When artist Melanie Yazzie saw this object, she was inspired by the meaning behind the important action - the laboring, working, and creating to provide for the family.
Does this idea spark a lesson for your classroom?
- How could this object interest students and inspire them to create a visual representation of an action?
- How could students share about lessons, skills, and stories they have learned from their families through art, writing, or performance?
- How could you facilitate a conversation about what student see as important actions their family members provide?
TIP: Start with a list of roles or jobs that people do in your community to get students thinking about what their family members do to provide for their family.
Related Creative Activities
Storyteller Figure Inspired Activity
Moccasin Design Inspired Activity
Moccasin Inspired Activity
Parfleche Inspired Activity
Before You Go…Travel Recommendations from the Experts!
By making their own Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone drawings in small groups, students will develop a better understanding of the scope and size of the original painting. They will then use the painting as inspiration for writing creative travel guide entries.
Poetry with Natural Similes and Metaphors
Students will examine the artistic characteristics of Summer; make comparisons between physical features of the figure portrayed in Summer with items from the natural world; and create poems using similes and metaphors comparing a person’s physical appearance with items from the natural world.
