Tracy Salas, Winter 2000
Woodring College of Education
Western Washington University
IT444C: Quiz Works Lesson Plan
Grades: 5-6 (can be modified)
Ojectives:
SWBAT:
* List five historical and five current reasons for the purpose and existence of quilts.
* Identify the variations in pattern, color, design, and story of quilts.
* Recognize that every artist has a story behind each creation of a quilt.
* Explain why quilts are considered a piece of art.
* Explain the relationship of quilts and art as an ever-changing form and composition.
* Display their own childhood memory on a 9x12 piece of paper using paint, material scraps, and/or an assistive technology.
Pre-Planning Tasks:
1. Arrange chairs and desks in a circle representative of a quilting bee.
2. Have quilt(s) laid in the center of the circle for the students to view.
3. Prepare videotape.
4. Prepare presentation on computer or projector
Materials:
1. Quilts from home or borrowed from a friend
2. Video: "Faith Ringgold: The Last Story Quilt" by Linda Freeman.
3. QuizWorks Game and SideKeys
4. 9x12 white paper (per student)
5. Fabric glue (non-toxic)
6. Strips of fabric scraps
7. Tempera paint, paint containers
8. Paint brushes, water dishes
9. African Textiles by John Picton & John Mack (optional for visual aid)
10. The Artist & the Quilt by Charlotte Robinson (optional for visual aid)
11. American Pieced Quilts by Jonathan Holstein (optional for visual aid)
12. Power Point presentation (optional)
13. Computer, projector, scanner, digital camera, slide projector (optional)
Introduction:
Definition
1. Have the class discuss the purpose of a quilt.
2. Quilt means "a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thickness’ in order to prevent the filling from shifting." Webster Dictionary
3. Ask students to close eyes and image if they were back in the 1800’s as women living on the Great Plains. "Imagine traveling for miles on horseback or on carriage to reach friends who were sewing the back of a quilt and needed an extra hand. You look forward to this event because it’s your chance to catch up on all the latest news. It’s a special bondage, an outlet from tending the farm, household, and family.
Body:
(may be done as a Power Point presentation or slide show)
History
1. Earliest known quilt is carved on an ivory figure of a Pharaoh of the Egyptian First Dynasty about 3400 BC.
2. In 1924 archaeologists discovered a quilted floor covering in Mongolia dating back from first century BC to the second century AD.
3. Earliest surviving bed quilt is from Sicily from the end of the 14th century. It is currently in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
4. None of the early colonial quilts survived because they were made of scraps of material when they were originally made.
5. Earliest surviving American pieced quilt is the Saltonstall quilt from 1704. Able to date it because used to pieced quilts together out of paper. The paper was used as the inner lining. Outer fabric wore out; newspaper came into view, historians able to read the date on the paper.
6. 19th century quilt making flourished in the period between 1825 and 1875. Used them as covers for doors, windows, floor mats for children to play on, and currency to pay bills.
7. Most of our contemporary quilting traditions stem from the mix of cultures in Southern America.
European American Quilting Traditions
1. Far less documented and concrete tradition.
2. First began in order to add weight and warmth to underclothing for armor. Tradition of "crazy quilting" in Victorian age. (Show picture on p. 38 in American Pieced Quilts). Used scraps of material left over from larger projects.
3. Quilts used in history when paper or ink was unavailable.
4. Made as gifts, celebrations (weddings, birth, and death).
5. Strong European influences were the influence of the Amish. (Show an example on p. 44 in American Pieced Quilts).
6. Served as a source of income for many women on the frontier. Single men would purchase quilts, as did affluent women for the decoration of their homes/beds.
7. Common symbols: diamond represents the four seasons; heart = love; roses = love, purity, happiness; pineapple = hospitality; pomegranate = fruitfulness.
