Beads, Beads, Beads! 

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Instructor: Janice Shepard

Targeted Grade Levels: 2, 3, 4

Content Areas Covered: Social Studies, Art, Reading, Math

Anticipated Duration: 1 week

Rationale:

  1. Children will explore the symbolism of color as used in beadwork among the Ancient Egyptians, Asians, Native Americans, and contemporary Americans.
  2. They will determine their own feelings about various colors, and design beadwork to represent how they view themselves.

Objectives:

  1. Children will come to recognize that colors have cultural symbolism.
  2. They will design and create personal beaded jewelry, emphasizing their own feelings about color. The creations will have mathematical sequences.

Resources/Materials Needed:

  1. African Crafts by Judith Corwin (1990). NY: Franklin Watts
  2. The Multicultural Art Book by Alexandra Terzian (1993). Charlotte, Vermont: Williamson Publishing
  3. Using Color of Meaning Website: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/color2.htm
  4. Large assortment of beads in differing sizes, shapes, and colors
  5. Cord for stringing beads
  6. Scissors

Procedures:

Adjust according to the pace and time available on each day.

  1. Students will peruse the resource books and other pictures to view colored beadwork of various cultures.
  2. Students will read selections from "Using Color for Meaning" located at the aforementioned website.
  3. Students will play interactive color games from the website: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/color2.htm
  4. Students will identify their personal interpretations of the significance of colors.
  5. Students will develop sequential patterns of their "personal" colors to create beadwork, necklaces, anklets, and bracelets.

Assessment:

Upon completing this activity, the children will model their jewelry, and convey to others the personal significance of the colors. Teacher observation will also occur.

Evaluation/Reflection:

The children studied the different meanings of colors.  They all know that other cultures feel differently about the significance of color than Americans.  We also used color cubes to explore color combinations and sequence patterns. The students made beaded bracelets first, and then they made necklaces.