MarcoPolo Resources:

Picture Me Portraits lesson plan

http://www.crayola.com/ece/ece_display.cfm?id=93

This is Me: A look at self-portraits for students article

http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/art/selfportr092299.html

I've Just Seen a Face: Portraits lesson plan

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=270

Other on-line resources:

Introduction to portraits

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/play/portrait1/portrait.html

Face 2 Face story

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/play/portrait2/a1.html

Face 2 Face portraits from the past game

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/play/portrait2/face2face.html

Practicing Portraits online activity

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/create/tech_portrait_drag.html

Technique demonstration of face proportions

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/create/tech_proportion.html

Technique demonstration of face shapes

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/create/tech_face_shapes.html

Technique demonstration of What's wrong with this portrait? online activity

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/create/tech_wrong_portrait1.html

Hard Copies:

Book:

Month by Month by Patricia M. Cunningham, et al

Art Supplies:

• White paper

• Pencils

• Crayons

Technology:

• laptop or desktop computer, TV monitor, connector cable

• Spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel or Appleworks)

• Computer(s) for student use

• Floppy disk(s) for students (if working in multiple locations without a server)

• KidPix Studio Deluxe (for draw/paint and making slideshow)

Strategies:

Students use paper, pencil, and crayons to complete pictures of the student of the day during this unit. After students complete their picture, the teacher uses a laptop or desktop computer, TV monitor, and connector cable to update a personal information spreadsheet daily. The teacher inputs data as students are interviewed. After modeling for a week, the teacher asks for volunteers to input the data.

After all students create a hardcopy self-portrait, the teacher uses a laptop or desktop computer connected to a TV monitor to model how to create a slide in KidPix Studio Deluxe. Students explore these tools for 15 minutes daily on a rotating basis using our two classroom computers. The teacher keeps track of computer use by using a clothespin labeled with each student's name on a paper divided into two columns. The headings are I am waiting for my turn and I have had my turn. Students who are waiting for a turn have a clothespin on one side and those who have had their turn have a clothespin on the other side. At the end of their turn, students move their clothespin from one side to the other. Next, they tap the next student on their shoulder. The new student stops what they are doing to begin their turn. They have the opportunity to catch up on their work later in the day.

Students also have the opportunity to use individual computers in a technology lab every other Wednesday for 45 minutes. The teacher models the activity the students will do that day using a laptop or desktop computer connected to a TV monitor in the classroom before going to the lab. Once the class gets to the lab, the teacher asks for volunteers to explain what the task is. If students have a question, they know to ask the person sitting on either side of them for help before raising their hand. This helps students work together to solve problems and frees up the teacher to answer more difficult questions.

Once students are comfortable using draw/paint, the teacher teaches them how to use disks to save their work. Students continue using disks as they work on their self-portraits. After creating a self-portrait and typing their personal information on a slide, the teacher records students reading their personal information. This is added to a slideshow with all the slides created by the class. Students view the completed project on a TV monitor connected to a laptop or desktop computer.

One way to involve parents/families is to create a newsletter at the beginning of the unit to explain the student of the day concept. The teacher could include strategies, tips, and ideas that family members could use to extend the activity at home. At Open House, the teacher could show parents the bulletin board of self-portraits completed so far and the spreadsheet of student information. The teacher could demonstrate a mini-lesson so parents can understand what their child is learning from this activity. The teacher could also create a class web page and update it daily to reflect what they are doing in the class. At the end of the day, they students could help write a sentence of the day. This would provide information parents can ask their child about to extend what they learned in school that day.

Others:

Field trip to see Mr. Mick's "I am Someone Special" program

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