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Title - African Jewelry Making
By - Stephanie Slatner
Primary Subject - Art
Secondary Subjects - Social Studies
Grade Level - 6-8
Estimated Time: 8-15 hrs.
Objectives (what will be assessed?):
The students will learn and discuss the function of jewelry in African and American societies. The students will learn paper bead making, and aluminum repousse to incorporate in their jewelry. The student will also discuss and study motifs used in African jewelry and incorporate African or their own motifs into the piece of jewelry they produce.
Description/Background:
Jewelry and ornamentation is a common link between African and American societies. Although the two societies may not agree on what makes jewelry attractive, both cultures have reasons that they believe their own jewelry is attractive and important. If students are helped to understand how styles and motifs came to be and what kind of materials and techniques are used then they can examine why they find their own jewelry attractive and important.
Step by Step Procedure:
Day One
- Show Power Point presentation on African Jewelry Making and talk with the students about why jewelry was important in the Zulu culture. We will focus on the "Nwati" Love letter necklace that was given to a man by a woman to show how she felt about that particular man. This was used during their initiation ceremony into adulthood.
- Lead a discussion with the students about the jewelry of Africa using the power point presentation based on the type of jewelry you want your students to develop for themselves. We will talk about how they will incorporate the symbol they have created for themselves into their necklace.
- Within this discussion talk about the principles and elements of art that link and/ or separate African jewelry from American jewelry, the techniques used to make each kind of jewelry, and what, if any particular meaning it has within the culture it originates from.
- We will also start today with the bead making using strips of fadeless paper, glue, and pencils.
Day Two
- We will talk a little more about the design of jewelry and how to make in interesting as well as being functional. (something you would actually want to wear)
- After the discussion, have the students develop designs for their own piece of jewelry in the form of thumbnail sketches. We will continue to work on making paper beads, and the ones who finish early on the beadwork will start transferring their symbol drawings onto the foil.
Day Three
- We will talk a little more about form vs. function. We will finish up any bead making or transferring needed. We will apply black tempera paint to the embossed foil to bring out the drawing. Then we will assemble the necklaces. We will have a little show and tell with our jewelry and will give each student to explain their symbol and their choices they made to create their piece.
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