Multicultural & Queer Theory Adaptation

Multicultural and Queer Theories - A Springtime lessonTeacher: Whitney Gasser
Grade: 3^rd Grade
Time Needed: Two 45 minute blocks
Objective: Students will take pride in their culture and appreciate other cultures through music and art. This will be demonstrated as they decorate a Ukrainian Easter Egg
3rd Grade Social Studies Standards:
Standard 2 

Students will understand cultural factors that shape a community.

Objective 1 

Evaluate key factors that determine how a community develops.

1. Identify the elements of culture (e.g. language, religion, customs, artistic expression, systems of exchange).
2. Describe how stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture.
   

3rd Grade Visual Arts
Standard 4 

(Contextualizing): The student will interpret and apply visual arts in relation to cultures, history, and all learning.

Objective 1 

Compare the arts of different cultures to explore their similarities and diversities.

1. Describe why different cultures may have used different materials to create their arts and crafts.
   National Art Standard 

1. Content Standard:  Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes 

Achievement Standard: 

Students

a. know the differences between materials, techniques, and processes 

b. describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses

c. use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and

stories

1. use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner
   Procedure:
   Materials Needed:

Jars with dye

Beeswax

1 Kistka for ever 3-4 students
Procedure: 
Talk with students about different cultures they are familiar with. Talk about cultures of influence though experience and through family line. 

Discuss different types of art from different time periods and countries. Ask students why they think the people used the materials and grounds that they did. 
Talk about ancient Egyptian art. Their art is very symbolic and focused on religious beliefs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_ancient_Egypt

Discuss the Native Americans and their art. What materials did they use. Show pictures of art and hieroglyphics. Compare and contrast the differences between the types of art. Use a ven-diagram on the board.

Use popular multicultural art to discuss what multicultural art is. Ask students which picture most represents them and why. Have students guess where they think the picture is from (and why), before telling them.

Norman Rockwell-America

 

 Asha Sudhaker Shenoy- India

 

 Jessie Meier- South Africa

 

China:

 

Carmen Lomas Graza- Mexico

 

Talk about how different cultures have different styles of art. Some art is based upon holiday traditions. 

Have students pair share about different holiday traditions.

Talk about eastern European Easter holiday traditions. Introduce the Ukrainian Easter egg “Pysanka”. Talk about the materials used. Talk about the word hydrophobic, and explain how where the egg has wax on it It does not absorb the color from the water. 

Demonstrate how to make a Pysanka.

Next day

Use this website to know how to make eggs: http://petitelefant.com/how-to-make-ukrainian-easter-eggs/

how to make ukrainian easter eggs.

by ALLISON on APRIL 2, 2010

The trick is finding the right tools; Ukrainian eggs need special tools, and I was only able to find them online. I bought mine from the Polish Art Center {of course} but there were a few other retailers to choose from. You need at least one kistka(what you use to apply the wax), beeswax, and dyes. I wanted really strong, traditional dyes so I bought a package of 16 colors online instead of using a grocery store dye kit.
Supplies for making Ukranian Easter Eggs: Kistka, beeswax, dyes


Step 1:

Lay down two or three layers of newspaper on your work surface, this dye is really strong and you don’t want it on your counter or kitchen table.

I used mason jars for my dye baths, they’re perfect. Get out your jars and mix up your colors. Let them cool to room temperature before you start dyeing or the eggs will crack.

Step 2:

While you’re waiting for the dye baths to cool, pull your eggs out of the refrigerator and let them warm up. The wax and dyes won’t adhere to them as well unless they’re a little on the warmer side.

Step 3:

Warm up the kistka over a hot candle {use a small stub of a candle} and scoop up some wax. Now melt that wax over the candle again until it’s completely liquefied.

Step 4:

Start decorating! This is the best part. Think of the wax as negative space, everything you cover with wax will stay that color. So, if you color a white egg with swirls of wax, those swirls will stay white in the end. Each additional color you use will stay that color if you apply wax. Make sense?

Step 5:

Repeat Step 4. Keep decorating with wax and dipping into different colors. Start with the lightest color first and move to the darkest. If you have a yellow start with that, move onto red, then green, blue, and finally black. Each new dye will cover up the last, except the parts you’ve waxed. See Viktor’s egg? He’s already waxed white, then dyed it blue and he’s onto the next layer of wax.

Step 6:

Gently melt the wax off the egg and wipe with a paper towel until you have no wax left on your egg at all.