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.
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Essential Understanding
Artists and designers work to understand the art of other cultures.
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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 for this lesson can be found here:
The lesson plan can be found here:
Blog reflection entries can be found here
What worked well for this art experience? Why?
The students were receptive to the examples of beaded art from Africa and how the artists used nature as inspiration. The students enjoyed making patterns with the beads and many students made more than one art object.
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What didn’t work well for this art experience? Why?
The lesson was weak in the connection between the project and getting students to explore what holidays are special to them. Students did one of two things: they used stereotypical holiday colors or they copied the nature patterns from the art examples. This lesson felt like it focused less on exploration and more on an arts and crafts experience.
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What would you do differently? Why?
As art teachers we get limited time with our students and it is our job to make the experience meaningful to all students. Having an activity that doesn’t connect to deeper learning is not the most productive use of the students’ time. Also, the holidays are not happy times for all students so I would avoid any sort of holiday prompt in the future. Students do have their own little rituals and routines and perhaps ah would be a better way to explore this topic. As far as the art examples go, Africa is a giant continent with numerous cultures. It is not homogeneous and, in the future, we should research the art more carefully to provide specific information on the culture the art came from. We could also show art from more than one culture to show that a theme spans time and place.