LESSON 4 - “Understand Me”
Topic: Personal Identity Boxes
Unit: “Layers of Me”
Subject: Visual Art
Grade Level: High School
Time Frame: 10 + class periods
Author/Teacher: Filiz Soyak
Enduring Understanding:
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Art is a strong expressive voice; artists frequently explore, interpret, and express
their identities through art.
Identities are multidimensional and formed by culture, experiences and memories
and influences.
Artists have the power to change minds by offering new perspectives through art.
Art materials inform the art; therefore, artists choose their materials carefully, with
intention.
Lesson Overview/Objectives:
Students will conclude unit and express student’s personal understanding and
concept of identity by creating a 3-dimensional “Identity Box”. Students will merge
their understandings of what forms and influences identity, and create a symbolic
self-portrait expressing what they want others to understand about them. Students will
be in charge and responsible for their idea from conception to completion.
Assemblage techniques will be learned, and students will build on prior knowledge
and skills by combining collage and mixed media, to express their multi-layered
selves. Students will combine “evidence” that they have collected since the
beginning of the unit, and combine meaningful imagery and materials. Students will
plan for their project and exhibit intention through choice of materials. When
complete, students will write an artists statement and present to class.
Link to Content Standards:
Methods, Materials, and Techniques: 1.9
Elements and Principles of Design: 2.16
Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression: 3.9, 3.10
Standard 4: Drafting, Revising, and Exhibiting: 4.9, 4.10
Critical Response: 5.10, 5.12
Link to Connection Strands:
English & Language Arts Curriculum: 23, 24
History & Social Science Curriculum: 3
Essential & Guiding Questions:
IDENTITY & ARTISTS’ VOICES
 In what ways do artists portray themselves?
 What kind of voice do they use?
 How do artists choose their materials and techniques to express their ideas?
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Who are you? What do you want others to know about you?
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What is important to you?
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Where are you from?
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What makes you unique and different from others around you?
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What makes you proud?
Are there memories or experiences which have molded you into who you are
today?
MATERIAL
 How will you express your identity?
 What materials will you use?
 What mood do you want to create?
 What colors will you choose?
 What imagery will you incorporate?
 What methods will you use to construct your identity box and attach materials?
 What parts of your identity box do you want to be visible and what parts do you
want to be hidden?
 What shape do you want your box to be and what orientation will you choose?
(horizontal/vertical) Why? Do you want your box to be standing or sitting?
 You will have 3D space to work with. In what ways will you create depth?
Key Terms & Vocabulary:
Collage; assemblage; mixed media; layers; composition; juxtaposition; image transfer;
space- foreground/middle-ground/background.
Exemplars:
Artists who have used assemblage to express ideas and identity.
JOSEPH CORNELL (American, 1903-72)
The Object
Solar Set
Dream World
Medici Princess
LUCAS SAMARAS (American, 1936- )
Self Portait Box, 1963
Box #48
BETYE SAAR (American, 1926- )
The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, 1972
Midnight Madonnas, 1996
Black Girls Window, 1969
Record for Hattie, 1975
MARIA CONSUELO MOYA (American, 1947-)
Memories of Friendship, 2003
References:
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“Crafting Personal Shrines” by Carol Owen, Lark Books, 2004.
Joseph Cornell website:
http://gala.univ-perp.fr/~dgirard/Exposes/josephcornell/josephcornell.htm
Betye Saar website
http://www.netropolitan.org/saar/saarmain.html
Materials:
Overheads or large printouts/posters– of exemplars
Cardboard, thin plywood (luan), foam core or cigar boxes for identity boxes
Magazines, Phone Books, Newspapers
Fabric remnants
Black & White photocopies
Oil pastels
Color pencils
Acrylic or Tempera paint
Elmer’s Glue or Acrylic Gel Medium or Modge Podge
Paint brushes (for glue/medium/Modge Podge)
Tape
Needle & thread
Stapler
MODIFICATION:
 Textured papers & fabrics
Performance Task Overview:
1. STUDY- Students will look at exemplary work to see how artists communicate their
identity and personal messages through assemblage, collage and mixed media.
Students will journal as well as discuss in class what they think the artist is trying to
say and what methods are helping the message come across. Class will talk
about how artists technically achieved their mixed media pieces and what
materials they notice.
