Sand Art

In this second grade project we learn about two cultures from different countries that use sand paintings.  We learned that the sand paintings of the Native Americans of the southwest United States and the Tibetan Monks of Tibet and India are unfixed, or loose.  We looked at maps where these people live, examples of their art, and even watched a video.  We learned that sand art is part of ritual in their religions.

Students started by drawing either a landscape, a southwestern animal, or a mandala on the matte board with a pencil.  The next week, they painted thinned glue onto a section at a time and then sprinkled sand on top of the glue.  I sealed their projects by brushing thinned glue over the completed project.

Click here to watch Tibetan Buddhist Monks create a sand mandala!