Native American Art:  Painting Lesson Plans

Scroll down to find a variety of multicultural tribal specific painting lesson ideas.  Each lesson incorporates Native American Culture by tribe and region, elements and principles of art, cross-curricular suggestions and materials. (more to come) 
​Click HERE to access my TPT account for additional lessons, rubrics and resources.

"Mud Pony" Clay Sculpture/Relief Sculpture with Watercolor Background

Grade(s): 2-3                                                                     Tribes: Skidi Pawnee

Resource/Book: The Mud Pony by Shonto Begay

Objectives: Create a clay horse part-to-whole, use math divide clay into sections 

Materials Needed:  
Book: Mud Pony
Air Dry Clay or Model Magic
Watercolor paints
Wood stylus
Tag Board (Relief Sculpture) 

Lesson: 
DAY 1
-Read Story
-Examine horse shapes
-hand out clay and divide into sections: 
1 Roll into a large coil
  2 Divide in half (Green line) 1/2s 
    3 Divide each half again (black lines) 1/4s
             4 Divide 3 of the 4 sections in half again (red lines) 1/8s

                   Body                         neck/Head       mane/tail          front leg       front leg        back leg          back leg

-Form body
-Add neck and head
-Add legs, make sure it stands, modify as needed
-Add mane and tail
-Use stick to add detail or modify let dry overnight,
DAY 2
Paint the next day with a water based paint- tempera or watercolor (I used watercolor with salt to create the bursts of white)

* Model Magic relief sculpture: Follow steps 1-4 and create a 2-D horse to mount on tag board, horse will not need to stand, students may add details onfront side only.  Use a scissors to cut the mane and tail.

Native American Art "Gift Pony Painting" Lesson Plan

Tribe:      Lakota                     Region: Plains

Cross curricular connections:    Language Arts

Grade(s): 4-6

Elements/Principles of art:
Shape, Color, Contrast, Pattern



Materials Needed: 
Book: GIFT Horse, a Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson
Web Site: http://www.sdnelson.net/gallery.htm

Watercolor Pencils and Paints
Brushes
Paper towels
Tempera or Gouache paints

Brief Description: 
Day 1: 
Read story 
Discuss illustrations
Use a wet on wet technique with a crumpled paper lift to create background
Practice on scrap paper while background dries

Day 2: 
Guided Drawing: Gift Pony,  Ledger style
Create design on pony, think of designs that have personal meaning
Paint with tempera (gouache if possible)
Outline with sharpie, black pencil or other medium if desired.

Native American Art: "Buffalo Hide Painting" Lesson Plan

Picture
Title/Technique:   Buffalo Hide Paintings: Story Telling

This lesson uses the Smithsonian Web site for an introduction to Hide Painting.  After learning about the importance and meaning of the Buffalo Hide painting, students will tell their own story on a simulated hide.

Tribe (s): Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara


Region: Plains


Cross curricular connections: Lang Arts, US History


Grade(s): 4-8


Elements/Principles of art: Shape, Symbolism,  Radial Symmetry

Materials: 
brown paper bags or craft paper
pencils and erasers
crayons

Learn about Buffalo Hide Paintings here:     http://americanhistory.si.edu/buffalo/artist.html

Description:
  • Explore Web site listed above.
  • Brainstorm; What story would you chose to paint?
  • What symbols could you use?
  • Create your story in pictures and symbols.  
  • Do you think other’s can "read"  your story? Share with a classmate and refine as needed.
  • Prepare your hide;
    • Cut 18 x 18 brown paper, measurements need not be exact.
    • Fold in half and tear shape of 1/2 of the hide!. Think of the fold as the backbone, tear a tail, legs and a neck.  These should be “bumps”....not really a long leg shapes.
    • Crumple paper, open, flatten.... repeat!  Keep crumpling until the paper resembles a rough texture.
  • Lightly sketch your design, using a radial symmetry, on the hide.
  • Use tempera or acrylic to add color.

Native American Art: "Nieto Clan Painting" Lesson Plan

Picture
Wolf Clan Painting using Primary colors
Title/Technique:   John Nieto Style Paintings, Contemporary Art

Tribe (s):   Apache                        Region: South West

Cross curricular connections:   Art, Social studies/structures

Grade(s): 4-5

Elements/Principles of art: Bold Color, Shape, Harmony

Materials Needed: 
  • 12 x 18 painting papers
  • Brushes and water containers or oil pastels
  • Cups of primary colors (if using paints)
  • Sharpie markers

Description:
  • View Nieto’s work. See web site.
American Icon Take a Walk (Buffalo)

What do you see? How would you describe the colors? How do you think he feels about Buffalo? Do you think the buffalo is important to him?

  • Choose an animal from the southwest or your geographical area).  
Teacher demo:
  • Draw a horizon line 1/3 from the bottom of the paper.
  • Use a sharpie to outline an animal.  Make sure it is not sitting on the bottom of the page, but it’s feet should be on the ground.
  • Use large paint brushes and bold strokes to paint your animal.  Block in areas with bold colors.  Mix a few colors right on the paper.  Be careful not to mix them all or you will end up with a muddy color!
  • Paint the back ground.
  • Use a black outline to go around the edge/outline and to bring out any details.
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