Submitted by: Mary Jane Hadley
Unit: Native American art - rock art - printing - painting
Lesson: rock art stencil printing
Grade level: elementary (grade 3 thru 6)
Objective:
The student will learn about the picture writing that the Native
Americans used. They will create a painting using these symbols or
symbols that they design.
Background information:
Prehistoric people all over the world painted and carved pictures
on rocks. Painted images, figurative drawings or pictures representing
a word are called Pictographs. Carved images are called Petroglyphs.
Native americans were no different. They left markings on rocks. We are
not real sure why these markings were done… maybe to mark time…. Maybe
to pass messages on to other people…. Maybe to mark a good hunting
place.
We are not really sure of the reason for these markings but their
beauty throughout the world is fascinating. These were especially
abundant in the southwest. One rock has so many images on it that it is
called newspaper rock.
Instructional resources:
1. Crazy Horse's Vision
by Joseph Bruchac and S.D. Nelson
2. Poster from Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, New Mexico or Dinosaur National Monument in Dinosaur, Colorado (See Resources below)
3. Pictures of rock art (See below)
4. Seminar given by S.D. Nelson
5. If Rocks Could Talk
(video) by B. Jane Bush
6. Secrets of the Stone
by Harriet Peck Taylor
7. Another Rock Art lesson
Resources:
Posters
Books
Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit: The Origin of Creativity and Belief
- This book will appeal to anyone attempting to appreciate the underlying symbolism and cultural significance of Ice Age cave art.
Legacy on Stone: Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau and Four Corners Region
- Author Sally Cole traces the connections between art on canyon walls, rock shelters, and boulders to the connections of designs on pottery, basketry, and other artifacts in order to place them in cultural context.
Rock Art and Ruins for Beginners and Old Guys
- This is an "easy to read and understand" guidebook for all people interested in Indian Rock Art and Ruins. Illustrated wth full color pictures.
Materials:
12” x 18” construction paper for stencil
12” x 18” black construction paper
Pencils, scissors (older student may use x-acto knives)
Tempera in many colors
Small pieces of sponges
Q-tips or small paint brushes
Vocabulary:
Rock
art
Petroglyph
Pictograph
stencil
Bridges
Procedure:
1. Watch the rock art video
2. Show the students the poster and other pictures of rock art
3. On the black piece of
construction paper, sponge on colors to represent celestial skies,
ethereal sky, milky way or
misty atmosphere. Royal blue, turquoise, black, white. Make a
nice sky
(set aside to dry).
4. Draw an animal or human figure as large as your hand on stencil paper.
5. Connect sides of figure
with bridges -the bridges divide the animal or figure into interesting
sections. Instead of cutting
out the entire stencil, we made bridges to go across the stencil. It
made them more sturdy and gave them a decorative
aspect. For instance, say your figure was a lizard. You might have a
bridge across his body, maybe a v bridge - or several v bridges if the lizard is long.
6. Fold figure down the
center and cut out figure between bridges - be careful not to cut the
bridges at the sides. Accidents can easily be repaired with tape.
7. Demonstrate transitional colors, having one color fade into the next.
8. Stencil figure on sky paper using the transitional sponging method
9. Repeat figures, some figures may go off the page. Dry stencil between each one.
10. On edge of stencil paper, cut out a geometric design.
11. Sponge border around picture with geometric design.
12. To add stars, use white paint and the end of a q-tip or use the end of your paint brush. Also
yellow paint with a white
dot in the middle and then pull away in all directions with the tip of brush look good. Use larger star designs around stencils.
Closure:
Review concepts/vocabulary - display artwork in the school.
Evaluation:
1. Was the student successful in creating a stencil figure with bridges?
2. Did the student create an interesting sky?
3. Did the student arrange the stencil figures using the whole paper?
4. Does the finished project neatly done?
