Lesson One
A Changing of Quilts One Step At A Time
Essential Questions
What is a quilt?
What does a quilt symbolize?
How can a quilt be a metaphor?
Grade Level and Duration
7th or 8th grade; 45 minutes; 3 class periods
Lesson Theme
Evolution
General Lesson Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the evolution of quilts over time with the aid of a special guest and a trip to the Contemporary Art Center (CAC). The students will understand the functions of quilts and their uses and will be able to verbally express their knowledge.
Works of Art
Works viewed a the CAC
Two slides of work at the CAC
Samples brought in by the quilter
Teacher Materials:
Guest speaker
field trip forms
slides
Motivational Activity
9"x12" piece of sturdy paper with star drawn on it in pencil
pencil
glue stick
crayons
markers
watercolor paint, brushes, water in container
masking tape
pens
3 erasures
Student Materials:
signed field trip forms
paper and pencil the last day of lesson
Vocabulary
evolution: gradual development
heirloom: a piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations
Specific Learning Objective
After visiting the Contemporary Art Center and listening to the guest speaker, the 7th/ 8th grade students will express their ideas and knowledge of the function and evolution of quilts. The students will discuss with the teacher the evolution of quilts and understand their functions. Among the many possible issues and content teacher and students might discuss are the following: Quilts have been created for social reasons such as providing an opportunity for people to gather and share news and information (gossip). Historically, people made quilts with symbolic patterns and those patterns symbolized various things such as escape routes for slaves and family histories. In general, the basic practical function of quilts was to display on the bed and to keep people warm.
Motivational Activity
Before the students enter the room the teacher will have arranged the desks in a long table with enough chairs to accommodate the students. The teacher will also have placed the materials on the table.
To begin the Activity the teacher will hold up the 9"x12" paper with the star drawn on it. The teacher will explain to the class that it is a plain piece of paper with a star drawn on it in pencil. The teacher will further explain that each student will change the appearance of the paper using one of the materials on the table. The teacher will state two guidelines- 1. The paper must remain in one piece, and 2. The paper must be workable for the next student. The student will then pass the paper to the student on the right until the paper has made a complete circuit of the table. During the circulation the teacher will encourage the use of all the materials.
When the last student completes the paper the teacher will hold the paper up for the class to view. The teacher will lead the class in a discussion about the changed piece of paper.
Questions for the teacher to ask:
What happened to the paper?
How is the paper different now opposed to how it was in the beginning?
What words would you use to describe this change?
Elude the students to the idea of evolution.
The Motivational Activity is to last no longer than ten minutes.
Standards of Learning
Advanced Organizer
Prior to this lesson, approval must be made for a field trip and field trip slips must be passed out and returned in order for the students to attend the Contemporary Art Center.
The classroom must be prepared before the students arise. The tables must be made into one long table with accommodating chairs. The materials for the motivational activity must be placed on the table and there must be adequate room for the guest speaker.
On the third day the slides and projector must be in place before the class begins.
Lesson Sequence
Day I
1 The students will come into the classroom and be seated at the prearranged chairs.
2 The first 10 minutes will be devoted to the motivational activity.
3 Following the activity the teacher will discuss different types of quilts with the students and ask the students for their knowledge of quilts.
4 The last 20 minutes will be devoted to the guest speaker and at the end the teacher will open the floor to questions for the speaker.
Day II
1 The class will take a field trip to the Contemporary Art Center.
2 The class will view the Women Of Taste exhibition and understand the concept behind women artists and women chefs.
3 Each student will choose one quilt from the exhibition and write a short essay on why they chose the piece and what they think it represents.
4 The class will return to school.
Day III
1 The students will enter the room prepared to view slides.
2 The students will view the slides of some of the pieces of the exhibition and discuss each piece.
3 The class will conclude the lesson with their ideas of how they think quilts have evolved.
Closure
The students will be asked to submit their short essays that were written about the artwork at the exhibition as an evaluation of their knowledge obtained.
Transition
In this lesson we discussed the evolution of quilts and their changing functions. With the help of a guest speaker we also explored the idea of traditional quilts and expanded that knowledge in to the understanding of contemporary quilts. With this new background information the teacher will discuss quilts as metaphors in the next lesson.
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