Doris M. Vázquez
Theme
Pre-Colombian Taino Art
Objective
Students will be introduced to Taino Art and be able to identify their crafts and stone carvings.
Materials needed
Slide sets
El Arte de los Abor’genes de Puerto Rico 1-2
Procedure
The teacher starts by asking the students what they imagine life was like on the island of Boriguen (Puerto Rico) before the discovery. The students may have some or no knowledge about the Taino Indians and this would provide a point of departure for the teacher. This lessen is applicable to any grade level, from the first grade up to the twelfth grade. It is up to the teacher to make the adjustments for their group. After several student ideas have been written on the board or paper, a brief historical introduction should be made, more or less what I presented as my introduction to the unit. Further reading about the Indian may be necessary, I suggest Salvador Brau’s
History of Puerto Rico
or Mar’a T. Babin’s
Cultural History of Puerto Rico
.
After presenting the slides (each set has an accompanying booklet explaining the objects), you may have your students draw a
cemi
and/or do research on the powers it was supposed to have.
Leyendas de Puerto Rico-A Collection of Puerto Rican Legend
s is a good book to use for this. It has beautiful Taino legend of the Creation, the cemies, and the first inhabitants of Boriquen.
The students may make, as three-dimensional projects, models out of plaster or clay. a cemi, stone collar, or a dujo. The can also prepare potato prints or linoleum block prints using Taino Indian designs. The finished projects should be displayed prominently in the classroom or school showcase. This lesson should take two to four class periods.