Visual & Performing Arts · 1st Grade

Active learning ideas

Art from Indigenous Cultures: Storytelling through Symbols

Active learning builds memory and meaning when students move, discuss, and create. For first graders studying Indigenous art, hands-on tasks turn abstract ideas like curation and symbolism into concrete experiences they can see, touch, and share with peers.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Connecting VA.Cn11.1.1
• NCAS: Creating VA.Cr1.1.1

• 20–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 60 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Classroom Museum

Students bring in an object from home (or use a piece of their own art). They must write a 'label' explaining why it is important and then work together to decide which objects should be grouped together in 'galleries.'

Interpret the stories conveyed through symbols in indigenous artworks.

Facilitation Tip

During Simulation: The Classroom Museum, assign each student a specific role such as visitor, curator, or guard to ensure everyone participates meaningfully.

What to look for

Show students images of artworks from two different indigenous cultures. Ask them to point to one symbol in each artwork and explain what they think it might represent, based on class discussions. Record student responses.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 25 min · Pairs

Role Play: Museum Guides

Pairs take turns being the 'guide' and the 'visitor.' The guide must explain one piece of art in the room, including who made it and why it is special, while the visitor practices 'museum manners' (looking with eyes, not hands).

Compare the use of color and pattern in different indigenous art forms.

Facilitation Tip

When students Role Play Museum Guides, provide sentence stems so their explanations stay concise and respectful of the artwork.

What to look for

Present a simple, repeated pattern from an indigenous artwork. Ask students: 'What do you notice about this pattern? How might the artist use this repeating shape to tell a story or show something important?' Facilitate a brief class discussion.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Curator's Choice

Give pairs three different pictures of art but only one 'frame.' They must discuss and agree on which one should be the 'centerpiece' of their imaginary museum and explain their reasoning to the class.

Design a personal symbol that represents an important idea or feeling.

Facilitation Tip

Use Think-Pair-Share: The Curator's Choice to slow down decision-making so every child’s voice contributes to the final selection.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one symbol that represents their favorite animal or a feeling they often have. They should write one sentence explaining what their symbol means.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with objects students can hold—replicas or photographs of Indigenous symbols—before moving to reproductions. Keep explanations short, model respectful museum language, and give students time to observe, question, and mimic curator behaviors. Research shows concrete objects paired with guided talk build deeper understanding than abstract rules alone.

Successful learning looks like students explaining why museums preserve art, using symbols to tell brief stories, and confidently guiding visitors through their own classroom museum with clear, respectful language.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Simulation: The Classroom Museum, watch for students who call some artworks 'too new' or 'not important.'

  Ask them to hold each piece and explain one reason it might be important to a community, using the sentence frame 'This artwork might be important because...'

• During Role Play: Museum Guides, watch for students who say only 'experts' can enjoy museums.

  Prompt guides to ask visitors: 'What do YOU see? What do YOU think?' to show every opinion matters, and invite visitors to share their own ideas.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share