Empowering Kinders Through Art As They Discover New Cultures
My students need markers to discover other countries and cultures by learning about their customs and traditions through a hands-on, artistic experience.
"The "art" of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." Mark Van Doren. My classroom has twenty-two wonderfully diverse students who come to school each day eager to learn. It is my honor to be a part of empowering students through art.
Our school is a Title I school with the majority of the students qualifying for free lunches due to high poverty levels.
Many of their parents work more than one job and do not have the means, the language knowledge, or the educational ability to support our students' learning at home. Our school is filled with caring educators that nurture all of these beautiful children in ways that extend beyond the classroom. Providing a meal, personal grooming products, clothing, and other student needs to our families is a common occurrence. Educational support is also provided by our caring teaching staff - we send books home with the children or tutor the children during our off hours. We have even provided babysitting of siblings to allow our parents to receive needed support and counseling. Our teachers, administrators, eight hundred students and their families are truly one extended family. We truly love and care for each other like a family.
My Project
To continue empowering students through art in Social Studies, students will research a particular country representing cultures from our student population.
We will study African culture. Students will get a hands-on artistic experience by creating an African Mask with our marker set. The lesson can be used as a part of a study of the history and development of African countries. Students will analyze African tribal masks and their many uses.
Students will investigate the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, who craft intricate animals from copal wood. They paint their carvings with multicolored, intricate patterns. The students will create their own Oaxacan animals using our marker set.
Mehndi, the art of henna painting on the body, has been practiced in parts of India, Africa and the Middle East for centuries. Students will create their own Henna hands using intricate designs and include elements like flowers, swirls, dots and teardrops.
Students will display their art pieces.
This project will help our students learn about customs and traditions from different countries.
Learning about other cultures stimulates the mind, and helps students think in new ways. Learning about other cultures is an interesting way to challenge the thought processes and expand the way students process information. By incorporating art into the learning it becomes a more meaningful, hands-on educational experience that the students will never forget. They are proud to show off their work!
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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