Subjects
Grade
Brief Description
Students research online an influential woman, then create on the computer a quilt block with text and graphics. Quilt blocks are then printed and combined to form a quilt of connections.
Objectives
Students will:Keywords
women's history, quilt
Although research for this project can be done using books and other printed materials, the following grade-appropriate resources are available online.
Lesson Plan
Help your K-8 class celebrate Women's History Month with this research and drawing project.
Note: This lesson can be modified for any grade level from K through 8 simply by changing the information students must research and write about.
Before beginning the lesson, open the drawing software (see Materials Needed above) and create a large rectangle with a black border, but no fill color. Make the rectangle big enough to fill most of an 8 " x 11" piece of paper without spilling over the edges. Click Print Preview (in Appleworks, click File>Print, and then click Preview; in Microsoft Paint, click File>Print Preview) to make sure the rectangle fits.
Save the rectangle to your Desktop or Documents folder as a template with the name "quiltblock." (When you click File>Save in most programs, you will see an option under File Format to save it as a template. Be sure to change the location to which you're saving the rectangle to Desktop or Documents; it will try to save it in the Templates folder, which is hard to find.) Finally, put the rectangle file on each student computer, or save it to a floppy or to the server so students can access it later. The quilt block template will ensure that students' drawings are a uniform size.
Note: If you're using TuxPaint for K-2, don't worry about the rectangle. Just let them draw, then print and cut out the picture to fit.
Start the lesson by asking students to name famous American women in history and explain what they did to become famous. Tell students that they are going to research a famous American woman and then create a quilt block illustrating that woman's achievements. The blocks will be attached to one another to form a quilt that will be displayed _____. (You pick the location -- in the classroom, the hallway, the cafeteria, the office.)
Make sure students understand what a quilt is. To illustrate that a quilt is made up of many connected pieces, show your students some of the quilts at European American Quilting Traditions.
Next, follow the steps below to help students create a quilt block about Shirley Chisholm.
Students now should be able to follow these steps themselves:
Display your quilt on the classroom wall, or in the hallway, office, or cafeteria. You might even invite parents and other students to see the work. Make sure students have an opportunity to share their information with one another.
Assessment
Students are evaluated based on theirLesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Lorrie Jackson
National Standards
FINE ARTS: Visual Arts
GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1
Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.K-4.2
Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.K-4.3
Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.K-4.6
Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1
Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.2
Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.5-8.3
Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.5-8.6
Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES K - 4
NSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.1 Era 1: Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620)
NSS-USH.5-12.2 Era 2: Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
NSS-USH.5-12.3 Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
NSS-USH.5-12.4 Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
NSS-USH.5-12.5 Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
NSS-USH.5-12.6 Era 6: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
NSS-USH.5-12.7 Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
NSS-USH.5-12.8 Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
NSS-USH.5-12.9 Era 9: Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
NSS-USH.5-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)