Looking and Discussing
Grade: 4–5
Subject: Art, Language Arts, Social Studies
-
Look for signs of nervousness among the buffalo in this image;
what indicates that they might be wary? (For example, their tails
form a “question mark” and the “whites”
show on their eyes.) Do you think they are scared? What skills would
a hunter under wolf skin need to have?
-
Why do the hunters use the skin of a wolf, an animal that preys
upon buffalo by sneaking up on them? Why not a buffalo skin?
-
What skills, beyond art skills, would an artist who traveled to
the West like Catlin need? (For example, hunting, languages, riding,
building a fire, etc.)
-
Why are George Catlin’s observations of Native American life
important today?
Writing
Grade: 4–5
Subject: Language Arts, Social Studies
-
Catlin wrote in a delightful, chatty manner. His words seem to
flow gracefully over the page, like an intimate conversation with
the reader.
-
Describe the image, in a letter, to someone who cannot see the
actual work of art.
-
Make sure that you describe the animals, people, and landscape.
-
Tell how this painting helps us understand the history of our country
between 1830 and 1850, a period of early exploration in the American
West.
Reading and Research
Grade: 6–8
Subject: Art, Language Arts, Social Studies
-
Discuss the impact people, particularly non-Indian people, have
had on wolves and buffalo. Research how these animals have been
handled in captivity (zoos) and in relocation programs such as the
project in Yellowstone National Park.
-
What other methods were used to hunt buffalo by Native Americans?
Why aren’t the Native Americans in this image on horseback?
Find out more about when the northern Plains Indians were introduced
to the horse and how it affected their way of life.
Link to TEKS Connections
|
