1st Grade Back to School About Me Art Lesson Portrait Favorite Thing Art Project

In this 1st Grade About Me Portrait Art Lesson, students make a self-portrait and surround it with drawings of their favorite things, such as a favorite food, color, animal, toy, place or activity. They learn how artists use portraits, colors, lines, shapes, patterns and details to share personal ideas.

It is made for Grade 1 and works for elementary art teachers, classroom teachers, homeschool families and substitute teachers. It fits Back to School art, All About Me units, self-portrait lessons, classroom community building and art lessons with literacy connections.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF AND POWERPOINT)

• Grade 1 About Me Portrait lesson plan, suggested visual art standards, teacher directions and critical-thinking questions
• About Me anchor chart and History of Self-Portraits student reading page
• Templates: portrait templates, frame templates, Cut and Glue favorite things template and a Build-a-Portrait creative choice page
• Fine motor pages: Trace Lines portrait practice and Trace, Cut and Glue portrait practice
• My Favorite Things drawing handout and About Me artwork page
• Visual step-by-step tutorial page and finished artwork example
• Fast-finisher portrait coloring activity
• Art rubric and bulletin-board display sign
• Explorations: Line, Gray Scale, Make Line Art and Mandala Design activities
• KWL chart for portraits
• Read and Respond passage about art-making processes, questions and answer key
• Spelling word list about portraits and spelling test
• Writing: portrait writing activities and an About Me writing activity
• Reflections: reflection pages, Art Talk, The Message, Creative Process magazine activity, goal setting, Look at Mediums, artwork reflection, 3 Stars and a Wish and artist statement pages
• Postcard extension activity
• Introductory slideshow about About Me art, portraits, self-portraits and favorite things
• Step-by-step slideshow for creating the project
• Bonus link/QR code to a video demonstration

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Students learn that About Me art can show a person's name, appearance, interests, favorite things, experiences and personality, and that everyone's details make them unique. They learn that a portrait shows a person and a self-portrait is an artwork an artist makes of themselves, that artists have made self-portraits throughout history, and that portraits can tell stories about people. They practice using lines, shapes, colors and details.

HOW TO USE IT

Start with the introductory slideshow, then use the step-by-step slides to guide students through the self-portrait, the favorite things drawings, the frame, and cutting, gluing and assembling the finished artwork. The Build-a-Portrait page gives choices for head shapes, eyes, noses and mouths, so each portrait is personal while students still have support.

The finished pieces are easy to display for Back to School, Open House, All About Me units or classroom community activities.

FAQ

What grade level is this for?

Grade 1. It may also work for Kindergarten or Grade 2 depending on student ability and the amount of support provided.

Are templates included?

Yes. Portrait templates, frame templates, favorite things templates, a Build-a-Portrait page and student support pages.

Is there a video demonstration?

Yes. A bonus link/QR code to a video demonstration is included.

Does it include literacy connections?

Yes. A read-and-respond activity, spelling list and test, writing activities, reflection pages and artist statement pages.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. Any clip art may be used as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic