CELEBRATING HISPANIC
CULTURE
Submitted
by: Breanne Soviero K-5, Long Island
UNIT: Art of Mexico - Painting - Group
Lesson: Zapotec Rug Paintings
My theme for the year was the Art of Mexico.
Each grade level did at least one project based on an artist or craft
from Mexico. I printed out some examples of Zapotec weavings from
Mexico, and those "rainbow striped" blankets. Students
worked in groups to create 6ft murals of the blankets. They had to
enlarge the designs in proportion to the mural paper, and mix paints to
get the right colors. We learned how to blend colors together to
create a 'sunset effect' on the individual stripes of the rainbow
blankets. I taught them how to make tassels out of yarn to
create fringe that they tied on the bottom of their blankets. Not only do the blankets tie in
nicely with my theme for the year, but because I have 12 of them, they
will make a wonderful display for my art show.
Lesson ideas submitted by Sandy Poos
(retired)
1. Designs of Ancient Mexico- using a clay
stamp.
2. Tin lantern Mexican Style- tin can (soup can will do) cut off
bottom and a aluminum funnel from dime store. Hammer and nails to punch
the design into the sides and funnel. Fill with water and put in freezer
in school cafeteria. Put onto towel and pound nail holes into can to make,
dots, snowflakes, star shapes, etc. Let ice melt. Can paint with acrylics
or decorate with permanent markers - put small candle inside.
3. Mexican sun face - papier mache, clay. I used bakers clay ( 2 cups
flour and 1 cup salt and some water to make a bread dough. Bake on covered
aluminum foil at 300 degrees for 2-3 hours. Paint with acrylics.
4. Skeletons or Calaveras- Made from Sculpey clay and
assembled with wire.
4. Huichol Yarn Pictures- yarn, cardboard, glue-
design on cardboard, then glue ahead of the yarn, push yarn into glue with
tip of scissors. Many have used the wax from toilet bowls seals (available
in hard ware stores). See lesson plan on
KinderArt http://www.kinderart.com/multic/yarn.shtml
5. Amate Paper Designs - brown grocery bag, newspapers, waxed paper,
iron,
markers, tempera or acrylics. Cut 6x8 piece from the grocery bag, crinkle
into ball. unfold, lay between 2 pieces of waxed paper- newspaper on top
and iron flat. Draw design with black marker- permanent black. (Sharpie)-
themes of animals, birds, flowers, etc. Paint with tempera or acrylics in
bright colors. Add a drop or two of dish soap into the paint so it will
stick to the waxy paper. Don't paint the background. See Detailed
Lesson Plan from Grace Hall.
Mayan Glyphs - from Sandy Jahnle
Last year I had my 7th graders draw their names in
Mayan Glyphs on
crumpled brown paper to resemble stone. This year I hope to have
them
actually carve the glyphs into clay. I used the website at Rabbit
in the Moon: How to Write your Name in Mayan Glyphs http://www.halfmoon.org/names.html
. Try finishing the clay with stone fleck spray paint or shoe polish
stain.
Cascarones - from Maggie White
There
is a tradition in Mexico of making cascarones (eggshell
"crackers" filled with confetti). They are created
for fiestas and street-party types of celebrations, not just around
Easter. You stuff the confetti into cleaned, dry eggshells
(you can empty the eggs with a fairly good-sized hole and cover it with
tissue later). The eggshells can be dyed/decorated before filling.
Make cones of rolled newspaper (or craft paper - brown paper bags would
work, too), with the larger end sized so the egg fits partway into it. Decorate the cones, then lightly glue the filled eggs in them. Read
about Cascarones - some
How to's - History
and all sort of examples - animated
cascarones by kids
"Papel Picado"
- from Roberta Dunkle
Papal Picado or cut
paper. I have done this with my kindergarteners and they loved the
look. I passed out many sheets of thin tissue paper of all colors
about 9 x 12 and showed the kinders how to fold them into a small square.
