ARTSEDGE: Peace 4: Quilts

This Lesson at a Glance:

Grade Band:

Integrated Subjects:
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Materials:

For the teacher:

Assessment Rubric

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

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Peace 4: Quilts

Part of the Unit: Discovering Peace

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students discuss and learn vocabulary related to quilts and quilting. Students explore quilt-making around the world, then decide on a design and create their own peace quilts. This lesson may be set up as a WebQuest. Teacher-directed discussion and instruction is interspersed with independent, online student learning.

Length of Lesson:

Five 45-minute periods

Notes:

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

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

review newly learned vocabulary.
explain elements of designs used on quilts.
explore Internet sites about quilts.
label and define types of quilts.
write to describe important elements of quilt.
design peace quilt integrating personal symbols of peace.
prepare an oral argument to persuade the PTA to adopt their quilt as the one to be made.
orally present design ideas and oral arguments for adoption to class.

Supplies:

Chart paper

Instructional Plan:

Teacher Note

This lesson can help make the ESOL student feel important, recognizing that they have something to offer and share, and that they are a part of the school community. You may wish to have the principal and the PTA get involved. Have the principal visit the class to share what peace means to him/her, or symbols that he/she grew up with and holds dear. Ask the PTA to sponsor the project and provide the funds to bring the quilt to completion. You may also wish to contact a quilters' organization in your area to see if they would donate their time to actually make the quilt.

Lesson Plan

Display the Vocabulary handout and review information learned in the previous two lessons of the unit.

Present students with the challenge of designing and making a Peace Quilt for the school. Tell them that to do so, they must first become quilt "experts." Have students search the Web to compile, organize, and analyze information on quilts, design, and peace symbols. You may wish to have students begin with the following resources:

Divide the students into small groups. Tell them they must submit their quilt design to the PTA in the form of a persuasive speech. Their goal is to convince the PTA to select their design for a school Peace Quilt.

First, each member of the group should first individually write a paragraph explaining the design for peace that they envision, and why their group's design should be selected. Questions for students to think about in writing the paragraph include:

What is a quilt?
What types of quilts are there?
What elements of design are used in quilts?
What types of peace symbols can be found in quilts?
How does a quilt tell a story?
What story does your quilt tell?
Why would your quilt be significant in representing the school?

Students should then come together as a group to create a persuasive speech. Remind students that their goal is to have their quilt selected by the PTA, so they should be convincing. Using points outlined in their paragraphs as material for the presentation to the PTA, they should clearly explain why their Peace Quilt should be chosen to represent the whole school. Students should address designs, colors, patterns, and shapes in the presentations, as well as the rationale for each. Each group will need to designate a recorder, a techology person, a reader and a presenter for the completion of this task. (Roles may be adjusted depending on the number of students in the group.) Groups should also create a poster for the presentation, depicting the quilt design and three facts about it. Each member of the group will make at least two comments on why the group's quilt should be selected by the PTA.

Assessment:

Assess students based on their effort during the group work, their designs, and their explanations of peace, using the Assessment Rubric provided.

Sources:

Print:

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

Authors:

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