Native American Dreamcatchers

I've been wanting to do a dreamcatcher lesson for so long. This was my first time teaching it and I'm thrilled with the results. We began the lesson by going over the history of dreamcatchers through a slideshow. They couldn't wait to make their own! Each student got a paper plate to start with. I usually double them up to give them some thickness to make it more sturdy. They were then told to cut out the middle circle very carefully. This is easily done by folding it over and making a slit to start. Next, each student drew 11 dots spaced out around the edge of their paper plate. I demonstrate this first. Then, they use a hole puncher to make a hole where they drew a dot. Make sure they don't draw their dots too close to the edge. I then show them how to label their plates with corresponding numbers on the back. This comes in handy later when we do the inside weaving. Students start to make designs on their plate using a pencil. I make sure to give them a worksheet of Native American symbols to help them along. Once they are done, they trace it in Sharpie. Because I wanted them to look more authentic, we used only neutral and warm colored acrylic paints to fill them in. Students normally need a few days for this part. When they are ready to weave, each student gets a piece of brown string. The first end of the string is put into the hole marked 1 and taped off. They then loop the string through the numbers in the correct order and then its taped off at the last number. I let them watch me do one first before they start. Three more hole punches are made close together on the outside edge and this is where we tie 3 longer pieces of brown string. 3 beads and one feather is tied to the bottom on each brown string. A lot of students struggle with this part so it requires a lot of patience! This project took a couple of weeks but they were so proud of their work by the end!