PRIDE PIECES: EXPLORING SOCIAL IDENTITY, HISTORY, AND CULTURE

Essential Questions

• What can visual symbols, color, and pattern tell us about a culture or society?
• What influences creative expression and identity?
• How do the arts shape, as well as reflect, a culture?
• What do effective problem solvers do when they get stuck?

Strategies for Student Engagement and Voice

The students will be divided into small groups working at stations. The groups will rotate to the different stations to help keep students focused and engaged.

The students will have voice and choice in choosing the shape of their amulet, the color of their beads, the selection of charms, and the pattern of their assembled neck piece. Their decisions will be based off what they want their neck piece to represent based on cultural symbols and colors.

Plan for Student Reflection

Students will share the symbolism behind their neck pieces at the end of the program.

Then they will answer the following questions:

• What is something new you learned?
• What is something that surprised you?
• What is something you would like to learn more about?

Potential Questions for Post Qualitative Assessment

• Does symbolism used in advertisement affect your opinion of the product being presented?
• Advertising is a form of communication intended to convey a message, what message are you conveying in how you represent yourself to society?
• Would you like to come back to a maker space? Why?

Adapted from the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) inclusive teaching resources, students will be introduced to the Pride Piece activity by first exploring the topics of history, culture, and social identity. Using an adapted version of LSA’s social identity wheel. See here:

This introduction exercise has 3 main components; an opening discussion with guiding questions, completion of the social identity exercise, and a closing discussion correlating the introduction activity with the purpose for making their artifact (Pride Piece) using multimedia and artifacts.

The guiding questions for the opening discussion are below and is facilitated:

• What do we know about the movie Black Panther? The comic books? Movie soundtrack?
• What are some major themes about the film/story?
• What are social identities? How are they formed?

The instructions for completing the social identity wheel bag exercise are below:

• Review the materials you have for this exercise. Each student will have a brown paper bag, 3 adhesive labels, an index card, and marker. 
• Students will write your name on your brown paper bag.
• Students will turn over the social identity worksheet and read the boxes on the wheel.
• Write 3 that you would use to describe your social identity onto the labels and place them on your brown paper bag. Share what you checked and why.
• Have additional discussion about social identity using these questions. Where do we think social identities come from? What social identifies were represented in the film? Which social identities did you relate to?
• The multimedia clip and suggestions for tangible artifacts for the closing discussion are below:
• Let’s listen to Ruth Carter, the costume designer talk about how social identities were represented in the movie. See clip here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmP1aHJjJ-U
• Highlight the big themes and discuss some of the vocabulary and interesting facts that Ruth shares her scene notes clip. This includes the Adinkra symbol on Suri’s shirt, the role of makeup and tattooing the colors and materials used in the film like red, black, green, purple, gold/
• Reference any tangible artifacts that you have brought into the space. This may include African art, cloth, currency, or jewelry.

Share with students that they will now have the opportunity to make an artifact of their own in the lab that reflects social identity. Discuss T’chala’s pendant from the movie. Ask, what do they think was his superhero crest and why? When you make today you will follow an algorithm but you will also use your own interest, and social identity to create something that represents you, and your history and culture. When you complete your Pride Piece,think about, what new social identities can we construct for the future in a place like Wakanda? Then add it to your social identity wheel bag by writing it on the index card and placing it inside your brown paper bag.

Brief Description of Activities:

• Teacher shows students the example cylinder bead.
• Introduce TinkerCAD and have each student login in on one of the premade accounts.
• Take students through the steps listed in (BlackPantherBead-TinkerCADTutorial) to create their cylinder bead.
• During tutorial ask students:
• What is 3D Modeling? (Talk about x, y, and z axis while showing students them in TinkerCAD program. Explain how parameters are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the informal meaning of the term dimension.)
• Explain what diameter means
• How do we know what size to make the diameter? (Introduce the word tolerance and talk about how the hole has to be big enough to fit the string.)
• Teacher demonstrates how to import and setup stl file into 3D printing software.
• Scale
• Orientation
• Resolution (layer height)
• Speed
• Teacher demonstrates how to set up 3D printer.
• Select material
• Check bed surface/leveling
• Load filament
• Teacher starts demo print.
• Explain to students that there will not be time for them to print each of their own beads and that we have pre printed beads in the colors discussed earlier in the symbolism discussion that they can pick from.

