throughout the learning through the use of the pedagogical framework(s)? (STATEMENT)
-students will start to explore and understand self-expression through identity, symbolism
-students will be challenged by breaking the rules of traditional art and colors
-students will question their identity and determine where they fit in, in society
What framing question (s) will guide this unit? (QUESTION)
Is self-identity something that is fixed or constantly changing?
What is the purpose of relating past and present art?
What is the purpose of self-portraiture?
Does portraits have to be of real people or if they have to be made from real life?
Who is depicted? Is it only famous people or people without power?

Accommodations/Modifications:
-If there are ESL or ELL students, will provide translated
instructions (Chinese or Arabic etc)
-students who want to use something else other than canvas for
final project can speak to the teacher and ask for permission
-use different teaching strategies to accommodate a variety of
learners

Resources:
-Powerpoint presentation of self-portraits from famous artists from
different time periods (traditional and non-traditional)
-powerpoint presentation about power and privilege to get students
thinking about how they see themselves and how they want others
to view them
-How to draw a face handout, proportions handout
-magazines for color matching activity
-videos that show how to draw the face proportionally (online)

Overall Expectations: What do we want our students to know/do?

Specific Expectations: What is worth being familiar with?
Curriculum Areas:
Curriculum Expectations
The Arts
-using E&P of design to convey personal expression by
creating 2D/3D art works that express feelings and
communicate emotions
-make connections between art and everyday life
-analyze the function and social impacts between different
kinds of artworks in both past and present art
-document each stage of their creative process
Other
-understanding the social impact of art that shows power and
privilege
-subject matter

Assessment for Learning:

Through what authentic performance task/open-ended question will students be able to demonstrate their prior knowledge?
Have a looked at different artists for inspiration?
Have I used resources as references for my drawings?
Have I gotten my work looked at by peers and the teacher to make sure Im using the right techniques?
Diagnostic Task
-students will do still life-drawing to assess their drawing skills
-students will review the color wheel as a class before proceeding to mix match colors
-students will be assessed through their sketchbook drawings starting from the facial features to drawing the full face
2015 Amie Tolton.
Adapted from: 3P Purposefully Planning a Path Unit Planning Tool

Assessment of Learning:
Through what authentic performance task/open-ended question will
students demonstrate the desired understandings (Big Ideas)?
Culminating/Summative Task
-Students will create a self-portrait using the reference of a
famous artwork shown in class, re-creating the same style but
creating own pose and subject matter
-students can choose to create a realistic traditional self
-portrait or a non-traditional self portrait
-students must develop a color scheme that conveys a certain
emotion
-students will learn how to build their own canvas; otherwise
they will have to discuss with the teacher about using another
material
-students should also include a short paragraph as to which
painting and artist they chose to replicate and why

Success Criteria
How do students clearly understand that these criteria are to be
present in their work? (You may need 1 for Social Studies and 1 for
The Arts. Please consider the 4 areas of the Achievement Chart.)
-demonstrated knowledge and skills of learning about scale
and proportion
-identify how colors can correlate with different emotions
-understand the shift of subject matter throughout time from
people of power and privilege to everyday subject matters
- can use the proper techniques taught in the next unit

MO:
paint me like one of your French girls
Lets go back in time and pretend we didnt have any technology (no selfies)
-what art do they think of from the word portrait
-compare to modern way of taking photos (selfies)
-who and what were the main subject matters in portraits

Learning Goal:
-students should be able to understand the
art of free hand drawing
-should understand the concept of form
and perspective
-students should understand why certain
subject matters were chosen

A: -Students will start to look at proportions (spacing between certain features)

-students will use class time to start drawing different features (eyes, nose,
mouth, ears etc)
Success Criteria:
-through sketchbook drawings
C: -students will be given about two periods to work on drawing different
-with the resources given to them
facial features
-students will hand in their sketchbook by the end of the week for assessment
-continue work next day
MO: Lets pretend we are all artists from back in the day, with no cellphones or Learning Goal:
cameras
-learn how to draw a realistic self-portrait
through gridding and also by free hand
A:Students will practice drawing their own self portraits
using a mirror
-students will first do blind contouring( practice focusing on the subject rather
than the reproduction)
-Students will print a picture of themselves and grid the photo
Success Criteria:
-based on the gridded photo, they will draw the picture almost accurately in
-through the demonstration of gridding
their sketchbook (grid lesson)
and using proper measurements
-After gridding, students will practice drawing with a mirror
-through own practice in sketchbook
-students can choose to practice drawing their friend instead if they are bored
of drawing themselves
C: Students will continue working on their gridded portrait the next day
-students should be able to achieve a realistic/accurate portrait
-check what students are struggling with

