Theme: Mexico 
Grade level: K- 2
Focus: Art
Objective:
A student shall identify works and styles of art
belonging to different cultures or times.
Materials and Resources:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com:80/crafts/mexico/
- The Virtual Diego Rivera Art Museum
http://www.diegorivera.com/
- Diego by Jonah Winter, illus. Jeanette
Winter
- Borreguita and the Coyote video by
Reading Rainbow.
Shows Diego Rivera works and murals, also making and playing
guitars.
General Activities:
- Study about Diego Rivera, a 20th century
artist famous for murals on buildings that depicted life in Mexico.
- Create a pinata. http://www.enchantedlearning.com:80/crafts/mexico/bagpinata/
- Make confetti eggs.
- Cut the end off an egg. (Use the egg for cooking.)
- Wash the shell thoroughly and dry.
- Using glue or Media Mix, cover egg shell with
pieces or strips of tissue paper, leaving the end open still.
- Fill with confetti.
- Finish covering the end with tissue paper.
- At fiestas these are cracked over people’s
heads.
- Make Mexican tin cut-outs. http://www.enchantedlearning.com:80/crafts/mexico/metalcutouts/
- Make a box guitar. http://www.enchantedlearning.com:80/crafts/Boxguitar.shtml
- Make maracas. http://www.enchantedlearning.com:80/crafts/mexico/maracas/
- Choose a simple design such as a flower or animal.
Draw the design on a 4” square of cardboard.
- Pick two colors of yarn, one for the design
and one for the background. Cut a few 12” strips of each color.
- Spread glue on part of the design. Press yarn
on the glue coiling it back and forth to fill in the design.
- After design is filled in, use the second color
yarn to fill in the background.
Fish
Discussion Questions:
- Who was Diego Rivera? What is he famous
for?
- What is a pinata? Have you ever had a pinata
at a party?
Culminating Activity:
Have a fiesta and decorate with murals, tin cut-outs and yarn pictures.
Use maracas and guitars for music, pinatas and confetti eggs for entertainment.
Serve corn cakes and enchiladas.
Evaluation:
Student can identify two types of art belonging to Mexico.
Related Works of Literature:
- The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulsen
(explains the tortilla from seed to factory).
- Mama’s Birthday Present by Carmet
Tafolla, illus. Juvenal Martinez.
- Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna
Aardema, ilus. Petra Mathers
- Mexico (crafts, games, recipes, stories,
and other cultural activities from
Mexcian-Americans) by Phyllis Shalant.
- Mexico - Things to Make, Activities, Facts
(ISBN 0-531-14316-3). This book shows you how to make ponchos. Very easy
with volunteer parents.
Back to Let’s Explore Mexico!