I came across this project on a really cool art education blog  and knew my fourth graders would love it. After a mini-lesson on the basic shapes that make up a lego body, students dove right in. The next class was all about creating value through shadows and/or color. I gave them a blank lego figure  (like the one below)

to practice techniques in creating value – this REALLY made their final pieces successful. Students could choose from oil pastels, colored pencils or markers to add color and value to their self-portraits.