Sand paintings are a popular art form used by the Navajo. Provide your students with an opportunity to make their own sand paintings. Show your students popular Native American symbols, such as the Kokopelli, and discuss their significance. Inform your students that they are going to create their own symbols using sand. Provide them with paper, glue and paintbrushes and encourage them to use the glue to paint an image onto the paper. Once satisfied with their images, allow them to sprinkle different colored sand on top of the glue. Have them share their sand paintings with the class.
Rain sticks have been used by many Native American tribes as a means of calling for rain. After teaching your students about the significance of rain sticks, have them create their own. Provide children with empty paper towel or wrapping paper tubes. Have them decorate their tubes with markers and glue a piece of card stock over one of the ends. Instruct them to fill the tubes with dried beans and then glue piece of card stock over the other end of the tube. Invite children to use their rain sticks to recreate a Native American rain dance.
Tepees were the homes of the Plains Indians. These conical-shaped structures were made of cowhide and provided shelter from the elements. After teaching students about tepees, have them make models of these homes. Provide students with brown construction paper and show them how to roll the paper into the shape of a cone; use tape or glue to secure its shape. Have them use scissors to cut a square door into the opening of the tepee and then use markers to decorate the outside of their models.
Masks were often worn by several tribes for a variety of reasons, including summoning the spirits of animals or simply for entertainment purposes. Have your students make their own masks from paper plates. Provide children with paper plates and instruct them to cut eye holes in them; they may also cut the plates into any shape they wish, or leave them round. Encourage them to decorate their paper plates with markers, paint and feathers. Punch a hole in either side of the plates and string a piece of yarn through the holes. Use the yarn to tie the masks on children's faces.