Week 4, June 27, Wild West Week

1A, 1B - Draw horses.
*materials: paper, pencils, crayons
See handout on drawing horses. Kids first warm up by standing at table, drawing large ovals with pencil on the back of their paper. Encourage moving their arm from their shoulder in big, loose movements- draw lightly- keep the movement fluid. Pencil moves around and around. Try thinner ovals- first vertically, then horizontally (almost creating rings on a planet). Let the oval become smaller.

 
Flip paper over and begin horse drawing. Lightly drawn ovals will be the basis for the horse drawing. Draw the large shapes of the horse first. Details will be drawn later (eyes, hooves, etc.). Pay attention to size. How long should the neck be in comparison to the leg? How large is the abdomen, how can extra ovals show off muscle tone (back, legs, etc.)? Outline, pressing heavier now. Add details like the mane, hooves, eyes, nostrils, etc. Add color with crayon.

Alternative 2A lesson: Folding, cutting a 3D paper horse 
*materials: construction paper, scissors, tape, crayons
Fold paper in half, cut a rectangle along long, open side. Use rectangular scrap for head & neck, folding one end to form the head. Add other paper for tail and mane. Color eyes, hooves, nostrils, markings, etc.

Lesson 2B (maybe A or see next lesson) Indian Beading

*materials: 40" hemp cord per kid, mini pony beads, masking tape or clips, baggies to sort beads (optional)

 Info: From bracelets to mocassins to satchels, the Native Americans beaded a variety of items. Beads were a commodity and very valuable. Wood, shell, stone~ the material the bead was made out of told a story of where it was from.

Each kid picks 2-3 colors of beads. Patterns & designs are encouraged and can be drawn in advance. Note how each row has 1-5 beads in it. You may want kids to choose about 30 beads now (can take more later- may need 35-80 beads total). 40" hemp is folded in half, loop knotted & clipped/taped in place. Beads are strung onto one end of cord. Then slide the end of the other cord through the beads, from the bottom of the bead and up through it. Tighten by pulling on each end of the hemp. Loosely double knot if putting bracelet away incomplete~ keeps beads from falling off. Tightly double knot when complete.

 

A few tips! 

• Have kids help work out the math & the patterns by drawing rows (no more than 5 in a row, 1 more or less than each previous row near the ends, limit to no more than 11 rows of 5).
• Pass out baggies so kids can count out their beads before beginning (optional). Start with 30 beads. 

  *Thanks to Barbara Cottrell for this lesson. We're gonna miss ya!*

   

Alternative Lesson for 2A: Beaded necklace
*materials: pony beads and other large-eyed beads, yarn or lacing string, tape (optional)
Layout out beads, string beads, tie plenty long around neck so it can be easily slipped on and off. Tip: lay out beads before stringing, possibly in a pattern. Tape end of yarn if it frays (lacing string is a nice alternative to yarn~ no fraying).

 3A Sewn Satchel
*4.5"x12" paper, hole punches, 2 ft. yarn to sew (more for strap), crayons
Fold paper in half. Fold about 1/2" from the top, open sides, on the front and back layers. Punch a few holes up each side, being sure to punch one hole on the 1/2" hem. Double knot 2' yarn in one of the bottom holes then sew up the sides, over the top hem, and then down the other side. Double knot at the second bottom hole. Measure new yarn for strap with child modeling satchel. Tie strap to the top two holes to create the strap. Decorate with crayons or colored pencils if desired.

3B: Navajo Sand Sun Painting
*Colored sand, bowls to shake excess sand into,  5"x5" or 6"x6" cardstock/tagboard/thin cardboard, pencils, glue, small paintbrush, lids/plates for glue, water jars
Navajo Sun Paintings are a sacred part of life. Medicine Men perform a ceremony to heal those in need. The ritual is filled with chantings and sand paintings created to perfection in a variety of designs. The "patient" sits on the painting once complete as part of the healing process. The paintings are destroyed after the ceremony.

Kids will paint a sand painting of a sun. Many sun designs are symmetrical and some have faces. After sketching with pencil on the paper, glue is brushed onto the paper in sections (rays, dots, lines, etc.). Sand is sprinkled on and then paper is carefully tipped and shaken out over the tray of sand. Kids may want to start with dark colors (as it seems to end up in wet glue later if done last) or end with the color they want to show up most pure (if purple is the most important color, use it last to keep it the cleanest). Dry flat. Soak or wash brushes immediately with soap and water to remove glue completely.