Ready-To-Use Teaching Ideas: Art

Materials:

• a few plain-colored bedsheets
• fabric scraps
• a hole punch
• yarn
• glue
• tempera paint
• markers or crayons
• chart paper

Objective: Children will create a group quilt in which each square depicts a favorite book or a character from literature.

Prepare: Cut square or rectangular shapes out of the sheets - one for each child to use as a quilt piece. Punch holes along each border so children will be able to connect the pieces with yarn. (If possible, show your group a book with photographs of different types of quilt patterns and talk about quilts before you begin this project.)

ACTIVITY

1 Ask children to think about all the wonderful stories they have read during the year. Which ones were their favorites? Which characters did they like best? Why? Record responses.

2 Explain that, together, you will be making a quilt and that each piece will illustrate a favorite story or character. After everyone has had a chance to do their own, they can sew the pieces together to create one large quilt.

3 Provide paint, fabric scraps, scissors, glue, and drawing materials. (Children may need your assistance when cutting fabric shapes. And don't forget to help children write their names on their quilt pieces.) You may want to have one square that lists everyone's name and the date the quilt was made.

4 Take time to share your finished pieces, then work together to sew the quilt. When the quilt is finished, find a special area to exhibit your unique creation. Include children in writing a description of the project to place beside their quilt.

Tips: Involve children in deciding what to do with the quilt. Would they like to donate it to the school or raffle it off to raise money for new books? Perhaps the school or local library would like to put it on permanent display.

Spin-off: Use children's favorite books to create a summer reading booklet. Photocopy the cover of each of the books children depicted on their quilt. Then, on the back of the photocopies, help children write or dictate a few words or sentences about why they liked the book. Photocopy all of these pages and send the booklets home.