Tortillas With A TwistMary Cavazos Lena RodriguezGrand Prairie Independent School District

Tortillas With a TwistObjectives: In this project students will learn

about the role of the tortilla in Hispanic culture and the art of and technique of artist Joe Bravo.

The Role of the Tortilla

The tortillas are a major part of the Hispanic culture and diet.

They are used for tacos, enchiladas, flautas and fried for nachos. Tortillas are commonly used as eating utensils, i.e. as a plate in a tostada, holding in food as in wraps and burritos, and as a “scoop” for beans, rice, meats and much more.

They are found at festivals, celebrations and even enjoyed

at restaurants.

About Joe Bravo In this project, students will study the artwork of Joe Bravo.

Bravo’s tortillas act as the canvas for his amazing paintings. He uses every aspect of the tortilla in a creative and unique approach, turning cooked marks into eyes and ridges into snakes.

Tortilla Books The is a collection of Childrens books that can

encourage both reading and learning about the tortilla.

Lesson Preparation It is important that you introduce this project to

the students using the historical references of the tortilla and where tortillas might be seen in our world today.

MAKE CONNECTIONS about the PAST and PRESENT

Introduce the artist aspect with examples of Joe Bravo’s work. You can use the images through this Power Point, or at Joe Bravo’s website.

http://www.joebravo.net

Tortilla Preparation You can use the oven, stove or flat griddle to cook

the tortilla. Once cooked, the tortillas are very brittle and

fragile so you need to coat both sides with acrylic varnish. I prefer the Liquitex brand which can be found through most art supply stores and catalogs. The varnish also makes the tortilla

pliable and will resist breaking so easily.

After the varnish dries, they are ready for painting.

The tortilla should be hard, almost leather like.

Lesson Plan GRADE LEVELS

Kindergarten thru 12th

TEKS CONNECTIONS

See the Project Summary and TEKS Connections Page

Social Studies – Native American or Hispanic Culture

TIME PERIOD

This part of the project will vary depending on the material and lesson preparation and how much you get

into studying the culture. For my class it took 4 – 50 minute classes.

Lesson Plan MATERIALS

corn/flour tortillas

paintbrushes

1 cup of water

acrylic paints

sharpie/permanent marker

KEY CONCEPTS/VOCABULARY

Tortilla, Texture, Line, Shape, Form, Color, Value and other words that might be associated with the culture being studied

Lesson Plan

PROCEDURE

1. After the tortillas have been prepared for the project, hand out 1 tortilla to each student.

You could also alter this project by have the students complete it in pairs.

2. Have students notice the texture and shape of the tortilla.

Some tortillas will have air pockets or will be cooked in different places. This will either be a challenge or advantage to their design.

3. Using a permanent marker, students can draw on the tortilla. Be cautious as this will leave little room for error.

Lesson Plan

PROCEDURE

4. As the students are creating their design, encourage them to push their idea farther and think of the culture that they are showing on their tortilla.

5. When students have completed drawing their design, they can use acrylic paint to color in their pictures.

Lesson Plan PROCEDURE

6. After all of the areas are painted allow the tortilla to dry.

Lesson PlanMODIFICATIONS

This project can be modified in several ways…

encourage students to create abstract patterns that they might see in this culture.

allow students extra time to work on the project.

assist students in drawing their design onto the tortilla.

Samples of Elementary

Student Work

Samples of Elementary Student Work

Samples of Middle School Student Work

6th Grade

Samples of Middle School Student Work

7th & 8th Grade

Samples of High School Student Work

Samples of High School Student Work

Contact Information Mary Cavazos, Fine Arts Academy at

Grand Prairie High School Mary.Cavazos@gpisd.org

Lena Rodriguez, Fine Arts Academy at Reagan Middle School

Lena.Rodriguez@gpisd.org www.drawpaintsculptrepeat.blogspot.com