Interactive Storytime Art extension 1.

Ꚛ The Art Experience

The Creative Art workshop brings the whole Interactive Storytelling Experience together and allows the children to express in a concrete way the storytelling experience through creative self-expression. The examples below can be adopted to several age groups with the support of the teacher and assistance of older youth in the school to build further on the collective power of cooperation. These examples are given to inspire the creative process for everyone to build and imagine their own extensions as well.

The Art Experience can be extended by giving children the opportunity to express the story through collective and individual art projects. Examples are given below...

Ꚛ The Medicine Animal Painting introduces the Medicine Animal Tradition that recognizes all life on our planet is connected; that we are brothers and sisters and part of a collective family. This art project honors the interconnectedness we share with our animal, plant and mineral brothers and sisters.

The Medicine Animal Tradition recognizes all life carries its own good medicine. That good medicine teaches us the art of life and why we are here. All life is sacred and here for a purpose. One of the gifts of life is to share our good medicine.

The Medicine Animal Painting can be created as a single piece of art on stretched canvas, or on individual pieces of canvas. Children can then paint images of sunflowers, rainbow flowers, butterflies, rocks, sky, grass, pond and more; with the intention that children are creating a medicine painting that brings good dreams for the beings they are painting, for example: to help the animal babies and families grow beautiful and healthy; for the plant kingdoms to flourish and multiply; and the mountains to grow strong as they reach upward through the earth plates skyward movement. Now the individual artwork can be sewn or glued onto a larger sheet to make a collective piece of art, or left as individual artwork pieces, and displayed in a circle flowing wave pattern, individually framed with branch twigs, or hung together in a prayer flag configuration.

The finished Medicine Animal Painting can be displayed as a piece of art on a school hall wall or set up as an art installation to inspire conversations and thought. The individual panel/patch artwork can be displayed with pledges, poems and short stories to expand on the concepts of friendship, love, peace, kindness etc.; with the help of the teacher to write out children's individual creative pledges, poems or short stories who are still learning to print.

Examples for Art Installation:

The younger children can create a collective poem. The teacher can help build the poem by beginning each line for the children and leaving a space for each child to add their creative expression. For example: Bears are... Bumble Bees like... rabbits go... and wolfs howl... and owls always...; or "I once knew a... who liked to jump. I once had a... that thought it was a..."

The next step is to create a visual display to draw in other students to read the pledges, poems, short stories. Maybe set up a natural kingdom display with fauna and flora under the artwork and accompanied by a homemade book about the animal and plant diversity, habitats and territories.

Build on the visual by including the characters from 'How Long Stalk Became a Flower' - creating a Long Stalk Sunflower character (with felt material: golden petals with hand stitched designs and then sewn or glued onto a brown stuffed felt circle; green rectangles glued on a long stick or bamboo pole for the stem, and heart shaped green petals). Create a rainbow flower garden and fill it with painted rocks.

*The Medicine Animal Painting can be adopted for the youngest children who do not yet have the above-mentioned creative skills.

Children can have their pictures taken with their favorite stuffed animal and then those photos turned into an artwork, for example: children can paint a large circle blue and green (for the earth); with the help of the teacher, children can paint a deciduous or coniferous tree with branches and cut out leaves or cones (they paint, cut or glue); then place the tree over the blue and green earth and glue the photos (now cut in a circle) onto the tree. Each step in this process develops a collective and cooperative experience that builds on the concepts of the earth, plants, animals and children being a part of the whole and cooperative relationship of life on our planet.

*Another example: Paint a giant planet Earth, have children glue their pictures with their favorite cuddly animal around the giant earth to become a flower. Make a long stem with green cut felt pieces glued onto a long narrow piece of felt/cardboard to make the stem. Cut out heart shaped leaves to glue onto the stem.

Ꚛ The Peace Mandala and Rainbow Ribbon Message

The Peace Mandala should be created on a large round canvas made of wood or canvas in the shape of a circle. The cooperative art experience will help children to build an understanding of the concepts of Peace, Cooperation and Patience. The children and youth will express their unique creative gifts through painting images and writing words of power that express peace for our planet on individual pieces of colored ribbons. (This project will take time-as youth may feel they don't have the skills, or attention loses focus. therefore, let it be an ongoing project until it is complete)

The Peace Mandala artwork will take patience, cooperation and time. These 3 aspects are part of the collective learning experience. For Peace to be achieved in our modern day, patience and cooperation are needed, while time is the process of peace in its movement toward realization. Therefore, don't worry, take the time needed to accomplish the artwork. Work at it every day, or once a week, as much as is possible and watch the Peace Mandala take form. The goal here is to complete the Peace project however long it takes.

The Peace Mandala Art Experience builds the Dream of Peace. The Dream of Peace begins in our hearts and then imaginations. The Dream of

Peace must be realized before it can be actualized.

The Peace Sign is a universal symbol of unity, respect and love for all. It is an evolutionary metaphor for transformation without war.

Dreaming for Peace...