They then were instructed to cut on the fold lines and make triangles,
squares, half circles etc. When opened they were thrilled at their
cut designs. I then strung them from the ceiling across
our hall and they looked quite festive. There is an excellent
documentary about the actual Mexican paper being cut with a machete.
Crizmac has many resources for Papel Picado
God's
Eyes - from Sarah Coullard
Click image for larger view |
Ojo
de Dios or Eye of God Huichol Indians of Mexico and the
Aymara Indians of Bolivia weave brightly colored yarn on a simple
frame of crossed sticks to make a design called "Ojo de Dios"
or "Eye of God". Make one for yourself. In Mexico, The
central eye was made when a child was born. Each year, a bit of
yarn was added until the child turned five at which point the Ojo
was complete. Here is a very complex
Huichol design (read
description) Many instructions can be found online - from
simple to complex. |
Mexican - Hispanic Arts
and Crafts Lesson Plans
Frida
Kahlo Self Portrait Retablo- See
lesson activity Try a variation of this by having the student do a
contour drawing in glue on cardboard - then covering with foil for a
relief effect. Use heavy duty foil so textures can be added. Try painting
on tooling foil. Adaptable for elementary through high school (use tooling
foil and thinned acrylics for high school). See See Jan
Hillmer's The Frame" - Frida Kahlo inspired.
From
Judy Decker: What if you tried some reverse glass painting? Use Plexiglas
and have students make a foil tooled frame (accent frame with gel
markers). Tape Plexiglas to mirror (put cardboard easel back on mirror).
Trace portrait onto Plexiglas with Sharpie marker. Paint details and
patterns. Fill in larger areas (remember what you put down first is what
is going to show on front - you are painting highlights first). Maybe even
use thinned acrylic. Paint markers could be used for patterns. Back
painting with cardboard covered with aluminum foil. Glue to foil tooled
frame. Paintings can be around 5" x 7" - with frames being
approximate 9" x 12" (slightly smaller so excess can be folded
over edge of cardboard frame. Plexiglas can be obtained free from window
companies. Cardboard relief frame covered with heavy duty foil could be
substituted for foil tooled frame.
Frida
Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas - biographies,
information about Mexico and 24 art activities for elementary through
middle school - book by Carol Sabbath (Chicago Review Press - Independent
Publishers Group, reading level ages 9 & up). The personal and
artistic development of both artists is highlighted in this beautifully
illustrated book, as well as a history of 20th Century Mexico and a look
at Ancient Mexico, giving children a well-rounded look into these
legendary Mexican artists.
Thanks
Paintings - by Jesse Rachel Cukierkorn. Try this lesson painting
with thinned acrylics on tooling foil (copper or aluminum). Thin with
gloss medium.
Paper
Mache Masks -Middle School - can use plastic mask forms - or
newspaper humps wrapped in foil. Lesson by Larry Prescott
Paper
Mache Masks/Heads - Mark Alexander. Mexican Tona Masks - animal
spirits
Paper
Masks - Elementary - adapt to Mexican symmetrical folk art masks
Oaxacan
paper maché - Elementary through high school. Michele O'Brien
uses plaster gauze and plaster with her high school students. They sand
them smooth and paint with acrylics. The smooth surface approaches the
look of wood.
Oaxacan
Animals - Wood assemblage - elementary through middle school
by Linda Woods.
Jose
Posada Calaveras Drawings - middle school
Aztec
suns - stamp designs - radial balance. Elementary. Use all sorts
of stamps - hand made, letters, toys (like LEGO), Gadgets (like nuts and
bolts).
Mexican
Folk Art Suns (also Picasso inspired). Elementary through middle
school.
Andean
Textile Design -painting. Upper elementary through middle school.
Abstract animals design.
Andean
Textile Design - Printmaking - with digital photo manipulation.
Abstract animal design - reduction prints.
Amate
Painting - Middle School - using handmade paper. Abaca pulp mixed
with brown paper bags and yarn threads to look like Amate bark. Commercial
site for images Three pages of bark paintings.
