Submitted by: Grace Hall,
Bogalusa High School (See note)*
UNIT: Painting- Art of Mexico
Lesson: Amate Bark
Paintings/Folk Arts of Latin America
Grade Level: middle school through high school (6 -12)
| Overview: |
| This lesson will focus on Amate Bark
Paintings one of the many Folk Arts of the Latin American
Culture. Students will explore the history of bark paintings
in South America as well as the purpose, processes, and
symbolism found in typical bark paintings. Using the
Internet, students will explore and research the creation of
Bark paintings in Latin America. Students will follow up by
producing their own version of an Amate Bark Painting and
participate in a critique to complete the lesson. |
| Approximate
Duration: 2-4 ninety minute class periods |
Content
Standards:
- Creative Expression
Students develop creative expression through the
application of knowledge, ideas, communication skills,
organization abilities and imagination.
- Aesthetic Perception
Students develop aesthetic perception through the
knowledge of art forms and respect for commonalties and
differences.
- Historical and Cultural
Perception
Students develop historical perspective and cultural
perception by recognizing and understanding that the
arts throughout history are a record of human experience
with a past, present, and future.
- Critical Analysis
Students make informed oral and written observations
about the arts by developing skills for critical
analysis through the study of and exposure to the arts.
|
Benchmarks:
- CE-1VA-M1
Demonstrate art methods
and techniques in visual representations based on
research of imagery;
- CE-1VA-H4
Produce a visual
representation of ideas derived through the study of
various cultures, disciplines, and art careers;
- AP-2VA-M3
Identify and explore the
meaning of art and the role of artists in their culture
and environment;
- AP-2VA-H2
Analyze unique
characteristics of art as it reflects the quality of
everyday life in various cultures;
- HP-3VA-M1
Recognize and classify
works of art by their style, theme, time period, and
culture;
- HP-3VA-H1
Categorize specific styles
and periods of art as they relate to various cultural,
political, and economic conditions;
- CA-4VA-M3
Classify the style,
period, media, and culture in works of art;
- CA-4VA-H4
Analyze how specific works
are created and how they relate to cultures and to
historical periods;
|
Interdisciplinary
Connections:
- Social Studies : Geography:
Physical and Cultural Systems
Students develop a spatial
understanding of Earth's surface and the processes that
shape it, the connections between people and places, and
the relationship between man and his environment.
- Foreign Language : Comparison:
Concept of Culture
Students demonstrate
understanding of the concept of culture through
comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.
|
Educational
Technology Standards:
- Use technology tools (e.g.,
multimedia authoring, writing tools, digital cameras,
drawing tools, web tools) to gather information for
problem solving, communication, collaborative writing
and publishing to create products for various audiences.
- Understand Internet concepts (e.g.,
website, hypertext link, bookmarks, URL addresses) and
apply intermediate on-line searching techniques (e.g.,
employ keyword, phrases, and Boolean Operators).
- Use appropriate technology to
locate, retrieve, organize, analyze, evaluate, and
communicate information for problem solving and decision
making.
|
Objectives:
The learner will:
1. apply research skills using the Internet to explore the
history of Amate Bark Paintings.
2. analyze unique characteristics and styles used by the
artists of Latin America while exploring the examples of
Bark Paintings found on the Internet.
3. demonstrate knowledge of Amate Bark Painting processes by
simulating the color and texture of the amate paper in the
creation of his/her work of art.
4. produce a visual representation of an Amate Bark Painting
using similar colors, symbols, and subject matter.
5. evaluate his/her Amate Bark Painting and those made by
other students by participating in a class critique of the
completed projects.
6. use a digital camera or scanner to make a digital copy of
the artwork to be downloaded to Artsonia's educational
website (or school website) |
Lesson
Materials and Resources:
Brown paper or a large paper bag
India Ink
Shallow bowls for ink wash
Foam paint brushes
Newspaper to soak up excess ink wash
White chalk
Bright florescent tempera paint plus white (if florescent
paints are not available, bright colors may be substituted)
Paint brushes
Black Markers
Iron
Amate Bark Paintings Student/Teacher Evaluation Rubric
Authentic Amate Bark Paintings
Crizmac Cultural Resources/ videos, books, and prints of
Amate Bark Paintings |
| Technology
Tools and Materials:
Hardware:
Mac or PC with Internet access.
