Self portraits for eighth graders (The Center of the Known Universe)
The cost of pastels, charcoal papers, and fixative spray is $362, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. V.'s classroom raised $362
This project is fully funded
As we all know most middle school students believe that they are the center of the universe. The good news is that a self portrait project is a great fit and offers a chance to be more introspective about not only where the student is coming from-but also where they are going with their lives. I would like for my 50 eighth grade students per semester, to have the opportunity to work on self-portraits from digital photographs. (I have the camera already.)
Right now I have some pastels, but the skin tones are limited to pink, peach, brown and black. The problem is that we are a broader range of hues than that when we look into the mirror or at a photograph. Drawing self-portraits will help my students begin to see that we have more similarities that we do differences and that we all are both unique and the same.
Many artists have used the self-portrait to chart their growth and development. We will look at the art of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and other more cotemporary artists to find ways to add expressive color to our basically realistic portraits. I will ask students to bring in "props" that will help the portrait become a more complete record of who they are and/or who they hope to become. We will of course discuss correct facial proportions and the use of light and shadow.
To facilitate this I am asking for pastel sets that include portrait colors and general colors. For this to be most effective we also need good quality charcoal papers and fixative spray. This will give us the range and flexibility to create portraits as unique as the members of our classes. I have approximately 60 eighth grade students each semester, I feel that the pastels will last long enough to be used for several semesters, with the long range use of these materials I feel that the minimum number of students served would be 180 between now and the Spring of 2008.
I would like for my eighth grade students to have the opportunity to create self-portraits to help them appreciate the art of the past. I want them to also become more thoughtful about their lives and the choices that they will be making about their futures.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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