ART LESSON PLAN

Name: _Chris-Tina Tsuken Fogle_____ Date: _21 February-4 March (two weeks) _
Age/Grade Level:_4th____
Subject:__Visual Art_______________ # of Students: _varies__ # of IEP
Students:_varies per class___
Major Content: _Africa________ Unit Title:_Akan Adinkra Cloths______________

Goals and Objectives –

Students will demonstrate use of math concepts by repeating patterns.
Students will demonstrate understanding of symbols representing
communication by creating/identifying a set of symbols and attaching
meaning.

Connections –
4.1.32-Elements of art: Students will review the basic elements of art of line
to create symbols.
4.1.37 Art processes: Students will learn the basic steps of creating an
adinkra stamp piece.
4.2.34 Cultures: Students will learn about the Akan culture and their Adinkra
cloths.

Context –
Informing students of other cultures through art will enhance their worldly views and
make them more socially and globally aware citizens of the world. They will gain
appreciation of the differences in the world.

Resources –
Craft foam sheets, pencils, printing ink, brayers, Styrofoam meat trays,
Adinkra symbols worksheet, and PowerPoint presentation on Adinkra Cloths

Procedures –
Week One
To lead into this activity, review African cultural heritage and their previous
masks they just finished. Explain today we will continue with our African unit
and learn about the Akan culture and their ceremonial Adinkra cloths. Ask
what is ceremonial art? Show PowerPoint presentation on Akan culture.

Discuss how different cultures use symbols to communicate. Even written

language is made up of series of symbols. Ask students to give examples of
common symbols in our own culture and what they mean (ex.- peace
symbol, heart, safety symbols, advertising icons).

Explain that the Ashanti people made cloth with patterns of traditional
symbols that had specific meanings. Tell students that they are going to
create their own Adinkra Designs by printmaking.
Each student will get an adinkra symbol sheet and sketch out three designs
of symbols they like and two they make up on their own-all together they will
have 5 sketches on their paper. Tell them to write the meaning of their
symbols in their sketchbook. After ten minutes of sketching, pass out
Styrofoam pieces. They will then get one piece of craft Styrofoam and they
will cut it in half so they will have two pieces. They will choose their two
favorite symbols-one their own symbol and another a traditional Akan
symbol and sketch their idea on the Styrofoam-lightly. Once they are happy
with their sketch, they may press down hard into the Styrofoam-they must
make sure their pencil is sharpened. Now the Styrofoam is delicate so even
fingernail marks will show up on them. Now next week, we will be
transferring our Styrofoam as a stamp onto paper and in a pattern.

Studio-Time
5 minutes before end of class Clean-Up-collect symbols sheets and
Styrofoam sheets.

Week Two
Review of Ceremonial Adinkra Cloths-what are they used for? Can any one
name some of the meanings of the symbols (look in your notebooks). Today
we will be printing our symbols. Around the room are printing stations of
various colors. You will take a brayer and roll it around the ink and then roll
onto your Styrofoam sheet. You will then make a stamp of your symbol onto
your paper. Make sure you rub the sheet so the imprint comes through. Make
at least 6 different stamps on one piece of paper. Make it in a pattern
repeating the whole way. Try to use different colors. Once finished with
printing your symbols-3 each one-wash your Styrofoam blocks in the sink
and clean up your area. Make sure your name is on your artwork and place in
drying rack.
Studio-Time
Clean up-wipe down tables and counters. One person will wash the ink trays,
another will wash the brayers.

Student Assessment –
Students will be able to identify adinkra symbols that communicate their own
personality and design some new symbols to represent themselves.
How are symbols used to communicate feelings and ideas on Akan adinkra
cloth?