8. Quilts also recorded family history, represented personal and religious journeys.
African American Quilting Tradition
1. Textile traditions of African people, such as, Central and West Africa: the Mande-speaking peoples (in the modern countries of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Burkino Faso); the Youruba and Fon peoples (in Republic of Benin and Nigeria); the Ejagham peoples (in Nigeria and Cameroons); and the Kongo peoples (in Zaire and Angola) were traded as slaves throughout Caribbean, Central America, and Southern US. The African textile traditions became entwined with European traditions.
2. Originally men made African textiles. When the slaves were brought to the US their work was divided according to Western patriarchal standards and women took over the tradition. This strong tradition of weaving left a visible mark on African American quilting.
3. Used strong shapes/colors. Europeans tried improvising these strong qualities by doing quilts you may be familiar with: the "Log Cabin", the "Wedding Ring" pattern.
4. African textile traditions also used the diamond pattern. = Cycle of life. Each point represents a stage in life: birth, life, death, and rebirth.
5. During slavery years, members of the Underground Railroad would use quilts to send messages. Log Cabin quilts made with black cloth were hung to mark a sage house of refuge. Some quilts marked escape routes on them.
Faith Ringgold
1. An African American artist born and raised in Harlem. She paints stories in the middle of her quilts. Her paintings represent what it is like to be African American women.
Show video: "Faith Ringgold: The Last Story Quilt"
Play Quiz Works Game:
1. Show students an example of a QuizWorks game.
2. Explain how the side keys work.
3. Remind the students that they must press the enter button first before entering an answer.
4. Tell them they will be playing the QuizWorks game on the history of quilts
Sample QuizWorks Questions:
(Orange, underlined text indicates the correct answer)
1. Why did the early colonial quilts not survive?
1. They were originally made with old scraps of material.
2. They were used for fire starters.
3. They were made out of newspapers.
4. During the war they were used to carry ammunition
2. How did historians date the earliest surviving American pieced quilts?
1. Historians could recognize patterns of that time period.
2. Historians found journals from that time period describing the American piece quilts.
3. The American piece quilts were made of newspapers that had the date on them.
4. There were antique pictures of them.
3. Where did most of our contemporary quilting traditions stem from?
1. North America
2. Europe
3. Indonesia
4. Southern America
4. How did European quilts help women on the frontier?
1. It showed off their talents.
2. It allowed them to display their work in art galleries
3. It was a source of income.
4. They were cheap gifts.
5. What other culture influenced European quilting?
1. African textile traditions.
2. Pacific Islander jewelry carvings.
3. Native American totem poles.
4. Scottish kilts.
6. Originally who made African textiles?
1. Men
2. Women
3. Children
4. Slaves
7. Choose the name of a quilt that stemmed from the African textile diamond pattern?
1. Family Tree
2. CampFire
3. Cycle of Life
4. Log Cabin
8. How were quilts used for members of the Underground Railroad?
1. To keep warm
2. To cover slaves in hiding
3. Made them to keep busy while in hiding
4. Marked escape routes on them
9. What is the name of the artist that wrote the book, Tar Beach?
1. Faith Ringing
2. Hope Ringgold
3. Faith Ringgold
4. Peace Ringing
10. Where was the artist in the video raised?
1. Harlem
2. Africa
3. U.S.
4. Down the Street
Ask students what they learned from the game.
Do they remember more than they would have if they didn’t play the game?
Explain that they will be doing an art activity next.
Art Production Activity:
(Time: 45 min. — 1 _ hours — can extend to a couple of days)
1. Show production sample
2. Pass out supplies to students (one piece of paper per student, one-two paint-brush per student, students share paint and water with a partner, fabric scraps).
3. Ask students to paint a favorite childhood memory — a memory that tells a story. Relate it to Faith Ringgold’s quilted art.
4. Begin by having students glue fabric to edges of paper to create a border (students can use squares/strips of fabric).
5. After students have glued fabric have them sketch a memory on paper.
6. Have students paint memory when sketch is complete.
7. Ask students if they would like to share their painted memory.
8. Display as an art gallery — have a walk through of students art gallery.
Extension for Art Activity:
Students may type or draw their memory on a computer.
