IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour

Students work with a partner to take photographs of each other against a light background. They use a photo editing program to posterize the photo, print it and use it to create a layered self-portrait that opens to reveal 6 abstract designs that represent 6 different emotions – Sadness, Happiness, Anger, Fear, Calm and Love.

Required Time

180 Minutes

Grade Level

Grade 5 to Grade 9

Subject

Language Arts
Visual Arts
Media Literacy

Vocabulary

colour emotion line

Materials

Crayola Markers Crayola Scissors Crayola Glue Sticks Crayola Crayons - 24 colours Crayola Sketch Books Pencils Copy Paper - 21.6 cm x 27.9 cm (8.5" x 11) - 2 pieces per student

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Steps

IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step One

Step One

CREATE ANALOG DRAWINGS

Use lines to express feelings, for example, instead of using the word 'angry' draw something that stands for angry – the way angry feels to you. This is called an ANALOG. Only use lines. Do NOT draw a picture.

  1. Divide a sketchbook page into 6 boxes.
  2. Write one of the following words at the bottom of each box: 
    - Angry
    - Happy
    - Afraid
    - Sad
    - Calm
    - Love
  3. Start with one of the boxes, for example, Angry:
    - Close your eyes. 
    - Try to remember the last time you felt really angry.
    - Feel it. 
    - Let that feeling grow inside you. 
    - Let it flow up into your arm and into your pencil. 
    - When you are ready, open your eyes. 
    - Make some lines in the box to show what this feeling looks like for you. 
  4. Do the same thing for each of the other boxes. 
  5. Share your drawings with 2 other people.
    - What do you notice about the drawings?
    - How are your drawings the same as the others? 
    - How are they different?
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step Two

Step Two

  1. Work with a partner.
  2. Use your devices to take photographs of each other against a light background.
  3. Resize your photo to 21.6 cm x 27.9 cm (8.5" x 11") and convert it to Grayscale.
  4. Use a photo editing software such as Photoshop to posterize the photo.
  5. Print a copy of the photo.

 

IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step Three

Step Three

  1. Trace the outline of your photo onto another piece of paper the same size.
  2. Divide the head area into 6 sections - 1 for each emotion.
  3. Make an analog design for each emotion as it feels to you - 1 for each section. 
  4. Turn the drawings into designs of shapes and lines.
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step Four

Step Four

  1. Use crayons to colour your designs.
  2. Choose colours that match the emotions.
  3. Blend several shades of a colour.
  4. Vary the pressure as you colour.

 

IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step Five

Step Five

  1. ​Create a design in the white background of your photo that expresses your energy and personality.
  2. When you are satisfied with your work fold the photo in half, long end to long end.
  3. Cut your photo in half along the fold.
  4. Make crisp folds about 1.5 cm (.5")  in along each outside long edge.

 

IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step Six

Step Six

  1. Apply glue along the back of one of the folds.
  2. Place the photo half on top of the design drawing.
  3. Line up the edges so they match the traced outline of your photo.
  4. Press the paper in place so it opens like a window.
  5. Repeat for the other side.
  6. Create a design that includes the names of the 6 emotions on the inside white flaps.
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Emotions, Feelings, Line, Colour - Step Seven

Step Seven

  1. Place your self-portrait at a distance.
  2. View it with fresh eyes.
    - How do the colours and designs communicate ideas about emotions?
    - How does this work make you feel?
    - What did you learn about your own feelings?
    - What do you like best about your work? Why?

Learning Goals

Students will be able to:

  • use a photo editing program to posterize a photo of themselves;
  • create a layered self-portrait that opens to reveal 6 different feelings;
  • create abstract designs to represent 6 emotions - Sadness, Happiness, Anger, Fear, Calm and Love;
  • ​use colour expressively;
  • demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity;
  • support their ideas with evidence found in the artworks.