Amate
Painting lesson by Raanel Steel using paper bags: Similar lesson
by Grace Hall
Ceramic
Animal Clay Sculpture by Marcia Lavery - Pre-Columbian Inspired -
Middle school Animal
Effigy - Same lesson for elementary - adaptable to Pre-Columbian - by
Linda woods:
Pre-Columbian
Ceramics - Middle School through high school. Story teller figures
and lidded vessels.
Zapotec
Weaving - There is also a Mexican weaving slant added to the
weaving lesson.
Protest
and Persuasion: Printmaking and Mural - Chicano Art. Middle school
through high school. Excellent unit plan.
Marisol
Escobar Sculpture - Middle School - through high school. Box Lesson assemblage/collage
by Dawn Stienecker. Think about using wood scarps for this - with collage
elements added.
Heroes
Triptych Lesson (adapt to Mexican/Hispanic/Latino person) or
create a Retablo (Peruvian Art). Alternate idea: make triptych from
tooling foil wrapped panels.
Days of the Dead (Dia de
los Muertos)- Lesson Plans and Resources
Days
of the Dead Unit Plan (grades 4 - 5 - adaptable to other grade)
-by Andrea Pretti
Day
of Dead (Dia de los Muertos) - history, activities, food an more
(commercial site - has ads). See paper flowers and reverse glass painting.
Why
Celebrate Days of the Dead? by Ricardo Salvador
Activities
for Days of the Dead - middle school - by Paige Gilbert. Make a
tomb stone to bury a bad habit. Make a mask.
Children's
Books for Days of the Dead
Mexico
Connect: Days of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)
Days
of the Dead Art - some excellent examples - Some
fun skeletons background
info
Los
Dias de Los Muertos/Days of the Dead in Mexico from North Texas
Institute
Day
of the Dead in Mexico has some excellent photographs - site by
Mary J. Andrade
Los
Dias de los Muertos- Paper Mache Skull - using balloon - Add some
cardboard for the jaw line.
Dias
de los Muertos - includes glossary Day
of the Dead - lots of links
Flickering
Lights: Days of the Dead - Video Recording Review. Available from Crizmac
and Art Video World.
Days
of the Dead resources from Crizmac
Artists
ideas for Dia de los Muertos - Art -e-Zine Mini Altoid tin
shrines. Frames with melagros, Tool foil - painted and accented with
glitter paints, Cardboard relief skeleton print.... many more.
Days
of the Dead Project Ideas
Cardboard
Relief Skeleton prints - from Judy Decker
Bring
in skeleton from Science department for study. Suggested
size about 9" x 12". Include cut outs of flowers and other Mexican
motif (birds would be good, too) - or shapes for your own scene (slice of
life - what is the skeleton doing? What story is she /he telling?). Work on proportion of skeleton. Fold
6" x 12" newsprint into 1/8's - (resulting figure will be 8 head heights
tall). Draw skeleton with head in top space - use this as pattern to cut card board pieces. Glue
skeleton to 9" x 12" cardboard (in choice of pose). Add accents
with tag board and glue relief. Fill in negative areas with cut outs of flowers,
birds, plants (what ever student chooses). Make hat for skeleton if
desired. Gesso or gloss printing plate (and allow to dry). Print using a
variety of techniques. Crayon rubbing print with white onto black
paper.... Embossed print by soaking paper (use plastic wrap as separator)...mono
print using Createx (maybe print in colors on brown paper for Amate
look)...Print with white ink onto black paper. Accent print with
Prismacolors (or Construction paper crayons) when ink is dry. Lesson for
grades 4 through 6. Alternate lesson - reduction prints using white ink
first on black paper. Outline skeleton and objects in composition with
ball point pen (press hard). Print with white ink on black paper. Press
down skeleton completely with ebony pencil - press down more shapes and
print another color. Cut out some shapes - press down more - and print a
third color.
Plaster
Gauze/Wire Skeleton Calacas - from Judy Decker
See
figure lesson plan - adapt to skeleton. Use newspaper and foil for the
skulls
(or skulls from self hardening clay or paper clay) - wire and foil rib
cage and pelvic bones - and so forth. Foil/plaster gauze hands and feet.