Reflection Ideas:

How does scale and proportion influence the design of product?

Supplies:

[QTY 10] Cubic Inches 3D Printing Plastic (In House)

Activity Files:

BlackPantherBead-TinkerCADTutorial

Brief Description of Activities:

• Print BlackPantherAmulet-PaperTemplate.pdf (each student needs two sheets).
• Teacher shows students the completed amulet example.
• Teacher gives demonstration on designing/drawing amulet using BlackPantherAmulet-PaperTemplate.pdf.

During demo, teacher will emphasize the following guidelines:

• The green lines in the template are only reference guides and will not be laser cut, while the red lines signify shapes that will be laser cut. Reference Image shown below.

• Students designs must stay with in the green box.
• Designs must be one continuous shape that fully encloses all red and green reference circles. If the students lines overlap or touch the reference circles their design will not work because it will interfere with either where the battery is going or where the holes for the string and LED are placed.
• Go over do’s and don’ts by drawing an example that will work and drawing an example that will not work. Ask students why the amulet you drew will or will not work.
• Reference:

BlackPantherAmulet-WillWork&WillNotWorkTemplate.pdf

BlackPantherAmulet-WillWork&WillNotWork_2Template.pdf

• Students must draw outlines with a black marker (ex: sharpie). No shading or filling in shapes. (For this lesson we have decided to only allow laser cutting and not allow laser etching due to time constraints)
• All shapes must be closed shapes.

• Pass out two BlackPantherAmulet-PaperTemplate to each student.
• Students will draw their amulet designs. They may draw several shapes, but only one can be laser cut so instruct students to put a star by the design they would like cut.
• Collect students’ drawings.
• Teacher demonstrates setting up file in Corel Draw.
• Explain how the laser interprets different line weights.
• hairline outline = cut line
• outlines thicker than hairline = etched
• Explain how to set the printer driver settings for laser cutting.
• Setting speed, power, and frequency correctly based on your laser cutter and material
• Teacher will send file to the laser cutter, demonstrate focusing the laser and start the laser job for the students to watch.
• While the teacher is giving the Corel demo/Laser cutter demo the assistant will scan in each students’ drawing and convert the scans into vector lines, and then add those vector lines to the BlackPantherAmulet-LaserCutterTemplate. They will set up this file to have all the students designs on one piece of material (if more time is allotted students could individually do this process).
• Teacher explains that the assistant is setting up their files and they will be able to watch theirs cut after they finish the LED demonstration.
• Teacher will introduce adding the LED to the amulet.
• Ask students what LED stands for (go over definition and parts of an LED).
• Ask students if they know the difference between the two leads (explain electrical polarity).
• Explain the longer lead is called an anode, and that gets connected to the positive side of the battery, while the shorter lead is called a cathode, and that gets connected to the negative side of the battery.
• Pass out one LED and one battery to each student and instruct them to try and light the the LED with the battery based on their understanding of the electrical polarity. Once all the students have figured the correct orientation of their battery to the LED review completing a circuit.
• Teacher demonstrates taping the LED to the battery (explain how electrical tape is an insulator while taping).
• Students tape the LED to their battery.
• Teacher demonstrates attaching battery and LED to the amulet using electrical tape.
• Guide students to be aware of the sizing of the tape pieces they are using and to be careful of the tape placement if they do not want it to show on the front side.
• While the teacher is giving the LED demonstration the assistant will start the laser cut job with the students amulet designs. If the job is done being laser cut before LED demonstration the assistant will bring the amulets over to the area where they are working on taping the LEDs. If the job has not finished the teacher will bring the students over to the laser cutter to finish watching their designs cut.
• Students will tape their LED and battery to the laser cut amulet with electrical tape.
• Students will take their amulets with them, remind them not to lose them on the way.

Reflection Ideas:

What visual metaphors can be drawn from the symbol you chose to be your amulet?

