Curated OER
Cultural Ideas of Fashion
Young scholars examine the role of fashion and adornment in society. They discover the factors that influence different types of clothing. They also discuss how clothing reveals cultural clues about a society.
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Role of Masks in African Cultures
Students explore ancient tradition and craft of mask making, examine role or function of masks in African culture, create instruments, and participate in class projects.
Smithsonian Institution
A Life in Beads: The Stories a Plains Dress Can Tell
Young learners discover how the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes preserved native culture through the making of traditional dresses, identifying the resources used to make the dresses and discussing behind the meaning behind some American...
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Soneka's Village
Students examine the culture of the Maasai pastoralist. They identify traditional aspects of their culture and describe how the roles of men and women vary in their society.
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Soneka's Village
Students explore the Maasai culture. In this cultural traditions instructional activity, students read primary documents and story books about the Maasai in order to compare their culture to the culture of those living in a Maasai village.
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Bonkers About Beads
Students explore written communication of different cultures, practice identifying letters of the alphabet, and recognize and create patterns with beaded letters.
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Health Enhancement
Seventh graders play physical movement games to enhance their health and research Indian cultures. In this movement lesson plan, 7th graders research Indian movements and use them in physical activity.
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Jewelry: Then and Now
Fifth graders identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, & places, recognize & apply elements of art, learn techniques for working with each material, critique artwork, & discuss how artwork...
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Soneka's Village
Students read a letter about the characteristics of the Maasai culture. After identifying them, they discuss how to live a pastoralist way of life. In groups, they discuss the roles of men and women in the country and what it might be...
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Making Rose Petal Beads
Students make homemade beads from flower petals while exploring Native American history, culture, and art.
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Weaving with Seed Beads on a Bead Loom
Students describe, and try, the process of weaving and demonstrate how Native Americans and others wove beads on a loom to create long, narrow bands for hair and bracelets.
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Bead Weaving on a Loom
Students investigate the process of weaving and how Native Americans wove beads on looms. They research Native American geometric patterns online, design a pattern on graph paper, and create a patterned beaded band.
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Activity: Polymer Clay Millefiori Cane Beads
Students show an understanding of how millefiori beads are constructed by making some in several styles in polymer clay. They view images and techniques on a website imbedded in this plan and then attempt to make their own.
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How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun
Students explore U.S. history by reading a Native American tale in class. In this cultural storytelling lesson, students read the story How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun and discuss the characters and themes of the Native American...
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Why Not Fabric?
Students investigate art from Native American culture by creating fabric. In this native art analysis lesson, students identify the art of Plains Indians and discuss how it is represented in their fabrics, beads and decorations. Students...
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Competing For Food
Students examine the hunting and gathering aspects of the Washoe culture. They are assigned roles, and participate in a simulation of surviving through the seasons by competing for food with other people and tribes.
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Put on a Happy Face!
Students explore using recycled materials. For this ecology/art lesson, students use recycled materials to create a Halloween mask. Students view folk art made of natural and available resources, and discuss possible cultural uses for...
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How To Make a Rainstick
Students research the uses of rainsticks in ancient native cultures. The teacher discusses the ceremonies rainsticks were traditionally used in. The students then construct their own rainstick.
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China - Dragons
Students compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives to understand commonality and diversity among cultures. They analyze examples of interactions between cultural groups and explain factors that contribute to cooperation...
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Mexican Metal Tooling
Metal work can be a wonderful way to expose learners to Mexican folk art. This resource provides all the necessary steps for creating Mexican metal tooling with your art class. Images, web links, recommended books and products make...
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The Art of Jewelry
Students discover Native American culture through jewelry. In this Native American culture lesson, students investigate several different Native American tribes and complete a word search activity. Students create their own jewelry...
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Making Treaties and Weaving Wampum
Middle schoolers are exposed to the cultural and artistic importance of wampum belts and the importance of the belts in American history as markers of relations between the Native Americans and European settlers.
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Masks and the Stories Behind Them
Students study the stories that go with masks from two cultures. They examine Native American masks used by tribes that lived in the Northeastern United States.. These include these Algonquian-speaking: Micmac, Pequot, Delaware....
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Dream Catchers
Young scholars create Native American dream catchers to represent the Native American culture. After reading and discussing the origin of the Dream cather, they begin to construct their dream catchers using wire hoops, thread, beads, and...