Art of the Inca Lesson Ideas

Submitted by: Jill Hanson-Fahnoe, Blake Lower School, Highcroft Campus
UNIT: Art of the Inca - Foil Tooling - Masks
Lesson: Inca Gods - Foil Tooled Mask
Grade level: Elementary (grades 4 through 6)

Lesson Summary:

These masks were made by fourth graders at The Blake School, Highcroft Campus. As part of their classroom social studies they learned about South America. During art class they explored the art of the Inca, a lost civilization from Peru. They looked at hand-crafted Inca objects made of metal- taking a close look at gold and silver masks unearthed from Inca tombs. Through these they learned about the Inca people's awesome craftsmanship. They thought their use of design was very good - like patterns, geometric shapes and symbols.

Next they drafted a design for a mask of their own - combining what they knew about the Inca people with what they knew about their style of art, and threw in a bit of imagination as well! The ideas were then embossed into and then cut from a sheet of metal foil. Some of them "antiqued" masks to make them look like they were tarnished or old. Students then wrote about the meaning of their masks - showing an understanding of Incan culture.

Motivation:

1. Present background information on the Inca and Inca gods. Optional: Present the Sun in Art - give a short overview of cultures and worship of Sun God. Make connections to science.

2. Show examples of Inca gold - and metal tooling. Discuss the Inca gold masks

3. Demonstrate foil tooling techniques - working both sides of the metal

"Goddess of Silver" "God of the Sun" "God of Water"

Here are the stories written by these students:

"Goddess of Silver"

I am the goddess of silver. I rule the world with silver. I am made of silver and will be beautiful until the end of the world. I make the light when the earth moves. When you sleep I sleep. When I am asleep the god of gold takes care of you. He makes the sand for the sandman. I'm getting sleepy now, so it's time for the gold god to take over. Good night!

By "A"
Grade 4, The Blake School

"Incan Sun God"

I am an Incan Sun God. My people cherish me. They say that I save them from famine after thunderstorms. They decided to put me in the sun temple by a window to catch the sunlight. The light makes me shine and sparkle. Instead of being made of bronze or copper, I am made of gold. The moon goddess is made of silver. She is my wife. According to the other gods in the temple, she gave birth to the earth. Thank you for reading my story.

By S
Grade 4, The Blake School

"God of Water"

I made this mask at Highcroft. I used simple shapes because it is supposed to be a mask from the Age of Incas. The mask represents the god of water. It can make rivers in the deserts and can also make water appear anywhere. It helps animals because it is the giver of water..

By C
Grade 4, The Blake School

Objectives: Students will

• Show an understanding and awareness of Inca culture and religion

• Show an appreciation for art of the Inca - discuss artifacts

• Create a mask showing design concepts of the Inca - pattern, repetition - adornment

• Demonstrate craftsmanship intooling and cutting foul

Materials:

Newsprint - Drawing Pencils
Handouts of Inca art - Inca gods chart
Tooling Foil (gold, copper, aluminum)
Newspaper pads
Clay Modeling Tools (rounded and pointed)
Masking Tape - ballpoint pens
India ink - brushes
Black Poster Board or Mat board

Procedures:

1. Design a mask on newsprint showing characteristics of Incan art combined with original ideas. Design mask to meet the needs of the Inca or personal need.

2. Transfer mask drawing to tooling foil - Tape drawing to foil. Place on newspaper pad and trace over all lines making an impression. Remove drawing and save for reference as needed.

3. Tool mask. Place on newspaper pad. Press down some shapes while making other come out in relief. Go back over lines as needed to make shapes show up.

4. Cut out mask - - Antique with India ink if desired. Mount on black poster board or mat board.

5. Write about mask. What need does your mask fulfill?

Evaluation: Modified rubric

1. Design elements -Inca characteristics - originality     Â 10   9   8    7   6  other

2. Repoussé - tooling techniques - pattern/repetition   Â 10    9   8   7   6

3. Craftsmanship - clarity of design - skill in tooling  10 9 8 7 6

4. Participation in discussion - effort 10 9 8 7 6

Gods of the Inca (many charts can be found online)

Students should not be made to memorize these - just be aware of their importance.

©2005 Microsoft Corporation.

