Misc. Native American Art Lesson Ideas
Scroll down for multicultural project ideas based on Dolls, Migration, Bandoliet Bags, Finger Weaving, Weaving and The Great Lakes Copper Use.
Click HERE to access my TPT account for additional lessons, rubrics and resources.
Click HERE to access my TPT account for additional lessons, rubrics and resources.
Woodland Wild Garden: Native Medicinal Plants
Grades 2-5 Tribe: Woodland
Resources-
Medicinal Plants of North America: A Field Guide (Falcon Guides)
Web sites:
http://www.nativetech.org/plantgath/plantgaht.htm
http://www.nativetech.org/lacey/index.html
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/
Materials:
Smart Fab in various colors
Wooden dowels
hot glue gun + glue sticks
scissors
Procedures:
Resources-
Medicinal Plants of North America: A Field Guide (Falcon Guides)
Web sites:
http://www.nativetech.org/plantgath/plantgaht.htm
http://www.nativetech.org/lacey/index.html
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/
Materials:
Smart Fab in various colors
Wooden dowels
hot glue gun + glue sticks
scissors
Procedures:
- Research flowers and plants important to tribes in your area. There are many books to help you. My focus was Wisconsin.
- Examine the shapes of the leaves, petals and stems.
- Create simple paper templates of the leaves and petals for students to trace onto the Fun Fab.
- Students can choose their plants and work in teams.
- Trace shapes, count petals and leaf patterns to make sure the plant is correct.
- Cut shapes.
- Teacher should assemble with the hot glue gun.
- Create signs and labels for your garden.
- Find a place to plant your garden and enjoy the beautiful plants all year long!
Song for the Horse Nation Wire Sculpture Lesson Plan
Grades 4-5 Tribe: Plains
Resources-
Song for the Horse Nation
Materials:
Assorted Wire, wire cutter, plyers
Procedures:
- Draw contour drawing of horse (or animal of choice). Simplify lines.
- Use a thick gage wire to make contour of head, neck and body - double back, then wrap to create width.
- Add additional wires to build up form. Strengthen legs with additional wrapped wires.
- (Optional) add foil tooling pieces across wires for interest and for volume.
**Explore the amazing horse sculptures by Deborah Butterfield.
Stick Game:
A version of this game was played by many tribes.
Students created a variety of patterns on one side of a wooden stick using black sharpie markers. They then had a choice to color it in or leave it.
To play the game one needs 3 sticks, decorated on one side.
3 blank sticks= 10 points
2 blank + 1 pattern= 2 points
1 Blank + 2 pattern= 3 points
3 pattern = 5 points
Toss sticks on ground, add points. Play to 50 or higher!
****Native American Math****
Change the point system to any set of numbers you like! Challange yourself!
Here is a link to a variation of this game:
http://www.ndstudies.org/resources/activites/aind/stick-game.html
Students created a variety of patterns on one side of a wooden stick using black sharpie markers. They then had a choice to color it in or leave it.
To play the game one needs 3 sticks, decorated on one side.
3 blank sticks= 10 points
2 blank + 1 pattern= 2 points
1 Blank + 2 pattern= 3 points
3 pattern = 5 points
Toss sticks on ground, add points. Play to 50 or higher!
****Native American Math****
Change the point system to any set of numbers you like! Challange yourself!
Here is a link to a variation of this game:
http://www.ndstudies.org/resources/activites/aind/stick-game.html
Native American Art: "Great Lakes Copper Artifact" Lesson Plan
Copper Necklace
Students will create a necklace incorporating an artifact representing the first Nations in the Great Lakes area (Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan).
Introduction:
North America's First Metal Miners & Metal Artisans
"Have you ever thought about who the first metal miners and metal workers in North America were? What metal did they mine, where did they mine it, and what did they do with the metal?
Large deposits of 99%+ pure native copper are known on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. Reports of these copper deposits were heard by the earliest French explorers of the Great Lakes Region, beginning in 1608 with Champlain. He received a foot long specimen of native copper from an Algonquin Indian chief and sent it to King Henry IV of France.
The first indigenous peoples who actually mined and utilized the copper were labeled "Old Copper Complex" or "Old Copper Culture" by archeologists.
Exerpt from web site: http://copperculture.homestead.com/
Explore these sites for more informations:
http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/preeuropeanpeople/earlycultures/archaic_oldcopperculture.html
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=760
Materials:
Sculpey clay, toaster oven to bake, Copper Rub n Buff’, small clay tools,tooth picks, leather cord or other string for necklace
Method:
Use Sculpey clay to create a small “Artifact”. You may also make copper beads to accent the necklace. Remember it is to be strung onto a piece of leather or cord.
Suggested designs:
Fish hook, knife shape, spear point, round beads, square beads, gorget
Follow directions for baking. When cool, use Rub and Buff to complete necklace with a copper finish! You can also paint, or use copper clay!
Students will create a necklace incorporating an artifact representing the first Nations in the Great Lakes area (Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan).
Introduction:
North America's First Metal Miners & Metal Artisans
"Have you ever thought about who the first metal miners and metal workers in North America were? What metal did they mine, where did they mine it, and what did they do with the metal?
Large deposits of 99%+ pure native copper are known on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. Reports of these copper deposits were heard by the earliest French explorers of the Great Lakes Region, beginning in 1608 with Champlain. He received a foot long specimen of native copper from an Algonquin Indian chief and sent it to King Henry IV of France.