TV/VCR
Scanner or Digital Camera
Software:
Adobe Photoshop or Paint Program
Websites:
Some
background information -history
•Amate Paper
www.home.earthlink.net/~kering/amate.html
•Bark Paintings
www.lafuente.com/paint1.html
•Amate Resources
www.bend.k12.or.us/jaubry/amate/amate.html
•Nicolas De Jesus
www.zihua.net/nicolas/
•Concordance of Amate Bark Painters
www.gmu.edu/jbc/Tyler/amate2.htm
•The Paper Art of Mexico
www.tulane.edu/~latinlib/papelpicado.html
•Latin American Library
www.tulane.edu/~latinlib/lalhome.html
•Bogalusa High School's Bark Paintings
|
Background
Information:
Students should know basic drawing and painting procedures,
as well as the basic computer operations of research using
the Internet.
This lesson provides a source of enrichment to the study of
Latin American Culture and Art.
Bark paper or papal amate, is produced by hand in the state
of Puebla by Otomi Indians using bark from the mulberry or
fig trees. The mulberry tree creates off-white paper, while
the fig tree creates much darker paper. The bark is washed,
boiled and laid in lines on a wooden board. The fibers are
then beaten with stone until they fuse together.
The paper finds it's way to the Nahua Indians of Southern
Mexico who have excelled for several generations at painting
bright village and wildlife scenes on the hand-made paper.
Much of the amate paper goes to villages in the state of
Guerrero where artisans who once decorated pottery, now
paint imaginative scenes of everyday life, fanciful birds,
animals and flowers on this special paper. Bright florescent
colors are usually used, especially white, to produce
amazing contrast against the bark paper. Such paintings of
varying quality are produced in abundance for the tourist
trade. Some works are signed and occasionally a gifted
artist may gain considerable recognition for his work.
Vocabulary:
Amate Bark Paper
Folk Art
Stylized
Contrast
Pattern
Texture
Line
Color
Shape
Space
I've included the basic background information on Bark
Painting to give an idea of what it's all about, however I
strongly recommend the teacher do some research to build
his/her own knowledge base on this art form. |
Lesson
Procedures:
Day 1
1. Introduce Amate Bark painting by showing an example (if
possible) of an original bark painting produced in Mexico.
Explain the history and the process of making the paper and
the stylized painting traditonally done on the paper (this
information may be found in the Background Information
stated above).
2. Use the audio visual program, "Gente del Sol"
from Crizmac to reinforce the introduction and build on
their knowledge of Bark Painting. This program provides a
video tape about the artform along with printed material
that could be used as a resource for the introduction.
3. Use the Internet to research a variety of sites on the
web that show examples of paintings done by local Mexican
artists. Use the websites included in this lesson, and use
search engines to search for more sources. Ask students if
they notice things all the paintings have in common such as
the use of a border, stylized designs, and the subject
matter traditionally used. Point out the stylized animals
and plants, the use of colorful paint, the use of white to
produce more contrast, and the black outlines used in most
traditonal bark paintings.
Production:
4. To create a simulated bark paper, have students crumple
up brown paper. You could use paper bags, craft paper, or
heavy brown paper produced by most paper mills. Dilute some
India Ink with water (1/8 ink - 7/8 water) and have students
paint the ink wash on the crumpled paper. The crumpling
produces creases, which traps the diluted India Ink, thus
producing a texture similar to actual bark paper. Students
should lay the paper out on some newspaper, as flat as
possible to paint the ink wash on, using foam paint brushes.
Allow to dry thoroughly before moving to the next step. Iron
paper when dry.
Day 2
5. Draw the design out in chalk before painting. Mistakes
wipe away easily. Use stylized designs and decorative
borders similar to that of the original bark paintings, or
allow students to create original subject matter depicting
some event in thier lives.
6. Tempera paint is best because of the flat finish it
produces on the paper; however, almost any colorful media
such as acrylic or oil pastel would work fine. Use
florescent paint or the brightest colors available but
definitely use white. You may also use white to brighten up
spaces before applying the color, for example pink shows up
better on the paper if there is a coat of white behind it.
