Arts and Crafts

The single most helpful tool to preserve a culture is writing. The theme of writing tied into our learning of the communication of art.

  The reason ancient Egypt culture is understood so well today is because of hieroglyphics. 

Rosetta Stone is more than just software.

To help us remember all the points of our first class (communication, emphasis, motivation), we made our own hieroglyphics as a craft. 

                            This was my own personal painting. It was really just a run-through. 

We used the age old method of drawing something with pastels then painting over it with watercolors. My students drawings are much more pleasing to the eye. 

Either pastels or crayons will work for this craft. Everyone seemed to favor pastels though. 

Even though we did have hieroglyphics to copy, some brave students made up their own.

Or got really creative and communicated with whales instead. 

I have never been this creative in my life. At least not with paint. 

And who needs hieroglyphics when you can write in Greek letters?

Or you know, Chinese characters. 

You can really communicate in any of them. Including whales. 

This student had an interesting concept as well. Chinese characters for communicating. And....

and tell the rest with a drawing. 

I guess that's really the point of my art history class. Teach what you can with words, then let everyone use the art supplies to understand the rest.