Give vintage style a whole new meaning with this Aboriginal-inspired medallion! Explore the colorful patterns of Aboriginal art, and design a vibrant necklace.

• 1.

  Aboriginal art is recognized by its distinctive style of combining vividly colored dots and lines into intricate patterns. View some examples of Aboriginal art with your class. Discuss the colors commonly used in the artwork. What patterns do you discover? What other similarities can you identify?

• 2.

  Create a necklace with Aboriginal style! Start by kneading a small amount of Crayola Terra Cotta Air-Dry Clay in your hands a few times to loosen it up and give it a smooth texture. Use the side of a colored pencil or marker to roll out the Air-Dry Clay on a clean, dry surface. It should be about as thick as a pencil when you are done. Press a round cookie-cutter or plastic cup firmly into the clay, forming the shape of the medallion. Store the remaining Air-Dry Clay in an airtight container for future use.

• 3.

  Use the tip of a pencil to make two small holes in the top of the medallion. These will be needed later to add string to your necklace. The tip of the pencil can also be a great tool for carving lines and curves into the medallion! What interesting designs can you create? To change the design, simply smooth out the clay and start over!

• 4.

  While the Air-Dry clay is still wet, use small glass beads and jewels to decorate your medallion with a colorful pattern! You may wish to plan ahead by drawing the pattern on paper with colored pencils or crayons. Arrange the beads on the medallion and press down gently to secure them in place. Tip: if you’re having trouble sticking the beads to the medallion, dip your fingertip in water and rub on clay to restore some moisture.

• 5.

  Place your medallion securely on a flat surface, and allow it to dry for 2-3 days.

• 6.

  When dry, combine Crayola No-Run School glue with water and brush onto the back and edge of the medallion. This will seal the medallion, preventing it from rubbing onto clothing. Weave string or yarn through the holes on the medallion and secure ends with clear adhesive tape to create a fun-to-wear necklace! Embellish your necklace with feathers and beads for a more authentic Aboriginal look!

Standards

• LA: Know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
• LA: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
• 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: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• MATH: Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes.
• 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: Know how the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to convey ideas.
• 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.
• VA: Describe how people's experiences influence the development of specific artworks.

Adaptations

• Aboriginal women use items available in their local environments when making jewelry. Students may research these environments, discovering what natural materials were available for jewelry making. Compare and contrast these materials to what is available in the students' environment. How would your jewelry look different than that of the Aboriginal women? Create a medallion using natural materials from your environment. Compare and contrast it to the Aboriginal medallion. Video record your comparison and upload it to a classroom computer for viewing.
• Students can write a letter to a family member discussing their learning about the Aboriginal culture and how these people used artwork in their culture. Students may also include a description of how they made their personal medallions and the meaning of the embellishments. The letters should follow a friendly letter format and be word processed. A photograph of students' medallions can be taken and imported into the friendly letters.