My Healthy Self: A Self-Portrait Journey for Global Goal 3
3. Good Health and Well-being
Art
Grades 5-8
45-60 Minutes
Materials Needed
- • Mirrors
- • Drawing paper or sturdy cardstock
- • Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
- • Paints (Optional)
- • Collage materials (Optional)
- • Scissors and glue
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
You can find an introduction to Goal 3, as well as the Targets & Indicators, Objectives, and Action Planning Resources on the Goal overview page.
See Goal 3 Overview
Introduce students to Global Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being.
This goal aims to make sure everyone, everywhere, has a healthy life and feels good, no matter their age. This means having doctors when you're sick, staying safe, being able to exercise, eating healthy food, and also feeling happy and calm inside your mind. It's about caring for our whole selves.
Discuss that health isn't just about whether your body is sick or well. It's about:
- Body Health: Eating good food, getting exercise, being strong, visiting the doctor.
- Mind Health: Learning new things, solving problems, feeling calm, managing stress.
- Feeling Health (Emotions): Understanding your feelings (happy, sad, excited, calm), knowing how to express them in healthy ways, feeling good about yourself.
- Friendship Health (Social): Having good friends, feeling connected to your community, supporting others.
Tell the class that today, they are going to discover more about Global Goal 3 through creating self-portraits; pictures of ourselves. This self-portrait will show not just how you look, but how you feel when you are healthy and well, inside and out. It is a way to explore our own "healthy selves."
1
Body Scan
Begin with a mindful body warm-up to connect students with how their bodies feel. "Let's gently connect with our bodies. Find a comfortable spot to stand or sit. Close your eyes gently if you're comfortable, or just soften your eyes." "Now, let's do a quick body scan. Feel your toes…then your feet…your ankles. How do they feel right now? Then move your attention up to your knees…your legs…your hips. How does your stomach feel? Your ribs? Your shoulders? Your arms and hands? Your neck? Your face? Just notice how each part feels."
2
Gentle Movement Spark
"Now, imagine a tiny spark of energy starting in your fingertips. Wiggle your fingers gently. Let that spark move down to your toes, wiggling them. Let it flow to your elbows, bending them. Let it flow to your knees, bending them. Let the spark move all through your body, gently waking up every part."
3
Big Energy Spark
"Finally, take a deep breath in, and as you breathe out, let that energy spark fill your whole body with good, healthy energy. Give a gentle stretch or shake if you like. How does your body feel now - awake, ready, energized?"
1
Create Health Word Cloud
Create a "Health Word Cloud" on the board or large paper to help the class think of ideas for their self-portraits. Ask students: "What words come to mind when you think about being healthy and well: body, mind, and feelings?" As students share words, write them randomly on the whiteboard/paper, making a "cloud" of words (e.g., strong, happy, calm, active, kind, smart, peaceful, energetic, joyful, safe, balanced, thoughtful, growing, learning, connected, bright, clear, powerful).
2
Create Symbols for Words
"For each word in our word cloud, let's think of a simple symbol, color, or shape that could represent it in visual art. How can we show these feelings and ideas without just writing the word?" Examples: Strong: A flexed arm, a sturdy tree, a mountain, the color red or dark green, a solid square shape. Happy: A smiling sun, bright yellow, a jumping person, a star, a swirl of bright colors. Calm: Blue waves, a soft cloud, a gentle curve, light blue or green, a sleeping animal. Active: Running lines, a zig-zag, a ball, bright orange, a person jumping. Learning: An open book, a lightbulb, a brain shape, a magnifying glass, a spiral. Connected: Interlocking rings, many lines joining together, a circle of hands, the color purple, a web pattern. Peaceful: A dove, a calm lake, soft colors like lavender, a gentle curve, two hands holding. Balanced: A scale, a straight line, two equal shapes, a symmetrical pattern. Joyful: Sparkles, a starburst, a dancing figure, a rainbow of colors, a wide open shape.
