Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Story Quilt Project
Lesson 2:
From Unit Traditions
Purpose:
The purpose of this unit is to recall that storytelling is a tradition and learn that quilt making is an American tradition. The learner will understand that working collectively brings about change, and that shared values help build communities. They will recognize the value of conflict resolution skills and learn that quilt making filled a need. The learner will also recognize that quilt making was often a family or community activity and that many quilts can be treasured keepsakes for families. This unit will reinforce the concept that traditions, like the threads of a fabric woven together, help build healthy communities.
Duration:
Five Thirty-Minute Class Periods
(read and discuss one book a period)
One Thirty-Minute Class Period (Quilt Tables)
One Forty-Five Minute Class Period (Story Quilt Project)
Objectives:
The learner will:
- recognize the concept of philanthropy as an American tradition.
- define tradition.
- listen and respond thoughtfully to stories about quilt making.
- verbally compare and contrast quilting stories and philanthropic concepts.
- identify traditional quilt patterns that celebrated philanthropic activities and describe their historical significance.
Service Experience:
Although this lesson contains a service project example, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.
Learn more about the stages of service-learning.
Learn more about the stages of service-learning.
Students will make “quilts” that celebrate philanthropic activities.
Materials:
- Quilting as a Tradition (see Attachment One)
- Working Together Brings about Change (see Attachment Two)
- Shared Values Help Build Communities (see Attachment Three)
- Conflict Resolution Skills (see Attachment Four)
- Quilt Making Filled a Need (see Attachment Five)
- Quilt Tables (see Attachment Six)
- Story Quilt Project (see Attachment Seven)
- books (see Bibliographic References)
- chart paper
- table worksheets
- large empty cereal boxes
- construction paper
- yarn
- ribbon, lace, fabric scraps, crepe paper, etc.
- glue
- tissues
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Replay the song “Tradition” from the previous lesson...Help students recall the definition of tradition. (A special way of doing something that has lasted a long time because people care about it and pass it on to others.) Ask students if they think quilt making is a tradition. Why? Explain that over the next few days the class will listen to and reflect on stories about the tradition of quilting.
- The teacher should read and lead discussions on several of the books listed, using the following questions:
- How do these stories illustrate that quilting is a tradition? (See Quilting as a Tradition, Attachment One.)
- How do they show that working together brings about change? (See Working Together Brings about Change, Attachment Two.)
- How do they show that living with shared values helps build communities? (See Shared Values Help Build Communities, Attachment Three.)
- Did the characters use or learn any conflict resolution skills? (See Conflict Resolution Skills, Attachment Four.)
- What were they?
- How were they used?
- Did these stories show that quilt making filled a need? (See Quilt Making Filled a Need, Attachment Five.)
- How?
- Throughout the discussion the teacher should record responses on the board or chart paper using the format or similar format shown in the Attachments and keep on display for reference.
- Arrange the class into two groups. Give group one the table Who Made Each Quilt to complete. Group two should complete Quilts Can Be Treasured Keepsakes for Families. (See Quilt Tables, Attachment Six for both tables and the Answer Key.)
- Follow the directions for student quilts made out of boxes and paper. The quilts should sequence an act of philanthropy as demonstrated in one of the stories read. (See Story Quilt Project, Attachment Seven.)
Assessment:
- Observe participation and contributions to discussions and charts.
- Check the table worksheets for accuracy.
- Make sure that the sequence sheet's captions and illustrations reflect the student's knowledge of six story events.
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
The projects may be placed on display for the entire school to view.
Bibliographical References:
Quilt Stories with Philanthropic Concepts
- Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1983. ISBN 0-688-01517-4
Summary: While mending the awning over the pig pen, Sam discovers that he enjoys sewing the various patches together but meets with scorn and ridicule when he asks his wife if he could join her quilting club.- Flournoy, Valerie. The Patchwork Quilt. Middletown, Connecticut: Weekly Reader Books Edition, 1985. ISBN 0-803-70097-0
Summary: Using scraps cut from the family's old clothing, Tanya helps her grandmother and mother make a beautiful quilt that tells the story of her family's life.- Hopkinson, Deborah. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1993. ISBN 0-679-82311-5
Summary: A young enslaved person stitches a quilt with a map pattern that guides her to freedom in the North.- Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1988. ISBN 0-671-64963-9
Summary: A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.
Additional Resources- Coerr, Eleanor. The Josefina Story Quilt. New York: Harper & Rowe Publishers, 1985. ISBN 0-060-21348-5
Summary: While traveling west with her family in 1850, a young girl makes a patchwork quilt chronicling the experiences of the journey and reserves a special patch for her pet hen, Josefina.- Johnston, Tony. The Quilt Story. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1985. ISBN 0-399-21009-1
Summary: A pioneer mother lovingly stitches a beautiful quilt, which warms and comforts her daughter Abigail. Many years later another mother mends and patches it for her little girl.- Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1991. ISBN 0-590-46381-0
Summary: A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. This story is based on the author's quilt painting of the same name.
