Oakland Terrace Art ~ Fourth Grade Turtle Rattles

4th grade Turtle Rattles
In the 4th grade, students study local Native American cultures. One of the artifacts that we know that the Eastern Woodlands Indians used was a rattle made from a turtle shell. We made ours from paper plates, bowls, and aluminum foil, filled with beans. The entire form was covered with wallpaper paste and paper, a process called paper mache. Students then painted their rattles with any combination of mixed colors they wanted.