Major themes or topics: Identity, portraiture, self-expression, culture, pose, color, design, storytelling, internal factors, external factors

Key content: Students investigate the symbols, expressions and compositional choices artists use to tell stories of the activists, presidents, writers and other Americans who have a place in our national story. Students then create a self-portrait to reveal and celebrate aspects of their own identity.

Focus questions: What is identity? Why is identity important? How do portraits reveal aspects of people’s identities?

DCPS alignment: Grade 4 ELA, Unit 2 - My Story