First Grade Art Lesson 8

Weaving Mats, Part 2 Painting American Indian Symbols

Objective:

The student will complete their mat by painting an Indian symbol in the center.

Materials:

Watercolor paints, water, thin brushes, mats from last lesson

Procedure:

For your work today, I want you to first spend time making a plan. We are going to spend a little bit of time looking at some Indian symbols. There are many types of Indian symbols, and the ones we're going to look at are Native American. If you're studying a particular Indian tribe in your class, you may want to look up the symbols that they use. Make a decision as to whether you want to represent one idea of put symbols together to create a commentary. To paint your symbol on your mat, simply dip your brush in the water and transfer a small amount into the top of the watercolor tray. Add black or brown to paint your symbol on your mat. You may want to practice first on a piece of scrap paper to get the feel of controlling small lines and details. Once you feel confident go ahead and paint your final design in the white center of your mat. Put these in a safe place to dry.

Conclusion:

Have the students present their mats to the class and explain their symbols. You may want to laminate each student's mat if that option is available to you.

Artwork and Examples used in this lesson

Native American Symbols

Teachers Example

Teachers Example

Student Artwork

Student Artwork