First Grade Molas

First graders studied a type of textile art called a Mola, which originated from an group of islands off of Panama called the San Blas Islands. The Mola is traditionally made by Kuna women as a way to celebrate the traditions and wildlife of the islands. Thanks to Ms. McCrakin, first graders were able to study a real Mola and notice how it was created through many layers of fabric and stitches to hold it together.

A Mola texture from Panama

To give us a better feel of the art, students took a trip to Panama through Google Earth. We started in Washington, DC and watched as the map took us all the way to Central America. We were able to click on the islands and even look through pictures of what the Kuna people might see, feel, and hear in their everyday lives. This gave us information in what kinds of animals and colors could go in their Molas.

Next, students learned about the digital art words Stroke and Fill, and compared these words to a pie. They observed where on a Mola they may see a "pie crust" and where to use a "pie filling. They practiced turning on the Fill and Stroke on the app InkPad.

Students created their own Molas through the app, making sure to include the stitches, saturated colors, and geometric outlines of the Mola.

View more Molas on our Artsonia gallery.