The first indigenous peoples who actually mined and utilized the copper were labeled "Old Copper Complex" or "Old Copper Culture" by archeologists.
Exerpt from web site: http://copperculture.homestead.com/
Explore these sites for more informations:
http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/preeuropeanpeople/earlycultures/archaic_oldcopperculture.html
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=760
Materials:
Sculpey clay, toaster oven to bake, Copper Rub n Buff’, small clay tools,tooth picks, leather cord or other string for necklace
Method:
Use Sculpey clay to create a small “Artifact”. You may also make copper beads to accent the necklace. Remember it is to be strung onto a piece of leather or cord.
Suggested designs:
Fish hook, knife shape, spear point, round beads, square beads, gorget
Follow directions for baking. When cool, use Rub and Buff to complete necklace with a copper finish! You can also paint, or use copper clay!
Native American Art: "Iroquoise No Face Doll" Lesson Plan
Title/Technique: Iroquois Corn Husk "No Face" Doll
This lesson uses the iroquois Museum Web site for the legend of the No Face Doll. After hearing the legend, students will discuss the lesson the story teaches. (Note that there are other versions of this legend.) They will then make their own doll to teach a life-lesson.
Tribe (s): Iroquois Region: Northeast
Cross curricular connections: Reading, Lang Arts, History
Grade(s): 4-6
Elements/Principles of art: Form, Unity, Texture
Materials:
Pencils and erasers
Tagboard or corn husks
glue
string
scrap cloth
Read the story here: http://www.iroquoismuseum.org/NO%20FACE%20DOLL.htm
*** explore the web site to learn more about the Iroquois people
Description:
- Explore web page site listed above to introduce the Iroquois people.
- Read legend
- What does the story teach us?
- Can you think of other stories that teach lessons?
- Brainstorm an important life-lesson children need to learn (examples: listen to elders, sharing, helping younger others, etc.)
- How can you make a doll that would remind us all about this important lesson? What symbols would best teach us?
- Share your ideas with a classmate and refine as needed.
- Each student can draw their doll design and make notes for materials needed. Doll can be male or female.
- Make a 3-D version of your doll or a paper-doll.
- Share stories and describe the importance of the dolls they created.
Native American Art: "Mikmaq Geese Migration" Lesson Plan
Title: The Mikmaq Geese Migration
Technique: Paper Relief Sculpture
Tribe: Mi”kmaq Region: Eastern Canada
Cross curricular connections: Social Studies, Science, Language Arts
Grade(s): 3+
Elements/Principles of art:
Free form shape, visual rhythm, unity
Materials Needed:
Bird template and sample/image of a real goose and a completed “Art bird”
Assorted construction papers
Tagboard
Scissors
Glue
pencils and erasers
Legend: http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Mikmaq_Legend_Of_The_Wild_Goose-Micmac.html
Brief Description:
A great lesson to do in the fall!
We started by reading the legend and talking about why birds migrate (food).
We discussed the sample I had prepared and how VISUAL RHYTHM was used in the feathers.
Also reviewed: Shape- free form and geometric
We used a template to trace the bird form on tag board and cut it out (see photo)
Each student chose 2 construction paper colors, no black (Black will be used to unify the flock)!
Demo how to fold paper to cut feathers.
Examine feather patterns and demo how to glue feathers from wing bottom to top in rows.
We colored the heads in black sharpie and added an eye using one of the feather colors.
The top row of feathers might need trimming.
Add black feathers in a symmetrical pattern to create UNITY in the flock.
Display in a “V” Formation.
Technique: Paper Relief Sculpture
Tribe: Mi”kmaq Region: Eastern Canada
Cross curricular connections: Social Studies, Science, Language Arts
Grade(s): 3+
Elements/Principles of art:
Free form shape, visual rhythm, unity
Materials Needed:
Bird template and sample/image of a real goose and a completed “Art bird”
Assorted construction papers
Tagboard
Scissors
Glue
pencils and erasers
Legend: http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Mikmaq_Legend_Of_The_Wild_Goose-Micmac.html
Brief Description:
A great lesson to do in the fall!
We started by reading the legend and talking about why birds migrate (food).
We discussed the sample I had prepared and how VISUAL RHYTHM was used in the feathers.
Also reviewed: Shape- free form and geometric
We used a template to trace the bird form on tag board and cut it out (see photo)
Each student chose 2 construction paper colors, no black (Black will be used to unify the flock)!
Demo how to fold paper to cut feathers.
Examine feather patterns and demo how to glue feathers from wing bottom to top in rows.
We colored the heads in black sharpie and added an eye using one of the feather colors.
The top row of feathers might need trimming.
Add black feathers in a symmetrical pattern to create UNITY in the flock.
Display in a “V” Formation.
Effigy Mound Shapes- Paper Clay/mache
Native American Art: "Bandolier Bag" Lesson Plan
4th grade
Felt: Ojibwe floral design motif
Native American Art: "Finger Weaving" Lesson Plan
6th grade
Finger weaving with yarn.
"Weaving on a Cardboard Loom"
4th grade
Native American Art: "Cradleboard Project"
3rd-5th grades
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Be aware that all text and images on the Native American Activities website are Copyright Protected.
You must obtain written permission to reproduce or transmit any NativeAmericanActivities materials.
Teachers may print-out text and images without restriction for use in a non-internet classroom setting. the following statement should be included on each copy:
Copyright © 2019 Native American Projects & Lessons Plans. Internet URL: http://www.nativeamericanactivities.com