Resources

Inca Gold Sun Mask Check your local library for books - the best web source is no longer online. Inca Gold Sun (Nova)

Inca Masks

• Copper eclipse, 'Stellar Guidance'

• Ceramic Inca Mask

• Ceramic mask, 'Incan Priest'

Art of Ancient Peru- some good gold examples http://www.tribalarts.com/feature/peru (Archive)

Here are some sites to give you background information - not necessarily for students:
http://haleym15incapage.wikispaces.com/
http://lsa.colorado.edu/~lsa/texts/Incas.html (Archive)

PBS site - good for students - Conquistadors
http://www.pbs.org/opb/conquistadors/peru/peru.htm
http://www.pbs.org/opb/conquistadors/peru/adventure1/a2.htm#txt

Inca Empire:
http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761560004/Inca_Empire.html (Archive)

Inca Ceramics:
http://exchanges.state.gov/culprop/peru/ceramic/sect4.htm (Archive)

Information on Inca Sun God:

Information on Inca Sun God - brief (not a good site for students to use as resources are not given)

Inca Sun Rituals - History:

"The central god of the Incan religion was the sun-god, the only god that had temples built for him. The sun-god was the father of the royal family. There were many gods among the Incas, but the sun-god outshone them all. The Incas also believed that there was a heaven, a hell, and a resurrection of the body after death." -From Civilizations in America

"The Incas revered the Sun as the sole universal God who creates and sustains everything through his light and power. They believed that the Sun was the 'natural father of the first Inca, Manco Capac, and of his wife, Mama Ocllo Huaco, as well as all of their descendants who were sent to Earth for the benefit of all people.'" - Religion and Ceremonies of the Inca (Archive) This is a student project - home page (Archive)

Art-Science-Social Studies Connections

"The Sun: Man's Friend or Foe" ThinkQuest student created site (1998). See the Sun's influence on Culture - Names of the Sun Gods for various cultures. Summaries given for several world cultures. Images are not high quality so you may want to search online for better images.

Sun Images for contrast/comparison
(these images were all on line at time lesson was published)

• Lyre Clock -- French, Sèvres -- 18th century (Archive)

• Aztec Stone of Fifth Sun (Calendar Stone) many images can be found on line. (Archive)

• Pyramid of the Sun Teotihuacán, Mexico (many images can be found)

• Gold Sun from Peru (Pre-Columbian)

• Moche - Temple of the Sun (or Pyramid of the Sun) more images can be found on line

• Temple of the Sun and Moon - Peru

• Image of Gold Sun God from Peru (culture not listed)

• Feather Textile Art - Sun - Ancient Peru

• Mayan tablet to the sun - Reproduction from Temple of the Sun (Archive)

• Ancient Near East

• Reproduction - Macedonia

• Egyptian - Aten- More images of Aten should be easy to find

• Akhenaten and the Amarna Period Larger image

• Egypt - Rising Sun - Horus (Archive)

• Zia Pueblo Sun symbol (better images can be found) Zia Sun (Archive)

• Celtic Sun God: Belenus

• India God of the Sun Surya:

• The classic sun face - from 1600 engraving (Archive)

• Northwest Coast Sun Masks and Sun mask prints are easy to find on line. (Archive)

• Huichol beaded suns are easy to find on line- another example (Archive)

• Many Mexican folk art suns can be found

• Bwa Sun Masks - also look up Bobo Sun Mask

• Peruvian Cuisine- They have a few recipes unique to Peru.

Books

Peru: Art from the Chavin to the Incas - Included in the book are the important sites and landscapes representative of the three major ecological levels of Peru, as well as a general view and a historical perspective of the pre-Columbian cultures of Peru.

Ancestors of the Incas: The Lost Civilizations of Peru - Presents a myriad of objects - including figures, pitchers, textiles, masks, and metalwork - the majority of which are from the collection of Lima's National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History.

Tiwanaku: Ancestors of the Inca - This book examines the arts, with an emphasis on textiles, and culture in scholarly essays that also discuss the city's religion, layout, and architecture, as well as the contemporaneous Wari civilization in Peru. Photographs and drawings abound, including aerial views and documentation of portrait ceramics and gold discs. Despite its importance to Incan culture, Tiwanaku is too little known, a lack this surpassing volume will help correct.

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: "M" IS FOR MONKEY
Grade: K-2

Resources:

Collection from Orlando Museum of Art - Ancient Americas

Materials:

12x18 (30.5 x 46 cm) brown Construction Paper, Drawing Pencils, Sharpie Fine Point Markers, Oil Pastels

Procedures:

(We first looked at, discussed, and sketched the monkey vessels in the gallery. Some of the monkeys were wearing headbands and/or had geometric designs on them, and most were in a human-like pose. This simple lesson can be done with any animal.)

Draw a large monkey or vessel in the shape of a monkey, then trace line drawing with Sharpie. Geometric designs can be added. Color with oil pastels. (I made my sample by repeating the letter "M" all over the monkey to create an implied texture, but the students just had fun experimenting with the oil pastels and mixing new colors.