3
Summarize Tools
Summarize that the words, colors, and symbols are like tools for the self-portraits. They don't all have to be used, but they can be great ideas.
1
Mirror Reflection
Give each student a mirror and a piece of paper. Ask students to hold their mirrors and look at their faces and think about what it means to be healthy and well for them. Ask what words, symbols, or colors from the brainstorm made them think of their own healthy self: body, mind, and feelings.
2
Quick Sketch
Have students quickly sketch some ideas for their self-portraits. They can draw their face realistically, or use symbols, colors, and abstract shapes to show their inner healthy self. Let them know this is just to show quick ideas. Circulate, prompting students: How can you show a strong body in your sketch? What color represents calm mind for you? Could you draw a symbol that shows how you feel connected to others?
3
Create Final Self-Portrait
Explain to the class that they will now use their sketch ideas and all the available art materials to create their final self-portrait. Remind them it's not just about what they look like on the outside, but how they show their healthy body, mind, and feelings. Encourage students to experiment with: Colors (e.g., using bright colors for energy, cool colors for calmness). Shapes (e.g. strong lines for strength, soft curves for peace). Materials (drawing, painting, or collage). Circulate offering support and encouraging creativity. Ask guiding questions like: What part of your body feels strong today, and how can you show that? Could you add a small symbol to show ___? If your feelings were a color, what color would they be, and where could you use that in your portrait? How does this piece of ___ add to the feeling of health in your artwork? What message about good health do you hope people will get from your portrait? Are you thinking about a time you felt really happy or strong? How can you put that feeling into your art?
Have students write a very short "Self-Portrait Story" on the back of their artwork, as well as giving their self-portrait a title.
Give students a template if helpful:
"My self-portrait shows [what is drawn/painted/collaged]. It tells about my healthy [body/mind/feelings/friendships/etc.]. I want people to feel/think [a feeling or idea] about good health when they see it."
1
Color Breathing
Explain that the class will take some time to bring the energy down with a "color breathing" cool-down. Have students find a comfortable, relaxed position. Encourage students to close their eyes if comfortable, or soften their gaze. "Think of a color that makes you feel healthy, happy, or calm. Maybe it's a peaceful blue, an energetic yellow, or a growing green. Choose your color. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and as you do, imagine breathing in that healthy color. See it filling your lungs, then spreading through your body, making every part feel healthy and strong. As you breathe out slowly, imagine letting out any worries or tiredness, like a gray cloud leaving your body. Breathe in your healthy color, breathe out worries." (Repeat 3-4 times).
2
Gentle Stretch
"Now, very gently, stretch your arms up high, imagining your healthy color reaching towards the sky. Gently bring your arms down. Feel the healthy color flowing through your body, making you feel calm and well." End with one last deep breath.
1
How did creating a self-portrait help you think about your own health and well-being in a new way?
2
What did you learn about the power of using colors, shapes, and symbols to show feelings about health?
3
Which words, colors, or symbols in our brainstorm felt most important to you, and why?
4
What does our "My Healthy Self" activity tell us about how we can all work towards Global Goal 3, for ourselves and for everyone?
5
What's one small thing you can do this week to take care of your own body, mind, or feelings, inspired by your portrait?
- Consistent and enthusiastic involvement in all phases of the lesson, including the brainstorm, self-reflection, art creation, and class discussions.
- Understanding of the core concept of Global Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being, covering body, mind, feelings, and social health), as demonstrated through the symbolism in the self-portraits and verbal explanations.
- Originality and effort in creating the self-portraits. Look for evidence of connection to Global Goal 3 (does the artwork clearly represent aspects of personal health and well-being), use of elements (are there attempts to use colors, shapes, symbols, and artistic techniques to convey feelings and ideas related to health?).
- Thoughtfulness of the "Self-Portrait Story," showing a connection between their art and personal understanding of health.
- Ability to articulate learning and personal connections during the reflection and summary discussion.
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