The finished product should be framed with one of the following:
1. Scraps of material
2. Personal design they made on the computer
3. Design they found on the internet
4. Design they personally made
5. Clipart Design or picture(s) they scanned
6. Picture(s) from a digital camera
Closing:
1. Name three historical reasons for making quilts.
2. What culture influenced European quilt making?
3. Why did Faith Ringgold use quilts to paint her artwork?
4. In what ways did Faith Ringgold tell her story or stories in her art pieces?Why?
5. What kind of statements was she making in her paintings?
6. How has the history of quilting influenced Faith Ringgold’s artwork?
7. What kind of shapes, colors, depth, patterns, and stories did Faith use in her artwork/quilts?
8. What was your favorite quilted painting that Faith Ringgold made?
9. What is the significance of quilting to you now that you have learned a little about the history of quilting?
Extension:
1. Put together learning tables/centers. Cut up historical facts with pictures, books, slides etc. Have students go to each center and choose their favorite fact(s). Let the students paste their favorite interesting fact(s) in the shape of a large paper quilt.
2. Have students research a specific culture or subculture that made quilts. Give students several options to present their research: Hyper Studio Project, Web Page, Slide Show, Video, Skit, Magazine explaining their findings, Art Production, etc.
Assessment:
1. Write five historical and current reasons for the existence of quilts.
2. List at least four of the shapes, patterns, designs, and or stories of Faith Ringgold’s painted quilts.
3. Explain at least one of Faith Ringgold’s stories in one of her painted quilts.
4. Explain the relationship between art and a quilt. Discuss how quilting has changed since it’s original forms.
5. Art production was well thought out, neat, followed directions, participated, and told a childhood memory.
Modifications:
1. Provide a list of Websites that include pre-made designs for their productions.
2. Give students the option to make their designs using assistive technological devices.
References:
1. African Textiles by John Picton and John Mack
2. American Pieced Quilts by Jonathan Holstein
3. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
4. Faith Ringgold by Robyn Montana Turner
5. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
6. The Artist and the Quilt by Charlotte Robinson
Woodring College of Education
Western Washington University
IT444C: Quiz Works Lesson Plan
Grades: 5-6 (can be modified)
Ojectives:
SWBAT:
* List five historical and five current reasons for the purpose and existence of quilts.
* Identify the variations in pattern, color, design, and story of quilts.
* Recognize that every artist has a story behind each creation of a quilt.
* Explain why quilts are considered a piece of art.
* Explain the relationship of quilts and art as an ever-changing form and composition.
* Display their own childhood memory on a 9x12 piece of paper using paint, material scraps, and/or an assistive technology.
Pre-Planning Tasks:
1. Arrange chairs and desks in a circle representative of a quilting bee.
2. Have quilt(s) laid in the center of the circle for the students to view.
3. Prepare videotape.
4. Prepare presentation on computer or projector
Materials:
1. Quilts from home or borrowed from a friend
2. Video: "Faith Ringgold: The Last Story Quilt" by Linda Freeman.
3. QuizWorks Game and SideKeys
4. 9x12 white paper (per student)
5. Fabric glue (non-toxic)
6. Strips of fabric scraps
7. Tempera paint, paint containers
8. Paint brushes, water dishes
9. African Textiles by John Picton & John Mack (optional for visual aid)
10. The Artist & the Quilt by Charlotte Robinson (optional for visual aid)
11. American Pieced Quilts by Jonathan Holstein (optional for visual aid)
12. Power Point presentation (optional)
13. Computer, projector, scanner, digital camera, slide projector (optional)
Introduction:
Definition
1. Have the class discuss the purpose of a quilt.
2. Quilt means "a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thickness’ in order to prevent the filling from shifting." Webster Dictionary
3. Ask students to close eyes and image if they were back in the 1800’s as women living on the Great Plains. "Imagine traveling for miles on horseback or on carriage to reach friends who were sewing the back of a quilt and needed an extra hand. You look forward to this event because it’s your chance to catch up on all the latest news. It’s a special bondage, an outlet from tending the farm, household, and family.