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: JAGUARS
Grade: K-2

Resources:

Collection from Orlando Museum of Art - Ancient Americas

Materials:

Cardboard (can be thin, like cut up cereal boxes), Scissors, White Glue, Tempera Paint and Brushes

Procedures:

(We first drew step-by-step jaguars together by following the steps from a How to Draw Animals book. Then we looked through animal books and sketched jaguars in various positions, such a leaping, running, sitting on a tree limb, etc. Then we made sketches from the wooden and ceramic jaguars in the gallery. We also discussed jaguars’ unique spots: the "rosettes" have spots in the center, unlike leopards’ spots.)

Draw and cut out each part of the jaguar separately (body, legs, tail, a larger circle and overlapped smaller circle to form the head, and ears). Glue together. Paint. They let their imaginations run wild, and very few of them actually used "normal" jaguar colors!

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: PRINTING WITH ANIMALS
Grade: K-2

Materials:

Styrofoam Trays, Scissors, Drawing Pencils, White Glue, Brayers, Tempera Paint (or Block Printing Inks), white Drawing Paper

Procedures:

(We first sketched animal vessels in the gallery.)

Etch a drawing of an animal into a flat piece cut from the tray. Use scraps from the styrofoam tray to make stamps. We made jaguar spots/rosettes, but Inca influenced geometric designs can be a theme for the stamps. Do test prints, and use the proper technique for printing (inking up a brayer, placing the paper on top of the printing plate, etc.) and pull a print in the center of the paper, or several prints depending on sizes of paper and printing plate. Use stamping technique (dip in paint) to make a border with the stamps.

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: Mummy Bundle: MUMMY HEAD
Grade: K-2

Materials:

1’x 3’ (30.5 cm x 1 meter) white Felt (or other material), blunt metal Tapestry Needles, White Yarn Assortment, fiberfill stuffing, Tempera Paint and Brushes

Procedures:

Fold felt over and sew the 2 long sides. Turn inside out. Stuff and shape the head, then tie yarn around the neck. (The body can be stuffed and sewn shut, but I leave it open like a hand puppet.) Paint the face. Complete the mummy bundle with TUNIC, HEADBAND, and WOVEN BELT.

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: Mummy Bundle: HEADBAND
Grade: K-2

Materials:

White Drawing Paper, Colored Pencils, Feather Assortment, Stapler

Procedures:

Cut white paper into a large strips- length and width will vary depending on size of MUMMY HEAD. Draw and color geometric designs. Glue feathers. Staple together so it slips onto the top of the MUMMY HEAD.

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: Mummy Bundle: TUNIC
Grade: K-2

Materials:

1’x 2’ (30.5 x 61 cm) blue Felt, 9’’x 9’’ red Felt, white Felt, Scissors, White Glue, Tempera Paint and Brushes

Procedures:

Cut an "X" opening in the center of both the blue and red felt. Position the red felt in the center of the blue felt, turn it so it makes a diamond (rhombus), and glue it in place. With pencil and ruler, draw a square grid on white felt to make 10 squares (approx 1 ½- 2 inches each). Paint a geometric design on each square, cut them apart, and glue on the front side of the tunic. Stick the MUMMY HEAD through the "X" hole, add WOVEN BELT.

Submitted by: Tammi Fox
Unit: Empire of the Incas
Lesson Plan: Mummy Bundle: WOVEN BELT
Grade: K-2

Materials:

Twisteez Wire, string, Mat board strip (length and width can vary), Masking Tape, Scissors

Procedures:

Make a loom from the mat board by cutting 4 notches at each short end, then warp with the string, and tape down the ends. Wire should be cut in a length in which it can be woven across once, and then bent to wrap around the back. Of course every other row should be alternated (under/over, then over/under), but it’s OK if several wires in a row do not alternate from the ones next to them, as this is a difficult concept for some students and the belt can be completed regardless. Wrap the completed belt around the TUNIC and secure with a few wires which are cut long enough to wrap several times around.

NOTE from Tammi: I taught a week-long art camp at the Orlando Museum of Art during the summer of 2004. These lessons were done with 5 through 7 year olds. The theme was "Empire of the Incas". These lessons were appropriate based on the artifacts in the museum. They have many animal vessels, including a case dedicated to jaguars and another dedicated to monkeys. Though all of these lessons can be adapted in many ways, and most of the activities are things we’ve all done many times, I put this together all in one place because I was stumped at first when handed the Inca theme and hope that putting this on the internet will help some one else who is handed an Inca unit and doesn’t know where to start! I did not include the objectives in the lessons, though many visual art benchmarks are covered throughout the unit through the use of a wide variety of materials and techniques, and of course the obvious cultural connections. Feel free to contact me with questions- put "Empire of the Incas" in the subject line (email: [email protected])