Art and Culture Center/Hollywood Distance Learning

Transcription

1 Art and Culture Center/Hollywood Distance Learning Integrated Art Lesson Title: Description and Overall Focus: Beadwork Bracelet: Artistic Historical Craft The purpose of this lesson is to introduce American Indian Day (last Friday of September), and link it to the Seminole applied art of beadwork. Students will learn about the many forms of beading within the Seminole culture, focusing on jewelry in this lesson. Length of Lesson Grade Range Objective(s) Materials: PLEASE NOTE - Some materials must be acquired prior to this lesson by the teacher (cut straws and cut yarn). 45 minutes Elementary School This lesson will teach students how to create a colorfully-strung bead motif. Students will learn about this creative Native American craft, as well as the specific meaningful motifs of the Seminole Indians of Florida. They will learn important terminology: back-stitch, barrel bead, bugle bead, cross-thread, figure-eight overhand knot, found object, toggle closure, weaving. Teacher Supplies: 4 ft. lengths of cord OR colored yarn (1 per student) Colored straws cut into 1 pieces (12-15 pieces of straw per student) Student Supplies: Colored straws pieces Scissors 2 paper clips Ruler Sharpie markers (permanent with a point) Introductory activity Students will be introduced to American Indian Day (observed in September), as well as the applied art of beading notably the extensive works of the Seminoles.

2 Core activity Closure activity Assessment Teacher follow-up idea Student follow-up idea Book/Web references Students will choose materials and determine a design, then prepare the cord (yarn) to be crossthreaded in order to create a bracelet. Students will complete their creations making sure that the parts are secured properly together. Several students will then share their work to have a fun and constructive art critique! The students will have learned fundamentals of beadwork via American Indian Day, and cultural significance of an integral Seminole art form. The classroom teacher can use the websites below to present more of the information surrounding Native American tribes and beading in order to plan a new lesson or field trip. Students can continue to create progressively more advanced beadwork by utilizing new techniques (see book), increasing the size and incorporating various media (fabrics, stones, clay) Beadwork Techniques of the Native Americans by Scott Sutton Art and Culture Center of Hollywood Lesson prepared by Traci Petersen, MFA Seminole netted bead collar Student work bracelet

3 Beading: A Decorative part of Seminole Culture Beading is found on clothing, ceremonial items, dolls, as well as used in jewelry making. Many patterns hold meaning and honor the past. By Patsy West, Seminole Women had their own income and were independent in their wealth long before non-indian women were allowed to manage their own affairs. A Seminole woman s beads were bought any time that she had extra money, perhaps from the sale of her hogs or from her manufacture of sacks of coontie starch. Seminole necklace beads were glass, and about the size of a pea. Light blue, dark blue, and red appear to have been the most favorite colors. The beads were made in Italy and the country once known as Czechoslovakia, where they were shipped to bead distributors in the northeastern region of the United States. Seminole woman wearing many necklaces, Mary B. Billie making a beaded necklace, Beads were also an important courting gift. When a man courted a woman, or brought her engagement presents, he might bring silver combs, a mirror, and almost always, necklace beads.

4 Did you know? Following the Third Seminole War*, , as trade again resumed in the small trading posts on the rivers, such as the Caloosahatchee, the Miami and New, beads were one of the first things that the Seminole women purchased, after groceries. Motifs Bandolier bag The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum and Living Village are located North of Big Cypress Nat l Preserve, along I-75/Everglades Parkway (Alligator Alley). *Seminole Wars history: In the Seminole language (Creek): istonko (iss-tone-koh) means "hello." Exhibit on display in the West Gallery through November 22, This exhibition focuses on contemporary Southeastern beadwork by artists from several Southeastern tribes, creating works honoring their ancestors. For more information, call the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at

5 Principles of Project: Knotting and cross-threading.