2015 Amie Tolton.

Adapted from: 3P Purposefully Planning a Path Unit Planning Tool

Connections to Social
Justice:

Assessment As/For/Of Learning

As: self-assessment

-people with power

and privilege were the
main subject matters
(people of importance)
-it has changed later
on
-originally it was how
artists depicted
themselves

Connections to Social
Justice:

For: homework checks

-observation
-feedback

Of: completion of sketchbook drawings of the

different features

Assessment As/For/Of Learning

As: self-improvement and assessment

-people with power

and privilege were the
main subject matters
(people of importance)
-it has changed later
on
-originally it was how
artists depicted
themselves

For: ensure students are using the proper

techniques
-observation
-feedback

Of: By the end of this lesson, evaluate

students understanding of gridding through
their sketchbook drawings

MO: traditional vs. non-realistic

Is non-realistic portraiture still considered art?
A: students will be introduced to non-traditional portraits
-ppt
-examples will be posted online for them to access
-books of non-traditional will be available in class to look at
-students will pick a style and try to draw themselves in a non-traditional style
Examples: cubist, surreal, abstract etc.
C: continue to work on drawings in next class
MO: Learning how to mix and match colors with paint
-what kind of mood/emotions can we create with color
A: Students will pick a few colors from magazine cut outs and create a color
scheme. They will have to re-create the colors by mixing paint
-students can play around with textures
-provide examples online through a shared document for students to see
C: Students will spend 2-3 classes experimenting with colors. They should
have a final color scheme they will use for final assignment.

MO: Introduce students to their final project

-create your own self portrait through painting
-students who are ready for good copy will get a demo learning how to stretch
a canvas (done over 2-3 periods)
A: Students will start to develop an idea for their final project
-they will be provided with the rubric and how they will be assessed (all
online/hard copy)
-Using the influence of a specific artist looked at in class, they can choose to
create a traditional self portrait or non-realistic
-students will work on a rough copy in their sketchbook before proceeding
onto a canvas
-when students are almost done rough copy, a demo on how to build your own
canvas will be showed in class
-students who opt to buy their own canvas or use another material are allowed
(must discuss with teacher prior)
2015 Amie Tolton.
Adapted from: 3P Purposefully Planning a Path Unit Planning Tool

Learning Goal:
-learn to challenge their traditional
thinking of proportion
-take risks
Success Criteria:
-exploring and experimenting with a
variety of art genres

Learning Goal:
-be able to create certain set of colors by
experimentation and mixing colors
-be able to identify how different colors can
convey certain emotions
should have prior understanding of the
color wheel (hues, tints, shades)

Connections to Social
Assessment As/For/Of Learning
Justice:
-challenging against
As: peer observation of experimentation and
the norm of traditional styles
art
For: observation
-ensure students are using resources for
inspiration

Connections to Social
Justice:
-learn how to convey
emotions visually
through color

Success Criteria:
-show improvement through sketches and
progress work
-build a canvas
-process work
-understanding how to use and store away
material

As: walk around peer evaluation

-peers will go around leaving stick note
feedbacks, see if particular emotions are
presented
For: ensure students know how to mix colors
-how much white to add to a color to make a
hue and how much black to make a shade

Success Criteria:
-through their chosen color schemes
-experimentation
-techniques
-applying medium to paper
Learning Goal:
-understand different ways of portraying
themselves through art
-understand how to do a self-portrait using
the E&P of design
-be able to connect influence from old art to
new art

Of: Through sketchbook drawings and

experimentation
Assessment As/For/Of Learning

Of: through students chosen and final color

scheme
Connections to Social
Justice:
-learning and
understanding about
their identity and
connection to society
-how they see
themselves

Assessment As/For/Of Learning

As: students will use class time appropriately
to work on assignment
-students should discuss ideas with teacher
For: sketchbook
-students would have submitted their rough
sketch for good copy to be assessed
-make sure they are on the right track
-participation in making their own canvas
Of: rubric
-to show they understand the techniques,
materials
-progress and improvement of assignment

-cutting wood, gesso, stapling raw canvas

C: -tell students how much time they have to provide a rough copy to teacher
before starting the good copy
-students will be given 3 weeks class time to work on painting
-if students are running low on time, they can work on it at home but must
take pictures to show process work

2015 Amie Tolton.

Adapted from: 3P Purposefully Planning a Path Unit Planning Tool

-final painting
-a written reflection explaining their project
-used the resources provided