ARTSEDGE: Peace 3: Making a Quilt

This Lesson at a Glance:

Grade Band:

Integrated Subjects:
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Materials:

For the teacher:

Vocabulary Cards

For the student:

Vocabulary

Related WebLinks:

Targeted Standards:

The National Standards For Arts Education:

Visual Arts (K-4)
Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Visual Arts (K-4)
Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions

Visual Arts (K-4)
Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas

Other National Standards:

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 2: Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 3: Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes

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Peace 3: Making a Quilt

Part of the Unit: Discovering Peace

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students learn and use vocabulary related to quilts and quilting. The students select their own design for a quilt, then list the materials needed, and sequence the steps required to make the quilt. This lesson also includes a letter-writing activity in which students request volunteer help in putting together their project. As a culminating activity for the lesson, and unit, students create a "Peace Quilt."

Length of Lesson:

Five 45-minute periods

Notes:

This lesson is particularly suitable for ESOL students in grades 3-4.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

review vocabulary about quilts.
select a quilt design.
list materials needed for the quilt.
sequence steps in making the quilt.
measure the space needed for the design.
write letters requesting volunteer help.
create a quilt.

Supplies:

Software: Kidspiration© (optional)
Software: The Student Writing Program© (optional)
Johnston Tony, and Tomie dePaola. The Quilt Story. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 1985.
Polacco, Patrica. The Keeping Quilt. New York: Aladdin Paperworks, 1988.
Sample material (or pictures of the materials) needed for quilting, such as fabric, batting, thread, needles, fusing tape, backing, succors, iron, measuring tape, and/or a sewing machine

Instructional Plan:

Display Vocabulary Cards from the first lesson in this unit, The Quilt Story. Display sample material (or pictures of the materials) needed for quilting, including fabric, batting, thread, needles, fusing tape, backing, succors, iron, measuring tape, sewing machine. (You may wish to make vocabulary cards with these words.)

Review Vocabulary handout related to quilting. Ask students to list the materials needed to make a quilt. Students may refer to the props or pictures on display for assistance. New vocabulary may also be added. If possible, have students work in groups of two using the computer program Kidspiration© to map out the materials needed. Alternatively, they students can simply list the materials by hand. In either case, students should draw pictures to illustrate the words used.

In small groups, have students list the steps they feel are necessary to make the quilt. One student from each group should list the steps on the board. As a class, discuss and determine together the sequence necessary for making a quilt. At this time, the students can fill out the sequence chart or work on the computer using Kidspiration© to complete a sequence chain, or they can write out the sequence of steps on a piece of paper. Again, pictures or symbols can be added.

Together, have the class will make a list of parents or teachers they feel will volunteer to help. (You may wish to have a pre-arranged list of quilt-helpers instead of brainstorming the list.) On the board, or on an overhead projector, draft—with student help—a letter asking for volunteer assistance. The students should then practice letter-writing using the handout. After checking the letters, have students rewrite them on appropriate letterhead using their very best handwriting or, if possible, using the software program, The Student Writing Center©.

Have students assist with addressing the envelopes. (You will have to supply the addresses to be copied, as well as the school address.) The students can complete this task in groups.

With your help, the class should generate a list of who will bring in materials, and set a date by which to expect all supplies. Have students work in small groups to measure the space needed for their design, and allow them to create a paper quilt. When the volunteers come to the classroom, the students will complete the quilt, using their sequence chart.

You may wish to share the quilts with the school and local community by:

photographing the process and finished projects and creating a PowerPoint presentation for other classes.
displaying the quilts in the school's main office.
inviting a local college communications student to interview students about the project for their local cable TV channel.
writing articles on the Peace Quilts for submission to the local newspaper.

Assessment:

Assess students by their letters, as well as how much effort they exerted in making their peace quilts.

Extensions:

Letters may be sent to children in other countries, asking them to design a peace quilt. Students can learn about the participating country’s or countries' geography, culture, and folk art designs.

Proceed to the next lesson, Quilts.

Sources:

Print:

Anderson, Alex. Kids Start Quilting. Layfaette, CA: C and T Publishing, 2002.
Burger, Carol. Flower Children Quilt. Birmingham, Alabama: Oxmoor House, 2000.

Authors:

Susan M. Toerge, ESOL Specialist
Langley Park-McCormick Elementary
Hyattsville, MD