The Arts and Native Americans

Presented by: School Library Media Activities Monthly

Subject Area(s):

Grade Level(s):

Description:

This unit is a multidisciplinary (involving social studies, music, and art teachers and collaboration with the library media specialist) approach to exploring Native American art and history.

Goals & Objectives:

LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES:
-The student will use library media and references to gather information about Native American tribes and examples of tribal art.

-The student will search periodicals for information on Native Americans and their art by using a magazine index.
The student will view a multimedia presentation on examples of Native American art.

CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:
Social Studies:
-The student will research and record information on a worksheet about a Native American tribe.
Language Arts:
-The student will read a fiction book related to Native Americans.
-The student will complete a large index card by describing the beginning, middle, and end of the selected fiction book.
-The student will give a booktalk by using the index card notes.
Art:
-The student will create a project that reflects the art of a Native American tribe.
Music:
-The student will learn a Native American song.
Technology:
-The student will design an invitation to a Native American art show by using computer software.

Materials:

Resources
Sample Art Projects and Worksheet

Sources:

Source: School Library Media Activities Monthly

Procedures:

INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES:
-The classroom teacher introduces Native Americans as a social studies unit, assigns a tribe for research, and discusses booktalks. The library media specialist locates resources for the teacher and helps the students locate and use reference materials on Native Americans.

The library media specialist and the teacher collaborate on a multimedia presentation, such as Powerpoint, to show various examples and patterns in Native American art. The library media specialist gathers fiction books related to Native Americans. The library media specialist and the teacher instruct students in the computer lab. The art teacher instructs students on the various mediums to be used for a Native American art project. The music teacher teaches the students a Native American song.

ACTIVITY AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION:
-In the classroom, the teacher introduces the Native American unit, explains how to complete the Native American worksheet, and assigns tribes to the students for research. The teacher discusses the fiction booktalk assignment and shows an example of how to make notes on an index card to describe the beginning, middle, and end of a story. The teacher gives a sample booktalk.

-When the class visits the library media center, the students view a ten-minute multimedia presentation of Native American art compiled of scanned examples from text, periodicals, and online sources. Alphabet symbols, patterns, and the various mediums used by Native Americans are shown.

The library media specialist gives the students a short lesson on finding information in periodicals. The students use the remaining time to select a fiction book related to Native Americans.

-The students use open library time to research their assigned Native American tribes and to complete their worksheet. The art of specific tribes may not be addressed in media as a subject; however, the students will be able to find examples of art in their research of their tribes by viewing illustrations found in media. A section on the worksheet is available for students to record interesting or unusual facts, and the back of the worksheet is available for sketching patterns, symbols, and alphabet examples.

-The art teacher designs three to four Native American art projects to complete in art class. The art teacher instructs the students in the techniques for each project.The projects take approximately three class sessions to complete.The projects are varied in mediums, such as papier-mâché petroglyphs, styrofoam, block prints, Native American blanket placements, and beaded cardboard boxes.

-The music teacher teaches the students a Native American song. The song will take approximately three class sessions to learn.

-When the projects are completed, the Native American art makes a wonderful library media center display. The blanket display may serve as a base to petroglyphs and beaded boxes and the prints may adorn the walls.

-The students use Print Shop or similar software to design invitations to the Native American gallery opening. The library media specialist may be a consultant to the classroom teacher in use of the software. The invitations should be representative of the Native American theme and are presented to the students' parents.

-Parents are invited to a gallery opening in the library media center. The students perform the Native American music at the art show and are available to answer questions about their tribes and their art projects.

FOLLOW-UP:
Students may visit an art gallery to view Native American art.

Assessment:

-Students can be assessed on their contribution to and participation in the Native American Festival. Worksheets can also be reviewed to evaluate student research accomplishments.

Supporting Files:

Standards: