Elephant bells

It's hard to imagine losing an elephant, but a common practice among elephant owners--'mahouts'--is to let their elephants forage freely at night in the jungle. This leaves the problem of how to find the creatures the next day. Elephants wear bells so they can be found. Elephant bells tend to be large, and ornate.

Kids enjoy making 'real', useful objects in art, and an elephant bells project would fit nicely into several different kinds of units. It would be fun to make large bells out of clay, with a hole inside the bell body, as well as in the separately made 'clapper' (the piece inside), that could be attached later using wire or string. Include a hole or handle on top so the bell can hang from something. Use the sgraffito method to scratch patterns and designs on the outside before firing. Alternatively, it could be a fun challenge to make bells out of found objects, silverware, bowls, cans, etc. these objects could be used as forms for paper mâché or embossed tinfoil, painted (add glue to paint to help it stick), or strung together as is.

 

Painted Elephants

Elaborately decorated elephants are used in festivals throughout India. There's some deserved controversy over the treatment of these celebrated animals--but many believe that it is precisely this elevated status that keeps farmers and other folk from killing elephants that destroy their crops. The way these creatures are used as canvases for decoration really is stunning though--and can be used to inspire some incredible art--thanks to the remarkable combination of observation and fantasy.
In my kindergarten class we looked at a photograph of an elephant and made a list of words and phrases that described how we knew it was an elephant. In the picture we studied we noticed that the trunk stretched all the way to the ground. Children made pratice outlines with their fingers to plan their drawings and all the animal parts, then were given black crayons and invited to fill their canvases with elephants. When/if their crayons touched the edge of the paper they were allowed to say 'bump' out loud. It was a great incentive, and the room soon filled with the sound of 'bumps' and the sight of enormous elephants. Black and white paint was offered and children mixed the colors right on the board. Then detail brushes, white paint and other bright colors were introduced, and eventually other embellishments (sequins, tassels, buttons, etc) were offered, and applied with matte medium.
This would work well with older children as well. Invite debate about the controversy (including a reference to the street artist Banksy's use of a live, painted elephant in a recent exhibit in Los Angeles), and inspire them to choose an animal to decorate accompanied by a statement explaining their decision.