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Bead People

  • History & Social Studies
  • Science & STEM
  • Grades 4-5
  • Grades 6-8
  • Grades 1-3

Use Wood Beads and Fuzzy Sticks to create figures representing different people of the world.

Materials

  • Natural Fuzzy Sticks
  • Wood Beads Tub
  • Scissors

Instructions

Step 1. Gather your supplies.

Dr. King Craft Project

 

 

Step 2.

 

Match up (2) Fuzzy Sticks and twist together about 2/3 of the way up to form 2 legs and a body.

Dr. King Class Art Project

 

Step 3.

 

Thread 3 large beads through both Fuzzy Sticks to form body.

 

Step 4.

 

Take both Fuzzy Sticks and separate them, pulling each stick to either side of the body. Thread (5) medium beads onto each arm.

Multicultural Bead People Sculpture

 

Step 5.

 

Curl and wrap the end of the Fuzzy Stick around the last bead to secure.

Dr. King class arts and crafts project

 

Step 6.

 

Thread (8) medium beads onto each leg. Curl and wrap the end around the last bead to secure.

Bead People Sculpture

 

Step 7.

 

To form a head, cut (1) Fuzzy Stick in half and bend to form a circle shape with the ends twisted and touching as shown.

 

Step 8.

 

Insert the ends of the Fuzzy Stick head into the top bead of the body to secure. You have now made a beaded person!

 

Step 9.

 

Use different color Fuzzy Sticks and bead tones to create other people of the world!

 

 


Teacher's Corner

Make everyone feel included at craft time with colorful fuzzy sticks and wooden beads!

Lesson Objectives

  • Science of Skin: What gives our skin its color? Over thousands of years, our ancestors adapted to different environments to protect themselves from the elements, like the Sun. Explore the science behind skin color with this Ted-Ed video!
  • Starting Conversations: What makes a box of crayons so special? All the different colors inside! Talking about diversity and racism in the classroom can be a tricky discussion to navigate, but it’s important and necessary. Use hypotheticals (like the one above), books, movies, or even local historical monuments as conversation starters about race. Ask your students: How is being different a good thing?

Follow-up Discussion

Your classroom is made up of students from all backgrounds, so why not extend the discussion of skin color to other subjects, like language arts? Introduce books at their reading level that have strong black characters or discuss race in a context students will relate to and understand. Then, have them share what they learn through book reports!