In this art workshop, students will learn about the elements of an icon and draw their own icons representing family members or other honored ones. To do this lesson with your own class, you'll need the following materials: Yellow construction paper; red construction paper cut into 1.5" by 9" and 1.5" by 12" strips (to fit the edges of the yellow paper); glue sticks; pencils; black pens; crayons or colored pencils. You'll need about 45 minutes for this activity.

• Using Mark Duke's piece from Honoring Our Ancestors, discuss the elements of an icon. Explain to students that an icon always depicts an honored person and traditionally depicts that person displaying the characteristics for which you honor them. This characteristic is called an "attribute". An icon usually has an inscription explaining who this person and why he or she is special. Finally, that person will have a halo, a symbol of the light that comes from within.
• Ask students to select an ancestor that they would like to honor. The ancestor could be a family member or somebody else they wish to honor, as Mark Dukes wanted to honor his spiritual ancestor, Abba Moses the Black. Have students consider how they will represent why this person is important to them: what is his or her attribute? What words will the students choose for the inscription. For example, a grandfather could be important because he reads daily with a child; the student could draw him with a book and the inscription, "My grandfather who reads to me."
• Once students have chosen their ancestors, have them prepare their paper by gluing the red strips around the edges of the yellow paper to create a border. Then, have them sketch in the elements of their icon lightly, in pencil. Once students are sure where they want their drawings to go, have them retrace their work in black pen and color it in with crayons or colored pencils.
• Remind students to include all the elements in their icon: the person being honored with a halo surrounding him or her, the attribute which earns the honor, and the inscription below or above.