Body:
(may be done as a Power Point presentation or slide show)
History
1. Earliest known quilt is carved on an ivory figure of a Pharaoh of the Egyptian First Dynasty about 3400 BC.
2. In 1924 archaeologists discovered a quilted floor covering in Mongolia dating back from first century BC to the second century AD.
3. Earliest surviving bed quilt is from Sicily from the end of the 14th century. It is currently in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
4. None of the early colonial quilts survived because they were made of scraps of material when they were originally made.
5. Earliest surviving American pieced quilt is the Saltonstall quilt from 1704. Able to date it because used to pieced quilts together out of paper. The paper was used as the inner lining. Outer fabric wore out; newspaper came into view, historians able to read the date on the paper.
6. 19th century quilt making flourished in the period between 1825 and 1875. Used them as covers for doors, windows, floor mats for children to play on, and currency to pay bills.
7. Most of our contemporary quilting traditions stem from the mix of cultures in Southern America.
European American Quilting Traditions
1. Far less documented and concrete tradition.
2. First began in order to add weight and warmth to underclothing for armor. Tradition of "crazy quilting" in Victorian age. (Show picture on p. 38 in American Pieced Quilts). Used scraps of material left over from larger projects.
3. Quilts used in history when paper or ink was unavailable.
4. Made as gifts, celebrations (weddings, birth, and death).
5. Strong European influences were the influence of the Amish. (Show an example on p. 44 in American Pieced Quilts).
6. Served as a source of income for many women on the frontier. Single men would purchase quilts, as did affluent women for the decoration of their homes/beds.
7. Common symbols: diamond represents the four seasons; heart = love; roses = love, purity, happiness; pineapple = hospitality; pomegranate = fruitfulness.
8. Quilts also recorded family history, represented personal and religious journeys.
African American Quilting Tradition
1. Textile traditions of African people, such as, Central and West Africa: the Mande-speaking peoples (in the modern countries of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Burkino Faso); the Youruba and Fon peoples (in Republic of Benin and Nigeria); the Ejagham peoples (in Nigeria and Cameroons); and the Kongo peoples (in Zaire and Angola) were traded as slaves throughout Caribbean, Central America, and Southern US. The African textile traditions became entwined with European traditions.
2. Originally men made African textiles. When the slaves were brought to the US their work was divided according to Western patriarchal standards and women took over the tradition. This strong tradition of weaving left a visible mark on African American quilting.
3. Used strong shapes/colors. Europeans tried improvising these strong qualities by doing quilts you may be familiar with: the "Log Cabin", the "Wedding Ring" pattern.
4. African textile traditions also used the diamond pattern. = Cycle of life. Each point represents a stage in life: birth, life, death, and rebirth.
5. During slavery years, members of the Underground Railroad would use quilts to send messages. Log Cabin quilts made with black cloth were hung to mark a sage house of refuge. Some quilts marked escape routes on them.
Faith Ringgold
1. An African American artist born and raised in Harlem. She paints stories in the middle of her quilts. Her paintings represent what it is like to be African American women.
Show video: "Faith Ringgold: The Last Story Quilt"
Play Quiz Works Game:
1. Show students an example of a QuizWorks game.
2. Explain how the side keys work.
3. Remind the students that they must press the enter button first before entering an answer.
4. Tell them they will be playing the QuizWorks game on the history of quilts
Sample QuizWorks Questions:
(Orange, underlined text indicates the correct answer)
