Class 8
November 22, 2019
African Ceremony Beaded Skirts
In this project, students will create their own beaded skirt, bracelet, or necklace, as they learn about the way different cultures , specifically African culture, celebrate certain holidays. Their piece will be connected with the way their families and/or communities celebrate their certain holidays. The students will learn about the colors and patterns that are important to the African culture for certain ceremonies and translate that into their own beaded accessory. Students at this age are often very focused on themselves, therefore they may not have an understanding of different cultures. This lesson will allow students to understand art from other cultures, and create art that connects with their own way of celebrating.
Essential Understanding
Artists and designers work to understand the art of other cultures.
Learning Targets/Outcomes
After a discussion around the art of different cultures and a brief demonstration, students will be able to create a beaded skirt, necklace, or bracelet, using art materials successfully. I can create a beaded skirt, necklace, or bracelet using art materials.
After observing how African artists and designers create their beadwork, students will be able to incorporate pattern and color into their beaded skirt, necklace or bracelet successfully. I can incorporate pattern and color into my beaded skirt, necklace, or bracelet.
After writing/drawing in their sketchbooks about what traditions and celebrations are important to them, students will be able to incorporate those celebrations into the creation of a beaded skirt, necklace, or bracelet, successfully. I can think about my family’s celebrations and traditions, and bring that into the work that I create.
Key Concepts:
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Students will ideate individually through their sketchbook prompt.
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Students will learn about how other cultures celebrate holidays and milestones.
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Students will create art that connects with how their own families celebrate holidays.
Skills:
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Ideation
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Interpretation
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Investigation
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Reflection
Documentation
Studio Habit: Engage and Persist
Students were shown examples of how other cultures use art to portray how celebrations are important to its members. Students were given a sketchbook prompt to help them connect the artist examples to engage with something meaningful in their own lives.
Students used this sketchbook prompt as a way to ideate about what celebrations were important to the students and their families.
This student explains a family decision important in their celebration of Christmas.
This student talks about why he chose Thanksgiving as his favorite holiday.
"What did you draw?"
"I drew a Christmas tree."
"Why did you draw a Christmas tree?"
"Because that is a special holiday for my family"
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Studio Habit: Express
Students viewed art examples about what bead patterns meant in different cultures. They were tasked with creating a pattern using beads to express an idea about what holidays were important to them. Some students chose to use a pattern to show what holidays were important to them. Other students chose to make the patterns represent something else.
This student engaged with the art example shown and created her pattern off of ideation in her sketchbook.
This student explains the character he made for his wrist banner an expression of his personal interest.
This student expressed themselves through picking colors that they were connected to in some way.
"Why did you decide to use the colors you did?"
"I wanted to connect these with my family"
This student expressed herself by connecting her artwork with people that are important to her.
Studio Habit: Reflect
After the creation of their beaded project, students reflect on what they made and what the colors or patterns represent.
In this reflection, the student explained what each color meant on her bracelet.
In this reflection, this student talked about the inspiration for her color choices.
This student chose these colors to represent how life needs water. In an earlier interview he mentioned how he would personalize this necklace. "I have a real life spider in plastic that I will hang from this necklace. It's not alive. It is dead."
This student expressed what their pattern represents.