Look deep into an Ancient culture, and decode a visual language of simple dots and lines! Use these symbols to create a meaningful design of your own.

• 1.

  Traditional Aboriginal artwork is most known for its distinctive use of dots and lines. These dots and lines have meanings within the drawings. For example, a curvy line could represent rain or a river. A "U" shape is the symbol of a person.

• 2.

  Find examples of Aboriginal artwork and research the symbolism of the dots and lines in each piece. What can you tell about their daily lives from these simple depictions?

• 3.

  Use the Aboriginal symbols you found to create your own original work of art! On black construction paper, draw an Aboriginal design with Crayola Slick Stix™. Slick Stix contain pigments that may stain clothing, fabrics and other household surfaces. Wear a smock to protect clothing and cover your work surface with newspaper. Experiment with the Slick Stix to make interesting lines, swirls, and dots of various weights and textures!

• 4.

  Enhance your drawing with a 3D effect! Flatten a small amount of Crayola Model Magic® on a hard surface such as a table. Firmly press a circular Model Magic Presto Dots™ tool into the flattened modeling compound, and lift to create a Model Magic dot! Model Magic that is fresh from the pack will stick to itself. Dried pieces can be glued together. Attached dots to your drawing with Crayola No-Run School Glue.

Standards

• LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• LA: Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
• LA: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• LA: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
• MATH: Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes.
• SCI: Ask questions about the natural and human-built worlds.
• SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.
• SS: Describe how people create places that reflect ideas, personality, culture, and wants and needs as they design homes, playgrounds, classrooms, and the like.
• VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.
• VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.
• VA: Know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationship to various cultures.
• VA: Identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum.

Adaptations

• Student groups can research similarities and differences in the way the Aboriginal people and Native Americans were treated by European immigrants. Student groups will write a collaborative, compare/contrast essay describing their findings.
• With in-depth research, students may choose to write and present a play or presentation (in person or video) of their findings of a civilization other than the Aborigines. Students should expect to develop their play or presentation in written format before transferring it to a performance.
• Students may research a well-known artist from earlier times and prepare an electronic presentation for classmates which summarizes this research. This presentation, in the format of a PowerPoint or Glogster, can be uploaded to the classroom computer for viewing.
• Student groups can research similarities and differences in the way the Aboriginal people and Native Americans were treated by European immigrants. Student groups will write a collaborative, compare/contrast essay describing their findings.
• Look for text resources to recommend.