Peace Mandala options: depending on the age group, this art project will be teacher directed, or with the support of the teacher, children decide how they will create their peace mandala design.

Step 1: the teacher, students cut out a Peace Sign and large Circle (classic Peace Sign in circle) from canvas.

Step 1: or the children choose the friend who has the skill to cut out a Peace Sign and circle from canvas.

* (medium weight fabric is best such as hemp or cut canvas that can be purchased from Opus Art Supply store). Make sure the canvas is pretreated with Gesso to keep paint from chipping. When not working on the project make sure to roll the fabric around a round tube. Fabric stores will give you their finished bolt tubes.

Step 2: children paint the Peace Sign with pre-mixed acrylic paint and let dry.

or they can color piece sign with food coloring and eye-drop syringes.

Step 3: children paint the image of our planet Earth onto the circle canvas. leaving a 3–4-inch border around the edge of canvas. The Earth does not need to be perfect, just representative of the earth. See the Father Sky and Mother Earth image in the book 'How Long Stalk Became a Flower' to get an idea.

Step 4: the teacher or students draws segments around the painted Earth image.

Step 5: using oil or chalk pastels, the children draw images into the segmented sections of the mandala that mean Peace for them, such as hearts, music symbols, sun, stars, words etc.) using pastels is an easier medium for children to achieve successful results.

Step 6: when the outer edge of the canvas is completed with peace images, the segments can be further clearly divided by using acrylic paint to clarify the lines between each child's created image (heart, flower etc.)

Step 7: Now glue or sew the Peace Sign onto the canvas over the image of the Earth.

Step 8: When the artwork is complete, the children will set up an art display with the Peace Mandala placed in a central position and the Peace Ribbon messages will extend around the Mandala to create array around the Peace Mandala. The goal is to have the ribbons look like sun rays with the round wood canvas or cloth canvas.

*A skilled older student/artist/s could draw the central Peace Sign or turtle image for the younger age group. This supports cooperation learning and support by older youth for the younger students and encourages the Rainbow Bridge of friendship and mentorship for the younger students.

To note: Remember to create a mandala design that has uniformity in its segmented parts.

This creative cooperative learning experience is subtle and challenging at the same time, and therefore it is important that the Peace Ribbon Mandala Art experience find a way to set the space in a sacred way. A Tibetan bowl, a rattle, drum and smudge can help to focus children's attention. Another way to set the sacred space is to share drink and food after each creative art step as part of the collective creative gathering. That way the children involved can gather before, during and after the art session to ground their energy and share conversation.

Ꚛ Rainbow Ribbon Messages

The Rainbow Ribbons represent prayer ribbons offered toward the Dream of Peace for our world. When the art installation is over, these ribbons are then offered to students in other classes to take-away, to be placed on trees throughout the neighborhood, or placed on one individual tree in the school yard. The Peace Ribbon Messages are given as part of the Give-Away Tradition and are meant to send good energy throughout the community.

Step 1: using wide ribbon, the children and or teacher cut out dream ribbons for writing peace messages onto the ribbons. The ribbons are cut into long strips. Then either the children or with the help of the teacher, the peace messages are printed onto the individual ribbons (such as... Peace Rocks; Peace works when you believe in it. etc.). The Peace Ribbon messages will be placed around the Peace Sign and Mother Earth image.

(For Peace quote ideas see Give Peace a Chance list found in the more section.)

The Rainbow Ribbons also represent the power within the Ribbon Skirt and Shirt; they are an expression of Indigenous people's story, strength, resilience, character. and sacredness. The herstory and history of the Ribbon used to adorn Original People's clothing goes back to the first recording some 400 years ago when the Europeans brought the first ribbons to trade. The herstory/history of the ribbon skirt and shirt is varied and carries many stories of how adorning with ribbon began, but in every use, it symbolizes a sacredness and connection to spirit.

Ꚛ Extensions and Art Installations:

Ꚛ Peace Mandala:

The Peace Mandala concept can easily change to present a sacred teaching for many forms of life. Such as a Tree, the Sun, Grandma Moon, Mother Earth, the Turtle, The Flower of Life, and other medicine animals. For example: Using the Tree for the center of the mandala, the life of the tree becomes the message... the power of the tree to give us oxygen, food, medicine; the power of Grandma Moon to keep our planet moving and waters flowing back and forth; the power of the Sun to grow food and give us warmth and fire; the Turtle, the sacred symbol of our Mother Earth teaching the balance between earth and water, and grounding energy; the Flower of Life to teach the pattern of creation and birth.; the image of a boy and girl to express the brotherhood and sisterhood needed to bring balance back between the male and female for all life. This last installation can incorporate all forms of life/species, each species is represented by a life giver/mother and life giver/father

* Teachers follow Steps 1-10 for creating the different Mandala teachings.

Ꚛ Box of Peace Messages:

Children can create Peace Cards with Peace sayings and quotes for friends in other classes to choose and pin around the Ribbon Arrays.