Are there any cultural references portrayed by your symbol?

Supplies (for 20 students):

[QTY 2] Plywood Sheets, ¼” x 12” x 24” (DND Baltic Birch Plywood)

[QTY 40] 5MM Purple LEDs (DigiKey 67-2064-ND)

[QTY 100] 3V Coin Cell Battery (Powertron 2032) – This is a 100 pack so QTY 1 pack needed)

[QTY 4] Electrical Tape Rolls (Scotch Super 33) – This is a 4 pack so QTY 2 pack needed)

[QTY 50] Printed templates: BlackPantherAmulet-PaperTemplate

[QTY 20] Black markers (ex: sharpies)

Activity Files:

Black Panther Amulet – PDF Paper Template

Black Panther Amulet – CDR Laser Cutter Template

Black Panther Amulet – PDF Will Work & Will Not Work Template

Black Panther Amulet – PDF Will Work & Will Not Work Template 2

Available charm shapes:

Brief Description of Activities:

• Teacher provides an overview of proper apparel for metal shops
• Mention closed toed shoes, pants, short-sleeve shirts, no drawstrings or jewelry, and tied up hair, and explains why these things keep you safe.
• At a minimum, have students put on safety glasses.
• Teacher demonstrates waterjet cutting of a few aluminum charms.
• Explain what a waterjet cutter is and how it works.
• Show students the charm that will be cut out.
• Show students the computer file that the machine will use to cut.
• Run the machine to cut a few charms and then lower the water level so the students can see that the charms were cut.
• Teacher demonstrates metal letter stamping.
• Explain how to hold the metal stamp so that the head of the stamp is flush with the metal disc.
• Explain that the hammer strike should be swung with medium pressure to come in contact with the top of the stamp.
• If they hit the stamp too lightly they can strike it again as long as the stamp has not been moved.
• Note: Larger and more detailed metal stamps require a harder strike than smaller and less detailed stamps.
• Let students feel the relief lettering and explain embossing.
• Students will practice letter stamping on scrap metal.
• Students will each pick four charms from the pre-made collection and then stamp each charm.
• Students will take their charms with them (provide a bag), remind them not to lose them on the way.

Reflection Ideas:

What is proper apparel in a metal shop and why?

What is a waterjet cutter and how does it work?

How do you emboss a design on a surface or object?

Supplies (for 20 students):

[QTY 3] Aluminum Sheets, ⅛” x 12” x 12” (6061 Alloy Aluminum)

[QTY 1] Metal Letter Stamp Set

[QTY 10] Hammers

[QTY 10] Safety Glasses

[QTY 30] Plastic bags big enough to hold 4 charms

Scrap Metal

Activity Files:

BlackPantherMetalCharms-WaterjetTemplate.cdr (original CorelDRAW file)

BlackPantherMetalCharms-WaterjetTemplate-PreCAM.dxf (for use on non-OMAX machines)

Brief Description of Activities:

• Teacher demonstrates how to assemble neck piece.
• First thread the amulet and position it to be on the center of the string.
• Make a knot on both the left and right side of the amulet (if knots are not added the charms and beads will lay too close to the amulet and be hidden).
• Then add a charm or bead to both the left and right sides.
• Continue to add a bead or charm to each side until all of their charms and beads have been added.
• During the demonstration make sure to vocalize the thought processes and ideas behind the pattern you are making. Also emphasize that the string can easily become frayed and you are careful to guide the string through the holes without rubbing the end of the string on the edges of the holes.
• Pass out waxed cotton string to each student.
• Pass out cups of different colored beads and instruct each student to take 4 to 6.
• Students assemble neckpieces.
• Ask students to each share their answers to the following questions:
• What is something new you learned?
• What is something that surprised you?
• What is something you would like to learn more about?
• What does the neck piece represent to them?

Reflection Ideas:

What was the intent behind the pattern you assembled?

Does the overall design of your neck piece represent your original idea?

Supplies:

[QTY 1] Waxed Cotton Cord, 2mm x 100 yards (2mm x 109 Yards Jewelry Rope)