Create a classroom gallery that displays students' self-portraits!
This activity supports the development of the following social-emotional skills: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills.
Engage students in an art activity in which they create a self-portrait. Encourage them to think about what they want to share about their identity, such as their ethnic or cultural background, interests, personality, worries, and accomplishments.
Then, brainstorm ways that students can represent their identity, such as through the colors, symbols, settings, techniques, and details that they use in their art. For example, a student who identifies as Asian-American may include symbols that represent the dual nature of their identity, and any struggles, strengths, and feelings that they associate with their unique identity.
Facilitate a live virtual exchange with your Empatico class, and invite students to an art gallery walk. Share the link for a digital gallery using a tool like Flipgrid, Wakelet, or Padlet, or ask students to hold up their artwork during the video call.
Students might share more about their artwork, and explain any personal context or background (e.g., specific memories, cultural inspirations, etc.), techniques that they used, or emotions they wanted to express.
As students view others' artwork, encourage them to use the Observe-Think-Feel process as described below:
Guide students through a post-activity reflection by asking the following questions:
Use a story template to create a fun tour of your community!
Go To ActivityUse a Wakelet template to invite students to reflect on their feelings, experiences, and accomplishments from the past year, and share their hopes for the upcoming year.
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