Australia's Aborigines illustrate the stories of their creation -- called the Dreamtime -- by painting symbolic patterns of dots, according to Ann R. Christensen in "School Arts" magazine. Share Dreamtime narrative photos to inspire your pupils' own dot paintings. Have younger grades paint pictures using dots instead of lines. Instruct older grades to illustrate a story using traditional aboriginal symbols. Cotton swabs dipped in paint work well for painting the dots.
Pablo Picasso created "Three Musicians" using simple geometric shapes. Show a photo of Picasso's piece, suggests "A Survival Kit for the Elementary/Middle School Art Teacher," and have pupils point out the different shapes. Explain that although the piece is abstract -- not realistic -- the images are still recognizable. Instruct the pupils to cut geometric shapes out of paper and make animals from their shapes. Their animals should be abstract, but recognizable as animals.
Panama's Cuna Indians decorate their shirts with molas, which are reverse-appliqued layers of fabric. Each new layer has designs cut from it to reveal the fabric and color underneath. Give your pupils fabric squares in several colors, and demonstrate how to cut and layer the fabric. Let your pupils glue the fabric pieces together, or do it for them using an iron and fusible web, as Craig Hinshaw suggests in "School Arts" magazine.
The Huichol of Mexico create yarn paintings by pressing yarn into a board coated with warm beeswax. Common motifs include wolves, corn, birds, reptiles and the sun, according to Joan M. Markovich in "School Arts" magazine. Have your students make Huichol-inspired paintings by dipping yarn into white craft glue before affixing it to paper. Instruct them to use bright yarn colors and traditional Huichol motifs.
Share night sky paintings by Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch, suggests elementary art teacher Mary Beth Bauernschub. Afterward, show photos of real stars and skies. Compare the painted skies to the photos, and then have your students make their own night sky paintings, which are called nocturnes. Bauernschub suggests using rubber cement on their stars to prevent paint bleed, and sprinkling salt onto wet paint to create constellations.