Lesson Overview:

This lesson uses the book Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move to explore self-portraiture. Students respond to a fictional want ad from Alexander, who is moving to a new city and in need of friends. Students create self-portraits to reflect their individual personality and interests, as well as the qualities that make them a good friend.

Length of Lesson:

One 45-minute period

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• identify ways to be a good friend.
• listen to the story Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean it!) Going to Move for clues about being a friend to Alexander.
• view self-portraits by famous artists.
• create a self-portrait.

Supplies:

• Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move by Judith Viorst
• Sample self-portraits by artists such as Frida Kahlo, Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Norman Rockwell
• Mirrors
• Plain drawing paper
• Pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and/or markers

Instructional Plan:

Ask students, "What makes someone a good friend?" List ideas on the board. Help students refine their ideas by asking questions such as: "Why do people want friends? What do friends do together? What are some things you do that make you a good friend?"

After the discussion, inform the students that you will be reading the book Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean it!) Going to Move, about a boy who is upset because he is moving away from his friends and will need to make new ones. Tell students that they are to listen for clues as to what Alexander looks for in a friend. As you are reading the story aloud, prompt students with questions such as: "What kinds of things does Alexander like about his friends? What activities does he do with his friends? How do his friends help and support him?" You may wish to list student responses on the board for later reference.

Write on the board, "Wanted: A New Friend. I am a new kid in town and I want a friend. Please send a drawing of yourself that shows me the kind of friend you would be.” Tell students to imagine that this is a message from Alexander.

Review the following vocabulary words with the students:

friend: someone who you enjoy sharing time with and who enjoys spending time with you

want ad: an advertisement posted to inform others what you want or need

portrait: an image of a person that is drawn, sculpted, painted, or photographed

self-portrait: an image of the artist who is creating it

Discuss with students the various ways that they could be a good friend to Alexander. Have each student brainstorm and write down at least three reasons he or she would be a good friend to Alexander.

Tell students that they will be responding to Alexander's request with a very personal drawing called a self-portrait. Survey the class to see how many students have been photographed by a professional photographer. What did they have to do before the photo was taken? Did they wear special fancy clothes or a costume? Was a brother or sister or other special person in the photo? Tell students that these photos are called portraits.

Tell students that artists sometimes create self-portraits, in which they paint, draw, or photograph an image of themselves. When creating a self-portrait, an artist makes creative decisions about how to visually portray him or herself. In addition to capturing what the artist looks like, the self-portrait can also reveal something about the artist's personality, feelings, or interests. Display a few examples of self-portraits and discuss how the artists seem to be portraying themselves. Do they look joyful? Thoughtful? Worried? Sad? What else do the portraits reveal about the artists?

Tell students that they will be creating a self-portrait showing Alexander who they are and why they would be a good friend. Pull out hand mirrors or a door mirror. Practice smiling and using kind gestures, such as offering out a hand for a handshake. Leave the mirrors up for later use, as needed.

Distribute plain paper and drawing supplies to the students. Ask students to create a "friendly" self-portrait using the Self-Portrait Chart. Tell the students to refer back to their brainstorming list and try to incorporate those qualities into their drawing. For example, if a student wants to show Alexander that he/she plays baseball, he/she may wear a baseball cap in the portrait. Or if the artist has a dog or cat, the pet may be added to the portrait.

Allow students to share their self-portraits to Alexander, pointing out how the picture incorporates the qualities that would make them a good friend.

Assessment:

Use the Assessment Rubric to evaluate students' work.

Sources:

Print:

• Kohl, MaryAnn and Kim Solga. Discovering Great Artists. Bellingham, WA: Bright Ring Publishing, Inc., 1996.
• Solga, Kim; Savage-Hubbard; and Rose C. Speicher. Art Fun! Cincinnati, OH: North Light Books, 1997.
• Viorst, Judith. Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move. New York: Scholastic, 1995.

Authors:

• Mary Beth Bauernschub, Teacher
  Kingsford Elementary School
  Mitchellville, MD