This course will provide students with the experience of learning the traditional techniques of kite-making as taught to the instructor by his grandfather. Through a step-by-step process, students will construct and decorate various kites that are popular in Catano, Puerto Rico -- the town where the instructor's grandfather was raised. Students will work at several processes which are essential to the construction of the kites, including recycling, painting/montage, experimenting with aerodynamics, and team work. Decorating the kites will be an especially important component of this course since the students will be drawing inspiration from what is relevant to their lives today, for example, friends, family, and education. Additionally, the instructor will share how his interests -- Taino Indian iconography and cartoons of American popular culture -- combine to form the language/imagery found in his own work. After learning about kite safety, students will finally have the opportunity to test their creations and make adjustments to improve the way their kites fly.
Studio Arts, Recycling, Aerodynamics, Social Studies, Math and Science.
Six class sessions, each three hours in length.
Students will learn the techniques used to make traditional Puerto Rican-style kites.
Students will explore the limitless possibility of recycling as it applies to kite-making.
Students will experiment with basic concepts of aerodynamics.
Students will have fun both individually and in teams decorating their kites with acrylic paints and montage.
Students will understand the traditions of kite-making as they relate to the instructor's family, and more importantly, be inspired to research and appreciate their own family traditions.
By utilizing creative resourcefulness, students will construct individual kites using recycled/recyclable materials, and be able to construct more kites on their own.
Students will learn how to combine techniques of painting and montage, some of which may be influenced by imagery found in both Western and non-Western cultures.
Students will analyze basic concepts of aerodynamics.
Students will find new appreciation for the crafts and activities that their families (grandparents) did together as children and, perhaps, continue to do today.
Introduce students to the types of kites traditionally made by the instructor's family in Puerto Rico, demonstrating actual examples of different styles and sizes. Using world maps, engage the students in discussion about their own family origins and craft traditions.
Discuss the materials traditionally used in Puerto Rican kite-making and the various activities, both individual and communal, that involve the kites. Have the students share their own kite-making and flying experiences.
Explain various kite-decorating techniques, especially those adopted by the instructor -- combining Taino Indian iconography with cartoons of American popular culture. Discuss the interests of the students, art and otherwise, and share how these interests may combine to influence their own creative expression. Ask students to think about what metaphors can be applied to the act of kite-making and flying, and allow them time to sketch designs and imagery that are meaningful and relevant to them.
Begin constructing frames for the six-sided kites known as "chiringas" and eight-sided kites known as "estrellas" with flat basswood sticks. Then, depending on its availability, reuse paper from its original source/purpose (for example, outdated grocery store window signs), and apply the paper to the kite frames with school glue (may also use home-made paste mixed from flour and water).
After finishing the last steps in session one, begin decorating the kites. Students may create a montage of different shapes of colored paper, emulating the arms and legs of animals, etc.
Continue decorating the kites by painting them in layers with acrylics, allowing the individual layers to partially dry.
While the painted designs dry, assemble, decorate, and attach kite tails made from old cloth/materials.
Attach bridles to the kites (most difficult process for a beginner to learn, but gets easier with practice).
Attach the tails.
Begin discussing various concepts of aerodynamics and how they influence the construction of kites, as well as kite-flying techniques. Also, stress the importance of kite-flying precautions and safety.
Ask the students to present their kites to the class, discussing their decorating techniques and sharing the meaning of their imagery.
Start creating miniature kites (these are novelties and may not necessarily fly).
Complete remaining steps from session three, if necessary. Then, split into teams for the final project of the class -- construction of the six-foot tall kites known as "toros".
After splitting up into teams of about four students each, lead the teams to come up with names for themselves as well as possible decorations/themes for their kites.
Construct large kite frames from wood moulding and wire, and begin cutting and attaching the different portions of the paper sails.
After completing the toro construction, begin collaborative sketch ideas for the decoration and tails.
Decorate the toros together in teams.
Attach the bridles and tails to the toros.
Present each team's effort and achievement to the class, allowing each member of each team to contribute to the discussion.
Once again, review kite-flying techniques and, most importantly, kite-flying precautions and safety.
Weather permitting, fly the kites! Practice fun, safe, effective, and competitive kite-flying techniques individually with the chiringas and estrellas, and as teams with the toros. (There could be a contest that includes prizes awarded to the teams that successfully launch their kites quickest and keep them flying the longest.)
To introduce the basic functions of trigonometry, students can learn how to determine how high their kites are flying by constructing and using astrolabes. As tools used by astronomers to determine the approximate height of celestial objects, astrolabes help to determine the length of a triangle's third side if the length of two sides are already known. Students can work in teams to get their kite to fly the highest and make calculations to prove it. This introduces kite-flying contests as a team-effort, much like the instructor's grandfather would have participated in, minus the trigonometry.
Did students interact in the process of constructing kites and can they repeat this process individually at home? Did students comprehend the concept of creative resourcefulness/recycling in relation to the materials used for their kites? Assess how students combined montage and painting techniques to decorate their kites. Were these techniques used to create kites that were aerodynamically balanced and capable of flying? Assess students' comprehension of kite-making and flying as it relates traditionally to the instructor's family in Puerto Rico, as well as how the activity may relate to the families of the students themselves.
Acrylic, aerodynamics, artisan, astrolabe, balance, bass wood, chiringa, craft, estrella, fiber, found objects, frame, functional sculpture, iconography, imagery, metaphor, montage, non-Western, outsider art, papalote, pattern, pop culture, recycling, sail, spars, Taino, three-dimensional, tradition, toro.
Acrylic paint, bass wood sticks, cloth/material, colored tissue paper (bleed-proof if available), craft paper, dried palm leaves, flour paste, grocery store signs, kite-flying string spools, Kraft paper rolls, light gloves, maps, markers, masking tape, paint brushes and related supplies, pencils, (prizes?), school glue, scissors, string, toothpicks, wire, wire nails, wind, wood moulding.