1. Why did the early colonial quilts not survive?
1. They were originally made with old scraps of material.
2. They were used for fire starters.
3. They were made out of newspapers.
4. During the war they were used to carry ammunition
2. How did historians date the earliest surviving American pieced quilts?
1. Historians could recognize patterns of that time period.
2. Historians found journals from that time period describing the American piece quilts.
3. The American piece quilts were made of newspapers that had the date on them.
4. There were antique pictures of them.
3. Where did most of our contemporary quilting traditions stem from?
1. North America
2. Europe
3. Indonesia
4. Southern America
4. How did European quilts help women on the frontier?
1. It showed off their talents.
2. It allowed them to display their work in art galleries
3. It was a source of income.
4. They were cheap gifts.
5. What other culture influenced European quilting?
1. African textile traditions.
2. Pacific Islander jewelry carvings.
3. Native American totem poles.
4. Scottish kilts.
6. Originally who made African textiles?
1. Men
2. Women
3. Children
4. Slaves
7. Choose the name of a quilt that stemmed from the African textile diamond pattern?
1. Family Tree
2. CampFire
3. Cycle of Life
4. Log Cabin
8. How were quilts used for members of the Underground Railroad?
1. To keep warm
2. To cover slaves in hiding
3. Made them to keep busy while in hiding
4. Marked escape routes on them
9. What is the name of the artist that wrote the book, Tar Beach?
1. Faith Ringing
2. Hope Ringgold
3. Faith Ringgold
4. Peace Ringing
10. Where was the artist in the video raised?
1. Harlem
2. Africa
3. U.S.
4. Down the Street
Ask students what they learned from the game.
Do they remember more than they would have if they didn’t play the game?
Explain that they will be doing an art activity next.
Art Production Activity:
(Time: 45 min. — 1 _ hours — can extend to a couple of days)
1. Show production sample
2. Pass out supplies to students (one piece of paper per student, one-two paint-brush per student, students share paint and water with a partner, fabric scraps).
3. Ask students to paint a favorite childhood memory — a memory that tells a story. Relate it to Faith Ringgold’s quilted art.
4. Begin by having students glue fabric to edges of paper to create a border (students can use squares/strips of fabric).
5. After students have glued fabric have them sketch a memory on paper.
6. Have students paint memory when sketch is complete.
7. Ask students if they would like to share their painted memory.
8. Display as an art gallery — have a walk through of students art gallery.
Extension for Art Activity:
Students may type or draw their memory on a computer.
The finished product should be framed with one of the following:
1. Scraps of material
2. Personal design they made on the computer
3. Design they found on the internet
4. Design they personally made
5. Clipart Design or picture(s) they scanned
6. Picture(s) from a digital camera
Closing:
1. Name three historical reasons for making quilts.
2. What culture influenced European quilt making?
3. Why did Faith Ringgold use quilts to paint her artwork?
4. In what ways did Faith Ringgold tell her story or stories in her art pieces?Why?
5. What kind of statements was she making in her paintings?
6. How has the history of quilting influenced Faith Ringgold’s artwork?
7. What kind of shapes, colors, depth, patterns, and stories did Faith use in her artwork/quilts?
8. What was your favorite quilted painting that Faith Ringgold made?
9. What is the significance of quilting to you now that you have learned a little about the history of quilting?
Extension:
1. Put together learning tables/centers. Cut up historical facts with pictures, books, slides etc. Have students go to each center and choose their favorite fact(s). Let the students paste their favorite interesting fact(s) in the shape of a large paper quilt.
2. Have students research a specific culture or subculture that made quilts. Give students several options to present their research: Hyper Studio Project, Web Page, Slide Show, Video, Skit, Magazine explaining their findings, Art Production, etc.
Assessment:
1. Write five historical and current reasons for the existence of quilts.
2. List at least four of the shapes, patterns, designs, and or stories of Faith Ringgold’s painted quilts.
3. Explain at least one of Faith Ringgold’s stories in one of her painted quilts.
4. Explain the relationship between art and a quilt. Discuss how quilting has changed since it’s original forms.
5. Art production was well thought out, neat, followed directions, participated, and told a childhood memory.
Modifications:
1. Provide a list of Websites that include pre-made designs for their productions.
2. Give students the option to make their designs using assistive technological devices.
References:
1. African Textiles by John Picton and John Mack
2. American Pieced Quilts by Jonathan Holstein
3. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
4. Faith Ringgold by Robyn Montana Turner
5. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
6. The Artist and the Quilt by Charlotte Robinson