| This study concerns Multicultural Education---Visual Culture. Within Visual Culture, attention has been given to ancient Egyptian, Malian, Mayan, and Tsalagi, peoples. For the purposes of this study, Visual Culture will mean the understanding of the aesthetic and material dimensions in the daily life of the Kemet (ancient Egyptian), Mayan, Tsalagi (Cherokee), and Mali peoples.; This study integrates the Historical and Cultural Foundations of the four cultures, the Role of Women, Dress & Adornment, WorldViews and Contacts, into elementary school education and program/curriculum development. The importance of art as a means to engage students, allowing them to experience these cultures on many different levels is also discussed. Drawing from these disciplines, I was able to weave a comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of culture as it pertains to elementary school education.; This study incorporated material from history, history of costume and visual culture, belief systems and practices among North & West Africans and those of the Americas. Comparison and analysis about common ideas held by each of the cultures was conducted. Understanding important aspects of these cultures in a historical and sociological context contributed to the Contextual Essay and a social action project, a Teacher's Resource Manual Culture & Nurturance---The Aesthetic Life of Grade School Students Pre-K--5th Grades. |
