National Endowment for the Humanities
History in Quilts
Learners investigate the use of cloth-based art forms intended to pass down traditions and history. They research types of quilts, quilt characteristics and then identify how Freedom Quilts were historically used in the US.
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Math On Your Lap Quilt
Get creative juices flowing when you allow groups to figure out a procedure for how to find the area of squares and rectangles. They may use the individual patchwork blocks, or they may design one using the Design Template.
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Story Quilt Project
Students investigate how quilt making was a family and community activity. They read and discuss books, complete various handouts, and create a paper quilt celebrating philanthropic activities.
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Making a Quilt
Students use vocabulary to describe the quilt making process. For this quilting lesson, students collect needed materials, sequence the steps for quilting and create an original peace quilt. Students write about their quilts.
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Quilting - A Pioneer Craft
Fifth graders explore quilting in pioneer families. In this quilting lesson, 5th graders review the history of quilts, the role of women, and quilting patterns. They create their own pattern and quilt square.
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Sew, You Want To Quilt?
Students become familiar with the achievements of the artist Faith Ringgold. They take notice of the patterns in their environment. They connect the mathematical concept of patterns to create a class quilt.
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Crazy-Quilt Collage Design
Students create collages using the irregular-shaped and sized pieces, decorative stitching, and applied or painted motifs that reflect the Crazy-Quilt style, and explain how and why their design fits into that style.
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Prairie Activity: Prairie Quilt
Young scholars investigate prairie life in the 19th century. They research quilts and prairie images online, take a photo of an object related to prairie life, transfer the image onto fabric, and create a class quilt.
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Piece by Piece
Learners study quilts. In this history/geometry quilt lesson, students discover the history behind quilt making and get a chance to make quilt blocks of their own. They work independently to make a quilt block out of construction paper...
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Story Quilts
Students create story quilts. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read a book and create a paper quilt square to display illustrations and events from the text.
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Literacy Lesson: Guided Reading
Here is a wonderful lesson designed for students with special needs. This well-thought-out lesson uses Big Books, familiar stories, and has a lot of review learning built into it. The book, The Keeping Quilt is used in the main part of...
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Hexagon Quilt Top Design
Learners examine how the hexagon shape can be a building block for quilt patterns. They view images of quilts, discuss symmetry and design patterns, and create and name an original quilt design.
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Appliqué Bedcover Design
High schoolers explore patriotic and classical motifs in applique design and technique. A bedcover or quilt is produced using appropriate symmetry, color,proportion and composition.
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Interviewing a Quilter
Young scholars investigate the process of quilting. They conduct Internet research, brainstorm and develop a list of questions to ask quilters, and interview a quilter about the process of making a quilt.
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Kids Quilt Together
Learners practice stenciling designs onto fabric in hoops. After the quilting is complete, they stitch lace around the hoop to make it more decrative. They share their quilt with the class and the class comments on the design.
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Sunday School Inspiration Lessons
Many activities related to the Chrisitan religion are included in this lesson about storytelling; young scholars create their own Bible related art from stickers, stamps, t-shirts and hats. Puppets also help to to retell Bible stories...
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Lesson Plan on Family History and Past Generations
Second graders listen to The Keeping Quilt and through class/small group discussion relate this story to beliefs, customs, and traditions of their own families. They make a class quilt based on these discussions.
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Whole Cloth Quilt Design
Students examine how decorative motifs are adapted to other types of objects by craftsmen and artists. They examine photos on the Illinois State Museum website, discuss design elements, adapt a motif to a line drawing, and transfer a...
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Keeping Up With Capitals
Students engage in a class discussion where they identify the situations where capitalization is necessary. They complete worksheets embedded in the plan where they capitalize proper nouns such as names, holidays, and special events...
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Food and Your Body -- How to Maintain a Healthy Diet
Middle schoolers examine the different food groups on the food pyramid. In groups, they discover the proper amount to eat from each food group and how to prepare healthy meals. They keep a food journal and calculate the amount of...
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People Take the Stand
Students learn how to be a philanthropist. In this community lesson, students define words associated with philanthropy. Students read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and discuss the problem and how it was solved. Students...
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The Joy of the Body
Students participate in a read aloud of the poem, "My Body" then perform several different movement activities such as a finger play, a letter dance, and a body puzzle. They then create a drawing of their body using a prepared outline.
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Making a Comet in the Classroom
Students study comets and how Halley's comet was created. In this space lesson students create their own comets using dry ice.
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Creating and Preserving a Tradition
Pupils explore folk art and tradition. They work in small groups and produce an essay about folk art or traditions practiced in their community. Students discuss the creation and preservation of a tradition. They discuss various...