Creating a Story Quilt

Engage

1. How can you relate important ideas and feelings visually? Can the use of art elements tell a story? Has anyone ever heard of a story quilt? Quilt squares feature chapters, characters, or significant scenes from the literature circle book. They can include a border with a repeated design or symbol that represents a key idea. Quilt squares can incorporate visual as well as written components (e.g., an important quote or brief summary).

2. Read selections from Quilt Me a Story by Susan Meeske http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/books/MEESKE.pdf

3. Check out the Hurricane Katrina Story Quilts: http://www.lmdc.org/Quilts.htm
You can scroll down the page. It shows the kids making the story quilts and then the results.

4. Check out the following Faith Ringgold story quilts.

• Shades of Alice shows a girl's story pictures and the pastel colors chosen set a mood or feeling: http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/d07.htm
• Church Picnic shows the activities and the joy of a picnic: http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/d05.htm

5. What is a common experience that this class has experienced? Draw your own pictures about a common experience and then tape these together to create a quick “story quilt?” Share your story quilt with other classes. Be prepared to answer questions about the quilt.

Explore

Visit the web site, www.faithringgold.com to discover some interesting facts about the artist.
Answer these questions about the artist, Faith Ringgold:
1. This quote is found on Faith Ringgold’s web site:
“If One Can Anyone Can, All you Gotta Do Is Try”
What does this quote mean to you?
2. Where might you find some of Faith Ringgold’s work?
3. What’s one “Frequently Asked Question” that you would want to ask Faith Ringgold?
4. If you could ask her a question, what would you ask?
5. Name the title of one her Story Quilts that interests you. Why did you pick that quilt?
6. What year did Faith Ringgold create the Story Quilt, Double Dutch on the Golden Gate Bridge?

Choose an interesting fact or piece of artwork to share with your classmates. Share what you liked about it.

Another excellent resource is the Library of Congress American Memories Quilt web site: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/collections/quilts/langarts.html . For example:  Friends will be Friends Quilt

Explain

1.  Write a detailed story about a memorable event in your life on a 4x4” white piece of paper.

2.  Once you have completed your story then you will create four drawings to depict four major parts of the story on 4x4” white paper squares.

Consider the use of color in your quilt.  Use the web sites below for information on how color affects your mood and conveys meaning.

http://quilting.about.com/od/colorfabrics/ss/color_value_2.htm
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall99/FinalArticles/Final1.HowColorAffectsMoo.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Does-Color-Affect-Your-Mood?&id=318491

3.  Glue the four drawings and fifth square with the story written on it in a checkerboard pattern on the 12x12” black paper such as the picture to the right. The square with the story written on it will be glued in the middle and the four drawings will be glued at each corner in the same sequence of the story from left to right.

4.  You will need to select two geometric shapes that you will use to create a pattern with.  Using two different colored pieces of construction paper, cut out those selected geometric shapes (one colored paper for one geometric shape and the other paper for the second geometric shape).
The geometric shapes will be glued in a pattern inside the black square.

Elaborate

1. Read the story Cassie’s Word Quilt at, http://www.amazon.com/Cassies-Word-Quilt-Faith-Ringgold/dp/0553112333/ref=bxgy_cc_b_text_a or How the People Became Color Blind by Faith Ringgold at http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/story.htm .

2. Pair up with someone in your classroom. Work together to rewrite the ending of either story on an 11x18 piece of paper and illustrate it on the back.

3. Once you and your partner have completed your rewrite, take a digital picture of your drawing.

4. When all the groups have completed the photos, compile all the digital photos from each group into a PowerPoint presentation.
Before you begin, you may want to review the Nortel LearnIT training videos on PowerPoint found at:
http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/PowerPoint_Presentations/

5. Now that you have completed your PowerPoint presentation, you will present it to the class. You might want to take a look at a Nortel LearniT video tutorial and get some good tips and tricks on making a great presentation.
http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/PowerPoint_Presentations/

6. When the slide of your artwork comes up, you and your partner will come up to the front of the class and read your new ending to the story.

Evaluate

An evaluation rubric has been provided to use for assessment.

Extend

Consider these suggestions for extending the lesson.

1. Present power-point presentations to another class.
2. Rewrite another story with a similar moral and illustrate it.
3. Create a web site based on their Internet research.
4. Create a series (have the students recreate their compositions) based on their story quilt using other mediums.

http://www.litcircles.org/Extension/storyquilt.html