Native American Painting Lesson Plans
Below you will find a variety of ideas to incorporate drawing and painting! Most of these lessons are inspired by Native American authored books with Native American illustrators. Often exploring the story and its illustrations creates opportunities to make person connections with the book!
Some lessons also make connections to well known artists such as Cezanne.
The mediums are found in most classrooms and can modified to meet your needs!
My complete TPT lessons can be accessed via the link below.
Some lessons also make connections to well known artists such as Cezanne.
The mediums are found in most classrooms and can modified to meet your needs!
My complete TPT lessons can be accessed via the link below.
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 on image below or HERE to access my TPT account for additional lessons, rubrics and resources.
Click on image below or HERE to access my TPT account for additional lessons, rubrics and resources.
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"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.
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.
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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. |
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Native American Art: "Buffalo Hide Painting" Lesson Plan
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:
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
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:
Description:
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?
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
- Web site for Nieto images: http://nietofineart.com/artists/john-nieto/
Description:
- View Nieto’s work. See web site.
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).
- 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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