Loop ends of wire for arms and legs so they will move. Plaster the
arms and legs separately by wrapping small pieces of gauze around.
Assemble skeleton then pinch loops to secure. Turning them into
Marionettes would be a fun lesson - but a lot of work. Try making a
"Barbie doll" type stand for them (ladies remember when Barbie
came with a black metal stand?) I think the kids would have fun dressing
their marionettes /skeletons, too. Good lesson in figure proportion, too.
Try this lesson by folding an 8 1/2 x 14" legal paper into 1/8's -
plan skeleton to 8 head heights tall. Think about hanging skeleton in a
shadow box. Use sturdy cardboard, foam core or wood. Middle school and up.
Added
by Diane Davis: I'm making skeleton sculptures with my middle school, with
light bulb heads and wire bodies covered in plaster wrap.
Paper
Mache Skeleton from Cara Bertman: I have made calacas with my students in the past.
Calacas- skeletons, are symbolic skeletons of a loved one past or an icon
(if the kids don't have a family or friend to think of - one student made
John Lennon). You can use coat hangers for an armature and build up
the bones with paper maché. I use old med bottle caps for hat tops
trimmed with oak tag for brims. Heads are built up with masking tape
and newspaper. This is an intriguing lesson for adolescents because
they are fascinated with death and Dia de Los Muertos is a celebration of
the afterlife, a less macabre concept than we are used to. It was
very successful and some students found a way to create unique memoirs for
a loved one or icon.
Skeleton
Retablo or Niche - from Judy Decker
Middle
School. Make a
"shrine" box about the size of a cigar box (corrugated
cardboard, foam core - or wood). Tape on shaped roof
at top front (peaked or other shape), tape on doors (run a line of masking tape on front and back
side of doors). Cover box with one layer of masking tape - then paper
maché with white paper (or collage with Mod Podge). Paint with white
acrylic (or gesso) - then embellish with patterns
(flowers, birds etc - lively folk art designs) using acrylics/paint markers/puffy
paints (antique slightly with shoe polish if desired). Paint - or paper
maché - or collage inside the box.
For the skeleton
- try the shrink plastic idea. Kids trace a skeleton template (or draw
their own)- "dress" him/her (add hats etc) - color (Prismacolors
work well) and shrink. Cut out and tie pieces together (or hook together
with wire brads). Ginny Rockwood had a skeleton
lesson on her site (no longer online). Skeleton
Template from Enchanted Learning (now only available to site
subscribers - I recommend you make your own template or have your students
make their own).* Make a sample yourself first to see
how much the skeleton shrinks. Hang skeleton in your retablo box - along
with other shrink plastic objects (flowers, plants, birds animals -
whatever student chooses). Other shapes could be cut from cardboard and
painted. Lesson could be about a "hero" or about a famous artist
(to tie in some research). See Crystal Production Days of the Dead print
set. Crizmac has many resources for Days of the Dead. Retablos are linked to
Triptych Lesson Plan.
*See Educpics
for some line art skeletons to use for reference.
"Paper
Doll" Cardboard Skeleton - from Judy Decker
See
the jointed dolls lesson ideas. Good lesson for fourth/fifth
grade. Students draw calaveras on white heavy cardstock then add
clothes, hats, etc. Outline with fine point Sharpie. Use Sculpey for skull
(if desired). Color with gel
markers, glitter pens. Embellish with puffy paints. Cut out and add paper
fasteners for the joints - or make jump rings with wire (wrap wire around
pencil - slide off and cut with side cutters -- or wrap around dowel and
saw cut with jeweler's coping saw. Add small silk flowers or fabric
flowers on hats (if desired).
Day of the
Dead Tunnel Book
Adapt
lesson from Joanna Davis. See Joan Sommers The Dancing Skeletons Tunnel Book
. Book could be about a "hero" or famous artist
to add an element of research.
Cinco
de Mayo Resources
Mexican/Hispanic
Arts - Crafts and Folk Art
