Description

Through literature, students see an authentic use for stitching that goes beyond the coverlet and quilting as a feminine pastime. The concepts of quilting come full circle and students learn that it is useful for boys, as well as girls.

Materials

-Copy of the story, Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt by Lisa Campbell Ernst (See Lesson 1, Math in Motion, Extensions for literature and sources)
-Listening area for students to gather for a story
-Computer hooked up to a large screen monitor
-Suggested Website book marked and minimized

Procedures

1) Gather students into the listening area.

2) Read aloud the story Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt. (A delightful story about a man who wanted to join the Rosedale Women's Quilting Club but was told sewing was women's work. He starts a men's quilting club. The members enter their quilt in the County Fair to compete with the ladies' entry.)

3) The story sets the tone for Lesson 32, Appliqué-tion where students stitch an appliqué. Boys will have no problem participating whole heartily in the sewing activity after listening to and discussing how the men created a quilt.

4) Formative assessment occurs as the story is read. Through questioning and discussion students are alert to concepts of quilting they have learned, such as:
*Sam used small scraps of fabric (That he did this to mend an awning is the piece of authentic use you need to bring out.)
*It is difficult at first. (It is an art form that must be learned.)
*The men used a Flying Geese design. (See Web Links to show a picture of the Flying Geese design. Students should recognize:
A. The Flying Geese design is composed of congruent triangles
B. Flying Geese as a simple pattern for beginners (See note in Web Links section)
C. It is a repeating pattern
D. The line of symmetry in the illustration where appropriate
E. When a design is not symmetrical, and why.
F. Identify other shapes created by the Flying Geese triangle design.
G. Identify reflection pieces, slides, and flips.
*The ladies used a sailboat design (Could this have been appliquéd?)
*Colors played an important role in the ladies curiosity about the men's quilt. (What colors do they think the men used? Do they think it was colored symmetrically? What would a symmetrically colored Flying Geese pattern look like?)
*Stitches were small and neat.
*The quilters conserved their resources by using parts of each to create a most unusual design.

5) Students return to their seats and get ready to appliqué. (See Lesson 32, Appliqué-tion)

Extensions

1) This is Lesson 31, Ge-Oh Boy, Oh Boy; Component: Read Aloud
Lessons 1-6 are for Day 1 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign
Lessons 7-11 are for Day 2 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign
Lessons 12-17 are for Day 3 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign
Lessons 18-23 are for Day 4 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign
Lessons 24-28 are for Day 5 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign
Lessons 29-32 are for Day 6 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign
Lessons 33-38 are for Day 7 of the unit Geo Jammin' By DeSign

Lessons may reflect modifications of, but are designed in conjunction with the Reading Framework approach to classroom instruction and may be adapted to the Four Block Classroom.

2) Click here to view the Beacon Unit Plan associated with this lesson. See Attached Files to download the Unit Plan Overview, Unit Assessments, and other attached files.

3) Ask Hannah (Interactive Student Web Lesson) teaches and reviews symmetry concepts. Use as a learning center. (See Web Links)

4) If a journal is kept for this unit, allow students time to reflect on this activity.