MOLAS of PANAMA, HOPI STYLE!

I started this project by showing my students photographs of some indigenous people of Panama and their famous textiles known as MOLAS. We discussed reverse applique as it is used in the making of a mola and the hard work that it requires. Each student in the fourth grade made their own version of a mola using construction paper, then my early finishers made an oversized paper mola. I hung their work for everyone to see and enjoy.

 My Hopi students almost always infuse some aspect of their culture into their artwork. I love to see where they take their projects. In the large bird posted here, you can see a turquoise necklace, a feather on a headband, and tootsies or moccasins on the feet of the bird. The large piece is framed by a border of geometric designs frequently found in Hopi art (other tribes too).

Excellent Work Fourth Grade!