Sacred Images - Native American Art Project

Summary

Students will explore rainbow colors. They will search for a petroglyph animal shown in the Sacred Images gallery of Utah rock art photos. They will make a replica of a leather painting and embellish it with a petroglyph sand painting.

The students will be exposed to plants and learn how plants play a part in the Native American culture.

Texture will be explored in the 3D sand use.

Materials

• Sacred Images: A Vision of Native American Rock Art, Leslie Kelen and David Sucec (ISBN 0-87905-734-3)
• The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, Tomie dePaola (ISBN 0-698-11360-8)
• Natural Dyes (from Native American Activity Book, Edupress)
• Native American Art Project Example & Venn Diagram Example
• Clipboard -- paper -- pencil
• 14 x 18" white art paper
• Water colors
• Paper punch
• Stick
• String, yarn or leather strips
• Feathers to embellish (optional)
• Glue
• Sand (red-brown pigment may be added to the sand)
• Links of a Legend (from Native American Activity Book, Edupress)
• Pick a Paintbrush (from Native American Activity Book, Edupress)

Background for Teachers

Among many Native Americans leather was used for tents, clothing, containers for food storage, and for carrying items. It was also used to make shields and quivers to hold arrows. The early Native Americans treated animal skins to make the leather. They used a substance called tannin, made from extracts of wood, bark, fruit, and leaves.

"Colors for clothing, artwork, and body painting were obtained from mineral pigments, clays, bark, roots, twigs, leave, flowers, weeds, berries and vegetables. For sand painting these natural sources were pounded into a dry powder. The powder was combined with buffalo fat for body painting. Clay was used for the same purpose. The main method for extracting color was by boiling in water. Surprisingly, the color obtained was sometimes far different than the color of the material from which the dye was made." (Native American Activity Book, Edupress)

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a positive learning attitude.
2. Develop social skills and ethical responsibility.
3. Demonstrate responsible, emotion al and cognitive behaviors.
4. Communicate clearly in oral artistic, written, and nonverbal form

• Students will experience new art techniques and textures as they create. They will gain an understanding of how plants can have many purposes. They will develop and use skills to communicate information and feelings.
• Students will combine two art techniques in one project.

Instructional Procedures

1. Read The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush and discuss.
2. Tell the class they are going to make a special painting like the one "Gopher" (or "the one who brought the sunset to the earth") made.
3. Teacher will demonstrate the following technique: dip 14 x 18' white art paper in water, then paint water colors across like a rainbow so that each color blends into the next from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, to purple.
4. Have students do the same. Discuss the colors and what plants they think would make each color. Let dry.
5. On the following day do a quick retell of the Legend story and read from Sacred Images pg. 29, the Lola Mike story, white mesa Ute.
6. Read Sacred Images pg. 33, from Mae Perry, Northwest Shoshoni.
7. Compare the stories and discuss. (Use a Venn diagram or graph.)
8. Tell the class they are going on a hunt through the Sacred Image gallery to find a favorite animal. For example, show them plates from Sacred Images book: the owl, plate 54, pg. 98; the sheep, plate 40, pg. 79. Tell them: Think of the animal that has the qualities you would like to have. Choose a petroglyph you like and copy it onto the paper on your clipboard.
9. Take class on gallery walk.
10. After returning to class, pass out rainbow page and rip edges to make it look like the Gopher's leather canvass.
11. Have students draw lightly with pencil their animal image onto their rainbow page. Talk about the qualities they believe the animal represents for them.
12. Go over the pencil image with glue and sprinkle with the reddish-brown sand.
13. Let dry.
14. Punch holes in the top and tie to a branch with string or leather strips.
15. Embellish with feathers if desired.

Extensions

1st Grade

1. Language Arts
   Standard 1, Objective 2
   Retell the story of The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush and make paper links to create a chain. On each link write one story event. Students will develop reasoning and sequencing skills.
2. Vocabulary
   Standard 6, Objective 1
   Discuss the correct meaning of words used in the story, The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.