Sacred Images - Gallery Walk

Summary

Students will recognize rock art symbols of Native Americans in Utah.

Materials

• Poster-size framed sacred image photographs (to create hanging gallery)
• Sacred Images: A Vision of Native American Rock Art, Leslie Kelen and David Sucec (ISBN 0-87905-734-3)
• Sacred Images CD flute music
• The Girl Who Loved Horses, Paul Goble (ISBN 0-689-84504-9)

For each student:

• #1 - Circles and Other Symbols student sketch worksheet
• clipboards
• 14" x 18" white art paper
• pencils, crayons, watercolor paints

Handout or Visual Aid:

• #2 - Glossary
• #3 - Four Utah Petroglyph Circle Styles
• #4 - Shapes and Rock Art Symbols from Sacred Image Gallery Walk
• #5 - The Rock and The Eagle Speaks, Hank LaRose, Bear Boy

Additional Resources:

• The Utes, Alice K. Flanagan (ISBN 0-516-26386-2)
• Easy Field Guide to Southwestern Petroglyphs (ISBN 0-935810-60-9)

Background for Teachers

• Meaning of the Circle
  Refer to Sacred Images: The Circle & Native American Culture

This lesson focuses on the gallery of rock art photos from the book Sacred Images: A Vision of Native American Rock Art.

Recognizing that symbols are an important way of telling stories is the main focus of this lesson. Have the children find many different circles and other forms in the Sacred Image photos and tell their own story using these symbols. The art they produce will make a watercolor wash folder. The students can then use the folder to hold other information they create as you teach more about the cultures and traditions of Utah's Native Americans.

More background and interviews are found in the Sacred Images book. Stories that seem to particularly fit this lesson are found on pages 18, 23, 47, 50, 76, 94, and 112. The interview with Lola Mike, a white Mesa Ute, (pg. 40) is a good one to read to the students as well.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a positive learning attitude
2. Communicate clearly in oral artistic, written, and nonverbal form

• The students will recognize many shapes in the rock art petroglyphs during the gallery walk. Students will gain an understanding of these images and gain new vocabulary. They will produce a crayon and watercolor wash folder.

Instructional Procedures

1. Invitation to Learn
   Today we are going on a gallery walk. Discuss the new terminology to be used in this lesson from the #2-Glossary. Show the class the cover of Sacred Images and ask students what they think about the image. (Rock Art.) Do a picture walk through the book and discuss some familiar-looking images (people, deer, etc.) and point out the many styles of circles. Are all the circles the same? How are some different? Explain to the children the meaning of the circle.
2. Show the class the clipboard and paper they will use on the gallery walk. Show them an example of how to fill in #1 -- Circles and Other Symbols worksheet.
3. Pass out clipboards and #1 -- Circles and Other Symbols student sketch worksheet and have each student take a pencil. Tell the class we will stop four times and look for different styles of circles and any other symbols they really like. Tell them to draw two or three symbols each time we stop in the gallery.
4. Walk through the gallery. Stop at the first six photos and let the class find and draw symbols on their paper (Barrier style). Move on to the next six photos (Hisatsenom style), the next five (Fremont style) and the last five (Ute style).
5. Return the clipboards and pencils to their desks. Have students come to the carpet and sit in a circle. What kind of circle are they sitting in?
6. Show them Sacred Images, page 105, plate 57, "Horse Panel, Ute, Uinta Basin," by Craig Law. Did anyone make a horse from this photo? Read last paragraph on page 36 in Sacred Images, "The clans ...." Then read the story called The Girl Who Loved Horses. There is a circle on every page. Have the students look for the circles as you read the story and point the circles out to them as you read.
7. Discuss:

• Is this fiction or non-fiction?
• Do you think this could really happen?
• Do you think the photos in the gallery walk told stories, too?
• Why do you feel the Native American people make this beautiful rock art?
• Can you use symbols from your sketch worksheet to tell a story on your large white paper?
• What other shapes could you use to make symbols? (square, rectangle, triangle, etc.)

8. Instruct the children to return to their seats and take some time to think of a fiction or non-fiction story they can tell using symbols. Play Sacred Images CD. Pass out 14" x 18" white art paper while they are thinking. Tell the children to draw the symbols for their stories. Tell them they can share their story with their neighbor if they wish.
9. Once the symbols have been drawn with pencil, have the students go over the lines pressing very hard with different colors of crayons. Next the students will do a watercolor wash over the symbols. When they have dried you may wish to laminate them. Fold them in half for use as a folder. The students who wish to retell their stories orally may do so in front of the class.
10. Discuss:
    • If someone saw your symbols would they retell your story?
    • Would we retell the rock art the same way as the Native Americans did?

Extensions

Begin a KWL Chart for the Sacred Images lessons.