Lesson Developed By:
Shellie EllisonMunising Public Schools
Central Elementary School
Munising, MI 49862
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Quilting As A Tradition
(Responses may include the following:)
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| Grandma tells Tanya about great-grandma making quilts and how they were always better than "store bought." This quilt tells a story about each family member by using cloth scraps from their clothes. | This story includes a short description of quilting clubs and how they were for women only-"sewing is women's work." Traditional quilt patterns are illustrated and described.. It also includes the traditional aspect of showing quilts at fairs. | Aunt Rachel taught Clara how to sew. This quilt tells a story by being a map to freedom. | The Keeping Quilt became a symbol of Anna's family and their Jewish customs. This quilt is still being passed on from generation to generation |
Handout 2Print Handout 2
Working Together Brings About Change
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| Even though grandma became ill, the quilt was completed because Tanya, mother and Jim all helped to work on it. | After Sam was excluded from the women's quilting club, he decides to start one for men only. Both clubs worked separately to complete their groups' quilt for the contest at the fair. Neither club was able to enter though because both quilts were blown into the mud on the way to the fair. Working together to salvage bits of the separate quilts, they managed to put their pieces together and submit one quilt jointly. | Sweet Clara had the idea to construct a quilt like a map to show runaway slaves the safe route North. Young Jack and other slaves helped her with their knowledge of landmarks and terrain. Clara and Jack used the quilt to help them escape and left it for others to follow them to freedom. |
Handout 3Print Handout 3
Shared Values Help Build Communities
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| After the two groups began working together, not only were they happier but they also could accomplish much more. | The enslaved community shared the common goal of freedom.. Working together on this goal made them a stronger community and with each other's support gave them the knowledge and strength to become risk-takers. | This story illustrates many of the values, traditions, and celebrations shared within the Jewish community and the strength that these commonalties bring to their culture. |
Handout 4Print Handout 4
Conflict Resolution Skills
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| Tanya wants to help her grandmother make a special patchwork quilt out of scraps cut from the family's old clothes. After her grandmother becomes ill, Tanya decides to finish the patchwork quilt herself. | Sam's conflict was not being allowed to join the women's quilting club. He resolved this by starting another quilting club for men. When both quilts get blown into the mud at the fair entrance gate, each group resolves their initial conflict by working together to salvage what was left and then cooperatively put together one "good" quilt. | Before Clara turns 12, she is separated from her mother by slavery. She wants to find her mother and run north to freedom. She resolves this by verbally gathering information about the escape route, sewing the quilt map, memorizing the map, escaping her master, finding her mother and going north to Canada via the Underground Railroad |
Handout 5Print Handout 5
Quilt Making Filled A Need
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| By using scraps from pieces of clothing belonging to each family member, everyone will be remembered and none will be left out | At the time this story takes place fabric was very expensive and store-bought quilts were of poor quality, so women often organized quilting bees to help each other provide warmth for their families. | Sweet Clara's quilt provided a map for future runaway slaves to follow to freedom | By using scraps from pieces of old clothing belonging to different family members, the quilt helped Patricia's family remember the relatives back home in Russia. |
Handout 6Print Handout 6
Quilt Tables
Who made each quilt?
Directions: Fill in the table to tell which characters made each quilt in these stories.
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Quilts Can Be Treasured Keepsakes For Families
Directions: Put an X in each box that tells about the quilts in these stories.
| Some quilts: |
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| …tell a specific story. | ||||
| …provide information. | ||||
| …hold numerous family memories. | ||||
ANSWER KEY:
(Responses for tables may include the following:)
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| Tanya, her mother, and her grandmother made the Patchwork Quilt; her brother Jim helped a bit. |
The Rosedale Quilting Club (the two clubs joined together) made the Blue Ribbon Quilt. | Clara made the Freedom Quilt with essential route and terrain information given to her by enslaved.persons who were runaways. |
The Keeping Quilt was made by Anna, her mother, and neighborhood ladies. |
Quilts Can Be Treasured Keepsakes For Families
Directions: Put an X in each box that tells about the quilts in these stories.
| Some quilts: |
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| …tell a specific story. |
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| …provide information. |
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| …hold numerous family memories. |
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Handout 7Print Handout 7
Story Quilt Project
- The empty cereal box will be the bed. Cover the edges with ribbon, lace fabric scraps or crepe paper to make a dust ruffle.
- Cover the top of the bed with white construction paper. This will be the bottom sheet.
- Construct a pillow out of paper and lightly stuff it with a tissue. Glue it at the head of the bed.
- Make your face out of construction paper and decorate with markers. Add yarn hair. Glue on to the pillow.
- Measure a white piece of construction paper to cover the top of the bed but not the face and pillow. This will be the top sheet.
- Fold the top sheet in to six equal boxes.
- Choose one of the stories to sequence on the top sheet with numbers, pictures, and captions in complete sentences.
- Glue the sequence sheet on to the bed top.
- The Story Quilt Project will be completed in the next lesson.
Unit Contents:
Overview:Traditions Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Philanthro WHAT?
- 2.
- Story Quilt Project
- 3.
- Quilts and Math
- 4.
- Purposeful Act of Kindness (A)
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Comments
(The positive aspect of using this lesson was) showing that quilt making is a tradition from the past and is still a tradition today. My class especially enjoyed the story Clara and the Freedom Quilt. They were impressed that it was put together as a map to freedom.
(The positive aspect of using this lesson was) students were able to listen to several different stories of quilt making and try to figure out how traditions and philanthropy tied in to each one. The story quilt project using cereal boxes gave the students an opportunity for a great hand-on activity relating to the stories read.
Very informative!
I am currently working on my Bachelor's degree and found this lesson very useful in helping me find creative ways to engage children. It helps them understand and gain a sense of what a community is. Very interesting! I definitely hope I can practice this lesson when I become a teacher.