Title: Social-emotional learning through creating self-reflective-portraits

Description of topic:

This unit plan is designed to pull elements of social-emotional learning and art education together to illuminate a new way of expressing oneself to learners. This is an especially important topic currently as we navigate the emotional toll that the pandemic has had worldwide on everyone, especially youth. This unit is designed with the BC curriculum in mind and is made for students in middle school grades (6-8), however, anyone of any age is welcome to use these lessons to discover new ways of creating a self-reflective self-portrait.

A common misconception is that art cannot teach us anything meaningful, and it is a waste of time to focus on an art or craft. This, however, is completely false. Art provides learners with a new means to illustrate their learning. For example, when students are in younger primary grades often their learning is illustrated through drawing pictures; in science students may draw observations, in math they may use art to understand shapes or patterns. Art can help students truly create a deeper connection and understanding in their learning, which is a critical component to both perceived success and motivation.

As we navigate this world where children are constantly confronted with trying to fit in while finding their unique identity self-expression through art provides them with a framework to have a healthy outlet. Teaching students that they are all capable of expressing themselves through art can help increase students’ confidence and comfort with art.

“Art has been shown to influence students’ social and emotional learning and contributes to their personal emotional wellbeing and social integration. In the affective domain, art encourages students to express their thoughts and emotions visually in creative activities, enhancing their confidence, self-awareness, and self-efficacy. Moreover, collaboration in art activities, which involves communication and association, facilitates social learning. When it comes to communication, art education improves students’ communication skills, such as how to understand and respond to others. In addition to communication skills, art has a meaningful effect on creative conflict-resolution skills and problem-solving. Art in this sense is more than knowing how to paint, sculpt, or compose. It is a medium of expression, communication, and collaboration that serves social-emotional learning.” (Lee, H., & Lee, M. J. , 2021)

Big ideas related to your topic:

From BC curriculum in Art Education and EHPE: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum

• Healthy choices influence our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. (EHPE BC G.6-8)
• Engaging in the arts develops people’s ability to understand and express complex ideas. (Art. Ed g.7)
• Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches. (art. ed. BC curr. gr.8)

Essential Questions:

1. What mediums or styles of art can I use to create self-portraits?

2. How can art be a healthy way of expressing oneself? (Does creating self-reflective art allow you to express yourself in a healthy way?)

3. Why is focusing on the process and not only the outcome of an art piece so important?

Learning outcomes of Unit:

1.1. Students will learn and work with the elements of design: line, shape, texture; form and the principles of design: proportion and movement which will be demonstrated through their participation in the lessons and the photo submissions of their drawings.

1.2. Students will learn different styles of famous artists’ self-portraits which will be demonstrated through their participation in the lessons, the quiz about the artist’s influence, and the submission of their self-portraits.

(Styles based on: Van Gogh, Picasso, Khalo, Georgia O’Keefe , Yayoi Kusama, and Emily Carr)

2.1. Students will learn that art requires patience and trying new approaches which will be demonstrated through their progression through the unit and their progression picture submissions.

2.2. Students will learn how to self-reflect on their art which will be demonstrated through an artist’s statement they will write and submit.

3.1. Students will show the process development of their self-portraits by taking and submitting progression pictures of their pieces.

Progression through unit: Presented on a web page with links for each lesson. Each lesson will have its own set of steps to work through and links to required tech resources used through lessons (youtube, links to reading, Kahoot)

1. Introduction to self-portraits (a look at different self-portraits. Introduction to Shape, line, texture with pencil)
2. Why self-portraits and the rule of thirds (what about ourselves might we want to show, does it always need to be a face portrait? Draw out ideas for portrait using the rule of thirds)
3. Self Portrait continues (Proportion using the rule of thirds, have students look at their ideas from the previous lesson/ step and choose which one to do, and begin self-portrait. Students are to submit 1^st progress picture today and ideas)
4. Complete 1^st portrait and submit it with a photo submission
5. Self- Reflective writing (go over artist statements, students fill out template regarding portrait and submit)
6. A further look at different ways artists might represent themselves. (Look at Van Gogh, Picasso, Khalo, Georgia O’Keefe , Yayoi Kusama, and Emily Carr. Do Kahoot on artists. Choose one style for the second self-portrait)
7. Review principles and elements learned so far in the unit (line, shape, form, movement, proportion, rule of thirds. Students to now work on final self-portraits. Students to take and submit a progression photo this lesson, and an ‘e-exit-slip’ regarding their process so far.)
8. Students are to complete portraits, write artist statements and submit both for feedback.

Extensions:

Create another self-portrait using a different artist’s style from lesson 6

UDL: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=cast-about-udl

Inclusive design:

• Have templates available for students to fill in artists’ statements, and reflections. (Note: this will be used by all students for the first artist statement, but will be available for students that need the outline to write their artist statement for the second portrait)
• Have options for art materials needed in case access to certain things is limited.
• Allow options for students in ways to submit and show work.

Interactive resources ideas:

• e-exit- slips (online exit slips for lessons)
• Kahoot (or like) quiz
• Drawing tab (to practice specific principles and elements learned)  
• Photo submission/ capture

Resources learners will require:

• computer with internet
• access to youtube
• paper
• pencils
• eraser
• ruler
• sharpener
• access to the website with the lessons
• Camera to take and post photos (can be computer, phone, or camera)

Additional/optional resources:

• Canvas
• markers
• Pastels
• Crayons
• Pencil Crayons
• Conté

Assessment:

formative assessment- Provided as feedback throughout the course. (email correspondence, or online submission platform)

Quiz (to complete only, can try as many times as wanted)

summative assessment- See below for how portraits and reflections will be assessed

*below will have rubrics with specific expectations for each of the 4*

1. Self-portrait 1
2. Self-reflection 1
3. Self-portrait 2
4. Self-reflection 2

Final standing will use a proficiency scale: based on Rubrik (completed, effort, use of principle/element of design)

1. Emerging (students still need to complete work)
2. Developing (Student is nearly meeting the expected standard)
3. Proficient (Student is meeting the expected standard)
4. Extending (Student is going beyond what is expected)

References:

BC Curriculum . Building Student Success – B.C. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum

Edgar, S. N., & Morrison, B. (2021). A vision for Social Emotional Learning and arts education policy. Arts Education Policy Review, 122(3), 145–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2020.1774830

Kantawala, A. (2022). Art Educators at the Quiet Center of the National Horror of America’s School Shootings: A Plea for Social-Emotional Learning. Art Education (Reston), 75(5), 4–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2022.2111896

Lee, H., & Lee, M. J. (2021). Visual art education and social-emotional learning of students in rural Kenya. International Journal of Educational Research, 108, 101781–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101781

Rizzuto, T., Cordeiro, K., & Roda, A. (2022). The lost art: teachers’ perceptions of the connections between the arts and social-emotional learning. Arts Education Policy Review, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2022.2053919 

Learning Designs

The UDL guidelines. UDL. (2022, September 2).  Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=cast-about-udl