2. BRAINSPILL- Students will start to plan their final project by using a mind-mapping
handout and jot down ideas as they come. Their assignment is to create an
identity box which will express and communicate the way they want to be
understood by others. They will consult their journal entries about identity,
collected evidence and self-generated questions to narrow down their ideas and
create a revised idea-map organizing their thoughts. Students will finish
statements which will help teacher understand where they may need help and
where they hope to go.
o I hope to…
o I am not sure about…
3. PROPOSAL- Students will write a one paragraph proposal outlining their ideas for
their identity box, their intentions, message, what materials they will use and how
they plan to construct it. They will also write down 3 self-generated questions that
will drive their project.
4. RUBRIC- Students will help formulate the rubric based on suggested criteria.
5. CONSTRUCTION- After learning assemblage techniques, students will plan out
materials and execute the construction of their identity box.
6. CREATING- Building upon all prior skills, students will create and finish their identity
box using layering techniques of collage, assemblage, and mixed media.
Students may choose to incorporate photo-transfers.
7. ASSESSING- Students will self-assess by writing an artist statement describing their
intentions, idea of identity, process, and challenges and successes they
experienced throughout the process. Students will consult their rubric.
8. PRESENTATION & CRITIQUE- When all is complete, students will present their work
to class sharing their intentions and process with classmates.
Teaching Procedure:
1. SHOW- To give students an idea of how they can take layering techniques further
with the exploration of identity, teacher will show exemplary works of assemblage
and various “boxes”. Ask students what they think artists’ intentions are and how
they created their works. Review works by Betye Saar, Lucas Samaras and Joseph
Cornell. Share with students how many projects take considerable planning and
time by explaining that it took Cornell years to complete his assemblages. Review
the act of collecting evidence and have class discussion where students share
thoughts on the experience of collecting “evidence”.
2. BRAINSTORMING- Help students to brainstorm and plan for their final ideas by
distributing mind-maps. Have students brainstorm together for questions which will
lead them in their discovery and planning. Students should be used to generating
questions for themselves by now!
3. PROPOSAL- Give criteria for proposals to students. Students must include the
following in their proposals:
 Intention: Main idea and message
 Dimensions and construction plans for Identity Box
 Materials they will incorporate into the box and how
 3 self-generated questions which will guide their project and
inquiry
4. RUBRIC- Have students participate in generating a class rubric based on
suggested criteria: Planning, Construction, Components, and Intention. *if not
comfortable letting students plan, rubric has been created in assessment section.
5. DEMONSTRATION- Show students methods of constructing boxes and different
ways to hinge, connect corners and attach media. Review of photo-transfer
process may be necessary.
6. CHECK IN- Sit down one-on-one with each student and review their proposals to
look for possible problems or complications.
7. FINAL REFLECTION- Pass out rubric for students to do a final check and give time
to polish their projects. Distribute handout with guiding questions to students to
help with the writing of their artist statements. This will serve as their final selfassessment.
8. PRESENTATION & CRITIQUE- This will be student-led. Students will present their
finished identity boxes to class and summarize their artist statements to
communicate to class their intentions. Classmates will offer comments following
rubric criteria.
Assessment:
This final project will contain much opportunity for metacognition. Students will self-assess
and monitor throughout final lesson from beginning to end. Students will have role in
designing project assessment each step of the way by setting their own personal goals
and combining goals with class by setting criteria. Students will have many opportunities
to show evidence of these metacognitive skills. They will have a chance to improve upon
work before presentation and critique showing evidence of self-monitoring. RATIONALEThis final project will give students ownership and pride of their work as they will be the
directors of what is created and how it is done. Students will use self-monitoring and
assessment skills learned in prior lessons of unit.
Modifications:
Students with visual impairment will be able to follow along this lesson and self-assess by
continuing to keep an “audio” journal as evidence of idea development. Teacher will
work one-on-one with student and aide throughout the lesson, especially during
construction of box. Teacher will prompt student with the guiding questions to help
formulate the student’s concept. The student’s evidence box will be used for resources
to add to the Identity Box.
LESSON 4 “Understanding Me” Artist Statement handoutThis will help students formulate their artist statement. Students will help by generating
questions to ask themselves.
Name:
What was your intention with your Identity Box? What is the message? Is there a title?
Finish the following sentenceI want you to notice…
What challenges did you run into while creating this piece? Could these challenges have
been avoided?
What was helpful in this process?
What would you do differently if you would do it again?
What are you most proud of?