Learning Objective

Students will explore and appreciate different forms of cultural art from around the world. Students will create their own animated gifs using Brush Ninja to represent a cultural art form they have learned about.

Materials

• Computers or tablets with internet access
• Projector or interactive whiteboard (optional)
• Paper and coloring materials for sketching ideas (optional)

Procedure

Introduction

• Begin by discussing with students what culture means and how it is expressed through various art forms.
• Show examples of different cultural art forms, such as traditional dance, music, painting, and sculpture.
• Ask students if they have ever seen or experienced any cultural art forms in their own community.

Exploration

• Introduce the concept of animated gifs to the students. Explain that an animated gif is a series of images that play in a loop to create a short animation.
• Demonstrate how to use Brush Ninja by showing the basic features and tools available.
• Share examples of animated gifs that depict cultural art forms from different countries or regions.

Research and Selection

• Divide students into small groups or pairs.
• Assign each group/pair a specific cultural art form to research, such as Indian Rangoli, Chinese calligraphy, African mask-making, etc.
• Provide resources (books, websites, videos) for students to gather information about their assigned art form.
• Encourage students to discuss key characteristics and symbols associated with their chosen culture’s art form.

Creation

• Instruct students to use Brush Ninja on their computers or tablets to create an animated gif representing the cultural art form they researched.
• Emphasize the importance of including elements specific to the chosen culture’s art form in their animation.
• Encourage students to use colors, shapes, and patterns that are commonly associated with the culture they are representing.
• Allow students to work at their own pace, providing support and guidance as needed.

Sharing and Reflection

• Provide time for each group/pair to present their animated gifs to the class.
• As a class, discuss similarities and differences between the various cultural art forms presented.
• Facilitate a reflection session where students share what they have learned about different cultures through this activity.

Assessment

• Observe student engagement during research and creation phases.
• Assess completed animated gifs based on how well they represent the chosen cultural art form, including key elements and symbols.
• Evaluate student participation in class discussion and reflection.

Extension

• Have students write a short paragraph explaining the cultural significance of the art form they researched.
• Encourage students to explore other digital tools or software for creating animations or digital artwork.
• Plan a multicultural fair where students can showcase their animated gifs alongside traditional artifacts from different cultures.

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