Planerium AI Lesson Plan
Drawing and Writing About Yourself Using a Picture Frame
Original printable
Blank picture frame template for students to draw, write, label, and add a title or short description; ideal for self-portraits, family drawings, and writing prompts. Its framed layout creates display-ready work for classroom or homeschool art lessons, literacy centers, social st
Learning Objective
Students will create a self-portrait and write a short description inside a picture frame to express their identity and practice drawing & illustrating skills.
Teacher-Selected Inputs
Why this printable fits
This printable fits perfectly with the Identity & Self subject because students use the picture frame to draw and write about themselves, connecting self-illustration with personal identity exploration. It supports drawing and illustrating skills by providing a clear space to organize their artwork and expression.
Vocabulary
PRE-TEACH
- portrait: A picture of a person.
- describe: To tell about something.
- frame: The border around a picture.
USE DURING LESSON
- draw
- color
- label
- title
- describe
Materials
- Picture Frame printable (one per student)
- Pencils
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Erasers
Prep
- Print one Picture Frame template per student
- Prepare a word bank card with sentence frames for writing descriptions
- Prepare example drawing and description for modeling
Lesson Steps
- Introduction and Modeling6 minTeacher actions: Show the Picture Frame printable to the class. Explain the task and model drawing a simple self-portrait inside the frame. Write a short description and label parts of your drawing. Show how to add a title at the top.Teacher script: Today we will use this picture frame to draw a picture of ourselves and write a few words about who we are. Watch me as I draw my face inside the frame and write about myself.Example / model: Teacher draws a simple smiley face inside the frame, writes 'This is me!' at the top, and a sentence 'I have brown hair and blue eyes' under the picture.Printable use: Use printable as the space to draw and write inside the frame outline.Move on when: Students are focused on the frame and understand the task after the model.Support if needed: Show an extra sample or provide a sentence frame on the board.
- Planning Your Drawing6 minTeacher actions: Ask students to think about what their self-portrait will look like. Help them plan by asking questions about their hair, eye color, and favorite clothes. Encourage simple labeling ideas for the drawing.Teacher script: Think about what you want to draw inside your frame. What do you look like? What colors will you use? Let’s say some words you could write to describe yourself.Example / model: Teacher asks, 'What color is your hair? Can you write 'brown hair' next to your picture?','Printable shows pencil marks sketching the face outline.Printable use: Students lightly sketch their self-portrait within the frame before full drawing.Move on when: Students have started light pencil sketches or can name details of their drawing.Support if needed: Provide a word bank card with words for hair colors, eye colors, and easy labels.
- Drawing and Labeling9 minTeacher actions: Guide students to draw detailed self-portraits inside the frame using pencils and crayons. Support them in writing labels on important parts of their drawing. Circulate and ask questions to prompt labeling.Teacher script: Now carefully draw your self-portrait inside the frame. You can add labels to show your hair, eyes, or clothes. Remember to use your best colors!Example / model: A student draws a face with glasses and writes 'glasses' next to it.Printable use: Students fill the frame with their colored drawing and add labels inside the frame area.Move on when: Most students have drawn a recognizable face and added at least one label.Support if needed: Provide sentence frames such as 'My hair is ___' on a word bank card.
- Writing a Short Description and Title6 minTeacher actions: Help students write 1-2 sentences about themselves at the bottom or side of the frame. Show how to add a simple title at the top. Encourage sounding out words or using the word bank card.Teacher script: Let’s write a short description about you under or near your picture. You can say, 'I like to…' or 'My favorite color is….' Then add a title at the top to tell what your picture is about.Example / model: Student writes: 'I like to play soccer.' Title: 'This is me!Printable use: Students write their sentences inside the frame or outlined section reserved for description and title.Move on when: Students have written a simple sentence or phrase describing themselves and added a title.Support if needed: Use sentence frames on word bank cards and let students orally say their sentence before writing.
- Sharing and Display Preparation3 minTeacher actions: Invite students to share their framed drawings and descriptions with a partner or small group. Collect work for classroom display or arrange for student display. Praise effort and connection to identity.Teacher script: Who wants to share their amazing picture and writing? Tell your partner what you drew and wrote about yourself.Example / model: Two students show each other their drawings and read their descriptions aloud.Printable use: Students hold up their completed framed pieces for peer sharing or poster display placement.Move on when: Students can explain at least one thing about their drawing or description to a peer.Support if needed: Assign partners for sharing or use sentence frames like 'My picture shows…
Formative Check
- Step: Drawing and Labeling
- Ask students to: Show your self-portrait inside the frame with at least one label added to your drawing.
- Look for: Students have started detailed drawings and labeled parts such as hair, eyes, or clothing.
Success Criteria
- Students can draw a face with at least three recognizable features inside the picture frame to represent themselves, including at least one correctly used label.
- Students can write a short descriptive sentence using at least three words about themselves inside or near the picture frame with 80% accuracy in word spelling and clarity.
Differentiation
Support: Provide a word bank card with common descriptive words and sentence stems to support writing and labeling.
Scaffold tool: Word Bank Card
Standard: Students draw and label their self-portrait and write a short descriptive sentence independently.
Extension: Add at least two detailed labels to your drawing and write two or more sentences that describe yourself in detail.
Early Finishers: Draw and label a self-portrait of a family member or friend using a second Picture Frame printable.
Accommodations
- Provide additional writing tools such as pencil grips if needed.
- Seat students near teacher for close support.
- Allow extra time to complete drawing and writing.
- Offer verbal prompts or one-on-one conferencing.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think the title should be their name only rather than a descriptive phrase.
- Students might try to draw outside the frame area, so reinforce frame boundaries.
- Students may struggle to use labels instead of only drawing.
- Students might write incomplete sentences without main words or verbs.
Assessment
- Observe student drawings to ensure they depict self-portraits with clear features.
- Review labels for accuracy and relevance to the drawing.
- Evaluate sentence writing for a clear descriptive idea about the student's identity.
- Listen during sharing to confirm students can explain their illustration and description.
Teacher Notes
Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic and supply some facts about the topic.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details.
IF SHORT ON TIME
- Keep: Introduction and Modeling step to ensure clear instructions.
- Skip or shorten: Sharing and Display Preparation step can be shortened or skipped if time is limited.
FOLLOW-UP OPTIONS
- Create a family portrait using the same picture frame format.
- Write a 'My Favorite Things' description and draw inside the frame.
- Illustrate a scene from a favorite story and write a short summary.
HOME CONNECTION
Ask your child to draw a picture of themselves at home and tell a family member one thing they included in their drawing and why.