Extensions

Have students:

  • create a reflective journal using the Simple Bound Book lesson plan available on this website;
  • use the journal to record their feelings over time;
  • identify the feeling;
  • reflect on the events that led up to those feelings;
  • describe what they did to manage the feeling;
  • create drawings to connect with their feelings;
  • compare their entries over a period of time.

Prepare

  1. Teach/review how to use a photo editing software program such as Photoshop to resize, convert to grayscale and posterize an image. 
  2. Gather and make available books about colour and emotions, for example, Color - Messages & Meanings: A PANTONE Color Resource, by Leatrice Eiseman; A Book About Color: A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists, by Mark Gonyea; An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers, by Natasha Wing and Secret Language of Color: Science, Nature, History, Culture, Beauty of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, & Violet, by Joann Eckstut, and Arielle Eckstut; The Feelings Book (Revised): The Care and Keeping of Your Emotions, by Dr. Lynda Madison; What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety, by Dawn Huebner, and Bonnie Matthews; The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings, by Anna Llenas; and In My Heart: A Book of Feelings, by Jo Witek, and Christine Roussey. 
  3. Teach/review emotions and feelings - Anger, Fear, Happiness, Sadness, Calm, Love. (Downloads - EmotionsFeelings.pdf)
    - EMOTIONS - are spontaneous physical reactions our bodies have to experiences. Emotions are physical.
    - everyone has emotions
    - emotions are a normal part of being human
    - FEELINGS - are descriptions and interpretations of how we experience emotions. 
    - Fear is an emotion. – Fear causes you to feel afraid, worried, jumpy, stressed, frightened, nervous, etc.
  4. Download and display the Line and Colour posters available on this website.

 

Introduction

  1. Conduct a read-aloud with a book such as The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings, by Anna Llenas focusing on:
    - the use of colour combined with pop-up engineering
    - the identification of emotions
    - actions caused by different emotions
    - invite students to share how they react to different emotions - 'Fear makes me feel ...'
    - make a list of words and colours students associate with different emotions
  2. Introduce the challenge.
     

Activities

The Challenge

  1. Use a photo editing program to posterize a photo of yourself.
  2. Create a layered self-portrait that opens to reveal 6 different feelings.
  3. Create abstract designs to represent 6 emotions - Sadness, Happiness, Anger, Fear, Calm and Love.
  4. ​Use colour expressively.
  5. Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.
  6. Support your ideas with evidence found in the artworks.

The Process

  1. Make sure everyone understands the challenge.
  2. Establish success criteria with your students, for example,
    I know I am successful when I have:
    - created a posterized photo of myself
    - created a layered self-portrait
    - created 6 different abstract designs to represent 6 emotions
    - used appropriate colours to express each different emotion
    - blended colours to make them more expressive
    - described my ideas in a clear and easy to understand way
    - shared my ideas with others
    - kept my work in good condition
  3. Guide students through the steps outlined in this lesson plan.
  4. Observe students as they work. 
  5. Provide individual assistance and encouragement.

Sharing

  1. Place students into small groups. 
  2. Ask them to share their self-portraits and talk about: 
    - what they learned about emotions and feelings
    - how the colours and designs communicate ideas about emotions
    - how their self-portrait makes them feel
    - what the most satisfying part of making the self-portrait was
  3. Share ideas with the whole class.
  4. Display all the self-portraits as a body of work. 
  5. Encourage students to view the artworks over the next few weeks and to notice how they are different and how they are the same.

Assessment

  1. Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
  2. Observe students as they discuss their self-portraits – speaks with a clear voice, looks at audience while speaking, holds artwork to the side, provides accurate information, answers questions from the audience effectively.
  3. Observe students as they listen – looks at presenter, asks effective questions, supports ideas with evidence found in the artwork.
  4. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads - EmotionsFeelings_tracking.pdf)
  5. Have students write a reflection that includes things such as:
    - What they learned about their own feelings by doing this project.
    - What they like best about their artwork and why.
    - What part of the process they feel they need more practice with.
    - What surprised them about the project.
    - What they liked best about doing this project.

Downloads

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