Day 3-4
7. When the painting is completely dry, use black markers to
outline the shapes in the design.
8. Upon completion of the projects, display them together
where students can gather around for a class critique
discussion. Give each student the Student/Teacher Evaluation
Rubric to do a self evaluation and prepare for the critique
session.
9. Begin the critique session with a review of Amate Bark
Painting content and processes and ask students if they feel
they were successful in creating Bark Paintings that reflect
the Latin American Culture. Responses will vary, ask
students to support their answers with an explanation.
Ask for volunteers to talk about their project or call on
individuals if they are shy. Ask each student to explain the
meaning of the subject they portray in their painting and
why they chose it. Then, use the student/teacher evaluation
rubric located in the Reproducible Materials section to ask
other questions about the content and quality of the work.
Following the critique, collect the student/teacher
evaluation rubrics to use to score each project for a grade.
I like for my students to fill out the evaluation/rubric in
black or blue ink for their self-evaluation and my
evaluation is in red ink. Return the student/teacher
evaluations to students, and have them reflect and make
comments on the evaluations before placing them in their
portfolio folder.
10. At the completion of the lesson, use a scanner or
digital camera to make a digital copy of the artwork to
download to the Artsonia web site at http://www.artsonia.com.
This will allow students to share their accomplishments with
family, friends, and other students around the world. |
Assessment
Procedures:
Student/Teacher Evaluation Rubric:
Have students fill out the rubric themselves as a
self-evaluation. Also allow students to use it as a
reference during the class critique discussion to help them
prepare to tell about their work.
Class Critique Discussion:
Display completed Bark Paintings together and gather
students around to discuss the merit of the projects.
Begin by asking students if they feel they were successful
in creating Bark Paintings that reflect the Latin American
Culture. Responses will vary, ask students to support their
answers with an explanation.
Ask for volunteers to talk about thier project or call on
individuals if they are shy. Ask each student to explain the
meaning of the subject they portray in their painting and
why they chose it. Then, use the rubric to ask other
questions about the content and quality of the work.
Following the critique, collect the rubrics to use to score
each project for a grade. I like for my students to fill out
the rubric in black or blue ink for their self evaluation
and my evaluation is in red ink. |
Accommodations/Modifications:
1. Allow students who require modifications to work with a
partner or in groups when doing the Internet research.
2. Provide as many visuals as possible such as authentic
Amate Bark Paintings, books, prints, and slides to support
the visual learners. |
Explorations
and Extensions:
1. During the research of Amate Bark Paintings have students
use their sketch books to record ideas for the subject of
their design.
2. Define vocabulary words and create a crossword puzzle to
reinforce or assess.
3. Research a Bark Painting artist on the Internet to find
out what motivates him or her, what kinds of symbols they
use, and where they are located. Have students report their
findings to their classmates.
4. Students could use Adobe Photoshop or Paint to create a
digital bark painting. |
Lesson
Development Resources:
Bloom, Dwila. Multicultural Art Activities Kit. West Nyack,
NY. The Center for Applied Research, 1994.
Gente del Sol, Crizmac Audio Visual Program,
Tucson, AZ, 1991.
Daniel F. Rubin de la Borbolla, Arte popular de Mexico,
Mexico, D.F. : Instituto Nacional Indigenista, 1963.
Toor, Francis. Mexican Popular Arts. Detroit: Blaine
Ethridge, 1973.
Dorner, Gerd. Folk Art of Mexico. New York: A.S. Barnes
& Co., 1962.
|
Reflections:
This is a lesson my students enjoyed doing very much. They
produced some awesome examples that we are all very proud
of. Several of their bark paintings were framed and entered
in different competitions. A large number of examples were
posted on Artsonia.com.
Although Grace taught this lesson to high school students,
it is also appropriate for middle school students as it has
been copied and taught by a 7th grade art teacher. |
*NOTE: Grace is now
teaching at Abney Elementary, St. Tammany Parish Schools -Grades
K-3
[HIGH
SCHOOL LESSONS] [MIDDLE
SCHOOL LESSONS]
|
