First, the students were brought into a computer lab. Using an interactive program entitled"Exploring Rock Art - A North American Field Trip" from a Hopi owned and managed software development company, Pentewa Interactive, the students spent several hours touring various sites of rock art throughout Mexico, The United States and Canada. The software title includes instructions for 11 different craft activities such as painting pictographs, carving petroglyphs, making a folding book and and carving a stamp. The students listened to traditional music from each region they visited, learned about the history and meaning of the various art and, most importantly, make sketches of the art from the sites they visited.

 

After lunch the students came together in the museum's outdoor courtyard where art supplies had been prepared for them. Paper, pastels, watercolors and brushes and, most importantly, clay tablets painted in dark brown poster paint on one side had been set out for them.

The students were completely absorbed by their work, both on the computer and with the integration of what they learned through the hand crafts. The beautiful corn maiden done by the young Gabriellino Indian middle school student above was done in pastels and was an image she had a clear affection for. The Petroglyph created by the young man was based on images he discovered in the software program.

 

Condensed from an article appearing in the September 2001 issue of Multimedia Schools.

Pentewa software is available from the following:

Crizmac Cultural Arts

Dick Blick Art and Craft Supplies

Nasco Art and Craft Supplies

SAX Art and Craft Supplies