Introduction
Students have forever been concerned with the issue of relevance of schoolwork in their everyday lives. I, too, grapple with this increasingly difficult task of successfully engaging students in the classroom. My students are confronted by a changing world, which demands from them the ability to rapidly process and evaluate increasing amounts of information. As our world grows and changes, students too must grow and broaden their cultural perspectives. One approach in dealing with these issues is to present students with a multicultural curriculum that generates positive change towards cultural awareness. This curriculum unit addresses the issue of cultural sensitivity. By exposing students to the rich Pueblo and Navajo folk art traditions, I hope to increase student awareness and appreciation of the artwork from these two very unique cultures. The students will be given a view of very old customs and traditions. Additionally, they will get a look at what is taking place with modern work created by native artists. Pueblo pottery and Navajo weaving will be the primary focus of the study unit. Art forms such as basket making and sand painting will also be included. The unit will be designed to align with the New Mexico Content Standards and Benchmarks of Visual Arts 5-8.
As a middle school teacher in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I am constantly addressing the issue of cultural awareness in curriculum for my 7th and 8th grade classes. My school population consists of 82% Hispanic, 13% Anglo, 2%African American, 1% Native American. About 90%" of our students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program; many live in impoverished situations. In the past, I have successfully developed and implemented guest artisan visits to present Spanish folk arts, both traditional colonial and modern. I did this to show students the relevance of schoolwork to their everyday lives. It was not uncommon to find that students themselves had already participated in making folk crafts at home. Many times they would relate to me that they were familiar with folk artisans. These people were often family members, parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. This kind of curriculum promotes a greater sense of consciousness towards one's own culture and hopefully for other cultures. Designing a folk arts course that includes these ideas can be of great value in today's classroom.
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