Ecology

Lesson 18: Harnessing Spirits: The Hornbill: Bird of Prophecy, Malaysia

Summary and Objectives

Study of a hornbill mask from Borneo introduces students to the natural history of the bird and to cultural practices related to it. Students’ study leads to visual and performing arts activities and to their understanding of and respect for omens and other beliefs that are centered on observations of the natural world. Students will

  • Explore the natural history and the symbolism of the hornbill in Borneo through research and artmaking activities.
  • Engage in performing arts activities centered on an understanding of indigenous beliefs concerning the hornbill.
  • Contextualize their study of the hornbill in other learning activities related to the study of the art and ritual of rice in Asia.  

 

THIS LESSON IS PART OF:
Curriculum Resource for Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives.
Unit 3: Art and Power

Lesson 7: Memory and Cosmology: Creator/Ancestors: The Wawilak Sisters Bark Painting, Australia

Summary and Objectives

Study of a bark painting produced in the 1960s introduces students to Aboriginal peoples of Australia and to their histories as revealed through art. The students will investigate and interpret Australian creation stories and use the featured bark painting to explore the changing roles of the arts in Australia, especially as related to issues of women, commerce, and ritual. Students will

  • Explore the history of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia through a study of their creation stories.
  • Consider the changing roles of women, commerce, and ritual through the lens of bark paintings and then create their own “bark” paintings as documents of their lives.
  • Discuss and study areas of conflict between immigrants and native peoples of a country.
  • Compare and consider the many non-written ways that culturestransmit a sense of history and belief.
  • Express points of view about the experiences of European migration into Australia, considering multiple perspectives. 
THIS LESSON IS PART OF:
Curriculum Resource for Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives.
Unit 2: Art and Knowledge

Lesson 4: Encounters of Ideas, Time, and Place. Textiles of Southeast Asia

Summary and Objectives

A study of Southeast Asian textiles affords students opportunities to examine Pacific migration, the effects such movements have on family and community traditions, and the roles played by certain norms and beliefs. Activities encourage students’ exploration of simple weaving techniques and patterning and design options. This lesson introduces the notion that works of art themselves can reflect cultural dynamism, transaction, interaction, and change. Forms are constantly updated and reinvented to meet changing social circumstances, accommodate new media and technologies, and reflect the vitality of arts and cultures throughout the world. Students will

  • Understand through discussion that works of art reflect a multitude of influences and encounters.
  • Explore fabrics—both familiar and unfamiliar—and research the materials, their sources, and new uses for textiles in contemporary industrial or scientific contexts.
  • Consider “objects of encounter” that reveal the interplay of external influences and tradition-based artistic practice.
  • Analyze patterning in the material culture around them and experiment with creating patterns by simple weaving techniques.
  • Weave with words in a word-search game.

Lesson 3: Beauty and Purpose. Capturing Beauty: Ikebana Baskets, Japan

Summary and Objectives

Students investigate a number of aspects related to ikebana baskets—the uses and meanings of bamboo, construction methodologies, and the elevated status given basket makers in Japan. This lesson introduces students to the important concept of beauty and purpose—that is, that the humblest of objects may be embellished and enhanced in ways that elevate everyday work and imbue it with special significance and value. Activities stress research, discussion, writing, and artmaking. Students will

  • Explore the uses of bamboo by finding bamboo items in their own surroundings.
  • Create their own basket after they study some of the formal principles of ikebana design.
  • Express their understanding of the art of ikebana flower arrangement through painting, writing, and poetry writing.

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