Students will look at the portraiture work of Frida Kahlo and then make their own self portraits including themselves with an animal companion of their choice.

Language Objectives for English Language Learners:

Students will demonstrate understanding of facial anatomy and meaningful symbolism through self portraiture inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo. (Reading, Listening)

Students will be able to orally identify the emotion and symbolism they are attempting to convey within their self portrait. (Speaking)

Students will title their artwork and label their symbolic decisions. (Writing)

Students will be able to produce a self portrait with pencil in order to show an understanding of facial anatomy and value through drawing. Later students will apply colored pencil to their drawings in order to produce a full color illustration.

This lesson is developmentally appropriate for students ages 8 to 12 years, considered the “Gang Stage- The Dawning of Realism” by Lowenfeld’s stages of artistic development. The content of this lesson takes into consideration that children this age find that schematic generalization no longer suffices to express reality. This lesson embraces that the student will seek to express the way things look in detail yet still remain far from naturalism.

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico.

Students will be able to recognize the symbolism within Frida Kahlo’s self portraits in order to inspire their own symbolic self portrait.

Students will be able to determine personal symbolism within their designs in order to present their illustrations as meaningful. Animals that students choose to depict in their portraits can represent their pet at home, a symbolic characteristic of themselves, or an animal representative of their culture.

PA Art Standards

9.1.8.C. Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the arts forms.

9.1.8.E. Communicate a unifying theme or point of view through the production of works in the arts.

9.3.8.A. Know and use the critical process of the examination of works in the arts and humanities. • Compare and contrast • Analyze • Interpret • Form and test hypotheses • Evaluate/form judgments

9.3.8.B. Analyze and interpret specific characteristics of works in the arts within each art form

PA ELL Standards

Reading- Interpret information on topics gathered from everyday print that is visually supported.

Writing- Write short phrases or sentences about personally relevant tasks working with a partner.

Speaking- Initiate or engage in conversation with peers.

Listening- Make connections to self from oral scenarios.