Art at Hosmer: Scotland: Personal Coat of Arms

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Scotland: Personal Coat of Arms

After Ghana, 2nd graders traveled to Scotland as part of our Arts Around the World unit. We learned that Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, sharing a border with England, and the capital city is Edinburgh. We also learned that there are different regions: the Highlands, which are mountainous areas, and the Lowlands, which have forests and farmland.

We also learned about the tradition of a coat of arms. A coat of arms is a unique design, originally painted on a shield, used as a symbol of identity. Coats of arms were originally used for military purposes with a design on an actual coat, worn over a suit of armor, and on the knight’s shield and helmet. Now a coat of arms can represent family heritage, organizations, and professions or jobs.

We looked at and discussed examples of different coats of arms from Scotland, including the Royal Arms of Scotland and coats of arms representing different Scottish cities such as Glasgow and Aberdeen. Then we thought about what we might include on our own coat of arms. We considered what kinds of symbols might best represent us, and what kinds of information we would want to include, such as: personal interests and hobbies, cultural backgrounds, and favorite animals or food.

After making an initial sketch of a personal coat of arms using pencil, students created their coats of arms on thicker paper and outlined with Sharpie marker.

We then painted them with watercolor paint and used metallic Sharpie markers to accent our work.

Students then cut and glued their coat of arms design onto construction paper, choosing a color that would complement their work. Below are examples of our finished coat of arms designs: