August 1

Hanna August
Prof. Troy
EDHM 490-014
5 October 2023
Unit Plan: Self-Portrait

Description:

In this unit plan, students will explore drawing and painting mediums including dry
materials such as charcoal, ebony, pen, or ink, and acrylic paint to develop their technical skills
and creative free expression. This unit is intended to build upon the technical skills the students
learned in the first unit about still-life drawing including, observational drawing, measuring
through sighting, construction lines, line weight, cross-contour lines, and object placement, and
urge the students to use those techniques with a different subject matter and material. Students
will have the ability to further develop their technical skills with dry materials, and experiment
with a new medium, acrylic paint, to promote creative freedom of expression and develop new
techniques focusing on the application of value and color.

Curriculum:

This unit will be second in the curriculum, following the still-life drawing unit, because it
builds upon the technical skills learned in Art 1 as well as the first unit in Art 2, but also provides
students with the opportunity to learn a new medium. The first unit is solely skills based to focus
on their technical skills, and this second unit takes those skills and continues to build upon them,
while introducing new skills, techniques, and medium. But this unit varies because it allows for
creative expression where the first only focused on skill building and progression because this
unit requires students to have a deeper purpose to their artwork. The introduction of paint will
guide the future unit plans that will utilize that medium in other projects.

Frameworks:

1. Refine and complete artistic work. Refine an artistic work that builds on previous work
by incorporating new materials, constraints, genres, or styles. (P.V.Cr.03)
2. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Generate original ideas that
integrate aesthetic principles with individual personal style while pushing the boundaries
of style, genre, medium, and connections. (A.V.Cr.01)
 August 2

3. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Develop multiple plans for producing a
piece of artwork prior to selecting one. (F.V.Cr.02)
4. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. Describe
what has influenced changes in one’s own artistic style and preferences in visual art.
(F.V.Co.10)
5. Perceive and analyze artistic work. Analyze how aesthetic elements (e.g., color, form,
line, shape, texture) are used to demonstrate intent. (3-4.V.R.07)

Essential Questions:
1. What are the difficulties and the advantages that come with creativity-based projects?
2. What is the value of mistakes and consistent revisions in reference to the development of
an artwork, its plans, and the artist?
3. How can an artist portray their identity within an artwork, and how does it give the
viewer insight to the artist?
4. How do the experiences of life influence the way art is created and the content of art?
5. How does art engage with an audience?
6. Why do artists want the viewer to feel something from their artwork?

Unit Objectives:

By the end of the unit, students will be able to…

1. Develop multiple, creative plan prior to beginning an artwork to organize and revise
ideas to create a finalized plan of action (F.V.Cr.02).
2. Experiment with prior learned skills and techniques and their application with new
materials to varying subject matter (P.V.Cr.03).
3. Brainstorm multiple variations of ideas that examine how artistic elements can
promote purpose within an artwork (3-4.V.R.07) (A.V.Cr.01).
4. Develop a purpose within an artwork that relates to a part of identity that is emulated
through symbolism, the application of value, subject, and exploration of wet and dry
materials (A.V.Cr.01).
5. Provide an explanation of the artistic elements implemented to promote the message
or meaning portrayed within the artwork (F.V.Co.10).
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Weekly Breakdown:

Week 1: During the first week students will focus on skill builders and a pre-assessment to

prepare them for the self-portrait project. Students will also be introduced to the self-portrait

project, as well as the expectations and timeline for the project and the artists that inspired the

project and begin working on their proposals for the project.

Week 2: Students will spend the beginning of the second week continuing to work on their

proposals for the project. During this week students will be able to take photographs for the self-

portrait aspect of the final drawing, and begin working on their final piece.

Week 3: During week three, once most or all of the students have completed the portrait portion

of their project, there will be a progress critique. Students will then continue working on their

projects and complete them. At the end of the week there will be a presentation of artworks

where each student will present their work and give a brief explanation as to the choices they

made in their piece and why, as well as what the meaning behind it is.
 August 4

15-Day Unit Plan Calendar

Day 1: Paint Day Day 2: Paint Day Day 3: Final Paint Day 4: Day 5: Proposal
Day Introduction to the and Photographing
Students will engage Students will Project and
in a step-by-step continue in the step- Students will Demonstration Students will be
painting tutorial led by-step painting complete the step- working on their
by the teacher to tutorial led by the by-step painting Students will be designated
introduce them to teacher as they tutorial led by the introduced to the proposals for the
the new material continue to explore teacher as they project, the day and individual
they will be working the acrylic paint. continue to explore requirements and conferences will be
with, acrylic paint. the acrylic paint. expectations, as held during this
well as time.
Lesson Plan Days 1 inspirational
through 3 artists. Then begin Lesson Plan Days
working on mind 5, 6, and 7
maps and
proposals.

Lesson Plan Day

Day 6: Proposals Day 7: Proposals and Day 8: Beginning Day 9: Work Day Day 10: Work Day
and Photographing Photographing the Final
Students will Students will
During this day Students will Students will all continue working continue working
students will complete their begin working on on the drawing on their finals,
continue working on proposals and submit the drawing portion portion of their finishing the
their proposals, once them for approval. of their final finals. drawing portion,
approved they can Students will project. and moving on to
begin taking their continue taking painting the
photographs for the photographs for their background.
self-portrait. self-portrait and Lesson Plan Days
practice their self- 8, 9, and 10
portrait drawing, and
value techniques.
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Day 11: Progress Day 12: Work Day Day 13: Work Day Day 14: Work Day Day 15:
Critique Presentation of
Students will Students will Students will Completed
Students will have a continue working on continue working complete their Artwork
sticky-note progress the painting portion on their finals. finals.
critique during class, of their finals. Students will
followed by present their
individual teacher completed projects
critiques. Lesson Plan Days to the class with a
12, 13, and 14 small verbal
Lesson Plan Day 11 description of their
choices and the
meaning.

Lesson Plan Day