Cut a strip of paper from an extra-wide roll of white banner paper long enough for a student to lie down flat without his hands or feet stretching beyond the paper. Put students into small groups. Tell each group to take turns tracing each other's silhouettes onto the paper. Provide a variety of art supplies and instruct students to illustrate their figures with their favorite outfit. Supply pictures of different items and ask students to choose pictures of their hobbies, toys, pets and talents and paste them around their life-size illustrations. During this exercise, students gain an appreciation for their unique characteristics and identify similarities between them and their peers.
Use an acrostic poem activity to bolster students' self-esteem. Ask each child to write their name vertically down the side of a piece of paper. Have students write words for each letter of their name that they feel best describes them. Emphasize use of positive vocabulary words. Have students paste a small photo or drawing of themselves on the page with the poem. Post these around the classroom or compile them into a book.
Develop lessons that help students identify their individual strengths within a larger group. For instance, designate a wall of the classroom to create a collage made up of drawings created by each student. For this activity, ask students to create a picture that represents the best version of themselves. Another activity that can enhance students' self-esteem is the creation of a class-supported garden. Begin this activity by asking students to research all the steps that go into creating and maintaining a garden. Then have students choose activities based on their strengths.
High school students will appreciate a teacher's use of technology for this multimedia lesson. If you have a digital camera available for student use, allow students to check them out overnight. Students should take pictures of objects and situations that reflect positive attributes of their personalities, such as friendliness and helpfulness. Students then can use these pictures to create a slide show to present to the class. Students also could print the pictures and create a collage.