Grade 2 Fall History - The Native Peoples of Our Region: Living Nations, Land, and Knowledge
Lesson 12 45 min hist.g2.f.lesson_12

Native Art IS Now - Contemporary Artists by Nation

Skills targeted
Objectives
  • Students identify at least 3 contemporary Native artists by name, by nation, and by medium (e.g., Michaela Goade Tlingit/Haida illustrator; Bunky Echo-Hawk Yakama/Pawnee painter; Cara Romero Chemehuevi photographer).
  • Students articulate that 'Native art' is not 'old art' - artists working RIGHT NOW are making Native art today.
Vocabulary
contemporaryartistmediumillustrationpaintingphotographyregaliatoday

Lesson plan

Warm-up

6 min

Show 4 contemporary artworks by 4 named living Native artists. Ask: 'When do you think these were made?'

Teacher moves
  • Surface guesses (most children guess 'old')
  • Reveal each year (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) and the artist
  • Bridge: 'these are NEW works by LIVING artists'

Direct instruction

14 min

Native art is not behind a glass case in a museum from 1850. Native art is being made TODAY by LIVING artists, in many MEDIUMS - illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, fashion, film, video games. Michaela Goade (Tlingit and Haida) just won the Caldecott. Bunky Echo-Hawk (Yakama/Pawnee) is a painter and Star Wars fan whose work appears in galleries today. Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) makes large-format photographs that are in major museums. Marcus Amerman (Choctaw) does beadwork portraits of contemporary subjects (he made a beaded portrait of Janet Jackson). Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo) sculpts. Bethany Yellowtail (Crow/Northern Cheyenne) makes contemporary fashion. These artists are at work this week.

Key examples
  • Three facts about every work: medium, artist, nation. That's the protocol.
    model Painting / Bunky Echo-Hawk / Yakama and Pawnee Nations.
    prompt Pick one artwork on MG-12. What is the MEDIUM? Who is the ARTIST? Which NATION?
Checks for understanding
  • Is Michaela Goade alive today? (Yes.)
  • Name one Native artist and their nation.
Sourcework
Source type
Living artist's portfolio + artist's own statement (from their website or interview)
Routine
Three-fact source identification (medium/artist/nation) for every work
Media
M-2-F-CUL-12-B Photograph
4 photos arranged in a 2x2 grid: (1) Michaela Goade illustration from We Are Water Protectors 2020 - water-protector gir

4 photos arranged in a 2x2 grid: (1) Michaela Goade illustration from We Are Water Protectors 2020 - water-protector girl spread; (2) Bunky Echo-Hawk painting 2018 - contemporary subject in painterly style; (3) Cara Romero photograph 2022 - 'Naomi' large-format from her Chemehuevi land series; (4) Bethany Yellowtail fashion 2024 - runway piece blending Crow textile motifs with contemporary silhouettes. Each captioned with artist/nation/year/medium/dimensions. Source-line on each from the artist's gallery or website.

Guided practice

14 min
Tasks
  • Each pair selects 1 of 8 artist cards on MG-12. Read the artist's bio + look at the work sample. Use sentence frame: 'I see a ___ by ___ who is ___ Nation. The work makes me feel ___.'
    scaffold Highlight medium / artist / nation in 3 colors
  • Each child sketches a small 'inspired by' response (NOT a copy - their own response) on a 5x7 card.
Media
M-2-F-CUL-12-A Illustration
Wall gallery 36x48, 4x2 grid of 8 artist cards. Each card: artist portrait (small headshot), name in bold, nation(s), me

Wall gallery 36x48, 4x2 grid of 8 artist cards. Each card: artist portrait (small headshot), name in bold, nation(s), medium, year of one featured work, image of that work, 2-sentence artist statement excerpt. 8 artists: Michaela Goade (Tlingit & Haida) illustrator; Bunky Echo-Hawk (Yakama/Pawnee) painter; Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) photographer; Marcus Amerman (Choctaw) beadwork; Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo) sculpture; Bethany Yellowtail (Crow/Northern Cheyenne) fashion; Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa/Choctaw) graphic art; Jeffrey Gibson (Choctaw/Cherokee) installation. Each work cited with year + medium + dimensions. Source lines from artists' own websites or galleries.

Formative assessment

5 min
Exit ticket
  • Name one living Native artist + their nation + their medium.
scoring All 3 = mastery; 2 = practicing

Closure

3 min
Moves
  • Add 'contemporary', 'medium', 'illustrator', 'sculptor' to Word Wall
  • Preview tomorrow: corroboration - the first Thanksgiving

Homework

5 min
Tasks
  • Find one work of art in your home (a picture, a sculpture, a craft). Who made it? Bring that information tomorrow.

Exercises in this lesson

hist.g2.f.cul.indigenous_art_living.ex_01
Pick one artwork from MG-12. Write: (1) the medium, (2) the artist's name, (3) the artist's nation.
 three facts · diff 2
hist.g2.f.cul.indigenous_art_living.ex_02
Sketch (on a 5x7 card) YOUR response to one Native artist's work. NOT a copy - your own response. Label whose work inspired you.
 response sketch · diff 4

Differentiation

Scaffolds
  • Pre-read each artist's name with the correct pronunciation
  • Use bigger reproductions for visual focus
Extensions
  • Search by artist name: find one work made in 2024 by your chosen artist.
English Learners
  • Visual art is a strong universal entry; affirm all responses
Ieps 504s
  • Tactile sample of one art medium (clay, beadwork, paper, etc.)

Teacher notes

PROTOCOL: prepare a true contemporary art gallery - artworks made in the last 10 years, all by named living artists. Do NOT default to historical 'Native art' images from museums - that reinforces the past-tense misconception. If you cannot access prints, use high-quality projection. Always cite the artist + nation + year + medium. Encourage RESPONSE not COPY - children's sketches should be 'inspired-by-and-different-from' the original, not imitation. Never have children do generic 'Native-style' art - that's appropriation. Have them respond as artists to artists.