http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7RecPCW9s
The above link is a video taken from youtube showing how to create a construction paper lei. I know this video may seem irrelevant to the rest of the blogs but I really found this video enjoyable and educational. Being that my emphasis is art and I am from Hawaii, this how-to video can show students from all over the nation and world how to create something cultural to Hawaii and Hawaiian people, which they can then appreciate the symbolism and history behind the flower lei. If I choose to pursue a future in education, I would certainly return to Hawaii to help the future generations. Being that Hawaii is so mixed ethnically, many local students would benefit from this activity and also use this lesson as an outlet for creativity and expression. I believe however small an arts and crafts lesson is, providing the opportunity for students to partake in such doings is beneficial. Do any of you feel the same way? Or shold the arts and crafts lesson be more "complicated" than just making a paper lei?
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I think that this is a great idea for a lesson. We talk all the time about integrating art and music into lessons, and this definitely seems like a great example. I love that a lesson like this has the students being creative, and that it is also teaching them about a specific culture. I don't think that kids are getting enough art these days, and a lesson like this can provide a historical lesson as well as art. I think that a lesson like this can build off of itself. So the first lesson would be to make the paper lei, and then different parts can be added. I think that having students do art projects on different cultures would be a great unit, and something that continue throughout the school year.
ReplyDeleteThis lesson can easily be integrated into a lesson about States or Cultures. Chapman University is known for teaching integrated studies and this is exactly what you are introducing. No project is too simple. Children will love creating something and feeling a connection to Hawaiian culture. The video is very straight forward and can even be used as a assignment that encourages following directions. A group of students can get together and watch the video and try and work together to make the lei on their own, without the teacher.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great lesson. I do not think a lesson need to be easy or difficult, I think that as long as the studnets are learning and their minds are engaged it provides a great lesson. Art lessons are so fun and they give students a chance to show their creativity and get them involved in integrated lessons. Teaching about the art history and the culture of Hawaiian, or any culture for that matter, will aid the student as a whole. Art is a great way to integrate other aspects of learning into thew curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI think that the lesson is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the Hawaiian culture. This art project is a perfect example of how an educator is able to integrate the arts with the core curriculum (in this case Hawaiian culture). By doing an activity like this, students have the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the Hawaiian culture and the importance of the lei. I think that an activity like this would be very beneficial to students because they are given the opportunity to engage in the lesson meanwhile learning and appreciating the history of another culture.
ReplyDeleteI think that this paper lei project is so cute!! I would definitely teach this to children in my classroom. I think that cultural arts projects like these are very important for children, because it keeps the arts in schools while giving them a lesson about different cultures at the same time. I don't think that it matters whether or not an art project is "complicated." What matters most is what the children learn from doing the art project. In this case, I'm sure students would have the opportunity to learn a lot about Hawaii!! Also, the leis would be so unique; every child would create a different one!! Aloha!! =)
ReplyDeleteI totally think that the arts are beneficial in the classroom in any shape or form. Not only is this a fun activity, but it also brings in another culture, and perhaps a history lesson of the lei can be brought in too!
ReplyDeleteI thought this lesson would be a great idea to talk about different cultures in a classroom. I would talk about the history of Hawaii and then have my students complete this activity. I don't think the lei should be more complicated but it would be nice to leave room to have each student express themselves. Like having them color their flowers and put other decorations if they would like to. I think arts should be incorporated in the classroom and this is a very create way to do so.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to be able to integrate art into as many lessons as I could, and I love this idea. Learning about different states and cultures is something that I loved doing in elementary school, and this is the perfect idea to get kids started on Hawaiian culture.
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