* (Go back to HOME Page to 'Give Peace a Chance' section to see a list of available Peace Messages)

As the children grow in their skills and understanding, they take the lead and decide the mandala pattern and colors they want to use. They draw their central image (Turtle, Tree, Peace sign etc.) and mandala design; and they also prepare the canvas. They cut the ribbons out etc. this develops the artist's skills and knowledge of art mediums, design and composition.

The Art Installation will continue to grow and change too...

For example: a time lapse film of the peace mandala process; or a short film interviewing the young artists on their thoughts about the meaning of Peace, Tree, the Sun etc.

Further extensions could include a short film on the youth creating 'good monster artwork' out in the world, such as giving out peace ribbons to people on the street; chalk drawing the word 'Peace' on sidewalks; face painting peace symbols and images on each other's faces and offering to paint other students faces, then going for a walk in the neighborhood; even building a peace sign pinata. All these are examples of how to bring the Art Experience to another level of interaction between all students, their neighborhood and the world.

Ꚛ Peace Flag extension:

Peace Flags are a great way to join individual art into a collective art experience. Children are given individual colored material (circles, squares, triangle shapes) to paint peace messages or symbols of peace onto the individual cloth pieces (such as flowers, the word 'love' or peace signs). Then the children tie/glue/sew the finished flags onto a long hemp string as in the tradition of prayer flags for Tibetans.

The Tibetan People are ancient Mayan people and belong to the spiritual and ancestral family of Turtle Island.

Peace Flags can also be made to give away at a Give-Away Community Event. (See Give-Away Art Extension 2.B)

Ꚛ Mother Earth Tie-Dye T-shirt extension:

Tye-dye t-shirts can be a great way to engage children in an individual and creative cooperative science/art experience.

Step 1: light medium green or blue t-shirts are purchased by the school or children bring in personal t-shirts.

Step 2: children can draw their own turtle design with fabric pens. Then use any resist printing/dyeing method to cover the design or to draw designs in various ways on the t-shirt.

Resist printing dyeing includes using wax, stitching, tying and folding.

Step 3: Now children can also tie strings or elastic in different places on t-shirts.

Step 4: Next, using just blue and green dye (for the colors of Mother Earth) the T-shirts are dyed in two large dying pots. Light bluet-shirts in the green pot, Light green t-shirts in the blue pot.

These Art Experiences can be tailored to meet any ongoing curriculum theme: such as flags for Earth Day, Valentines (friendship).

Ꚛ Talking Stick extension

The Talking Stick is a tool used by many Original People cultures to honor the speaker. The one who holds the Talking Stick is the one to speak. Respect of silence is given until the speaker finishes speaking and passes the Talking Stick to the next speaker. In the Circle all are given respect to talk, until the last person who wishes to speak has spoken. If by chance the time for council must end, then the next council will continue with the speakers who did not have the opportunity to speak, until all have spoken. Then the next topic of discussion would begin, and the process would continue again, until all who wish to speak have spoken.

The children will find the children working with the resources of the forest. Children will find short branches for individual talking sticks and one long branch for a group talking stick. Preferably the branches will be gathered from the ground (a great time is after a storm). Then the children will clear the bark from the branch while the bark is wet. Next, they will let the cleaned branches dry completely, so they are ready to sand. Starting from 60 grade sandpaper up to 300 grade sandpaper, the children will sand and sand. Once the de-barked branches are smooth, the children can paint any number of symbols to represent the Talking Sticks collective expression... animals, the Four Direction colors. It is a good idea to oil the wood with walnut oil or other non-toxic wood oil to protect the wood. Then the children can tie feathers and beads onto the stick to complete the sacred process.

The Talking Stick will take time. A collective Talking Stick may challenge younger children to finish the time-consuming project. therefore, just having them contribute to the process is good enough to concretely understand the process. Then the children can witness the teacher completing the preparation process.

Now the classroom has a Talking Stick for collective circles to teach respect, patience and focused attention.

Ꚛ Final Thoughts on Peace…

The Peace Mandala Art and Rainbow Ribbon Message experience will give children and youth the creative opportunity to experience the Art and Way of Peace. The Art of Peace is found in the ability to create and work together with the goal to accomplishing the task at hand. The task at hand is completing the Peace Mandala; The Way of Peace is experienced through the drawing, painting and writing; The Path of Peace is found in the Heart. and images painted by the children for the outer circle of the mandala.

When children experience and learn to 'create' together, rather than merely 'next to each other' their hearts and minds become quantum entangled; meaning they are learning from a deeper awareness and becoming a part of each other's influence and reality. They can and will witness each other's actions affecting the other, for example: one child will paint a flower, which can then inspire another child to paint a butterfly, which then in turn inspires another child to write the word 'beautiful'. or even the opposite. The children and youth will learn to share space, learn to compromise ideas, transcend limiting concepts, move past frustrations and complete the task when focus and inspiration wane. These are all stepping-stones toward Peace. (Even if a child should write the word ugly, the teacher can take this expression and transform it into the transmutation of life; watching a beautiful cut flower wither and die, and then returning that dead flower to the earth to become composite for other flowers to grow from its nutrients.).