Language Arts, Reading, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies

Grade 1- 3

Objective

Students follow step-by-step directions to create quilts that represent themselves and their interests.

Directions

Tell your students that today you will be helping each of them to design a quilt. Each quilt will be different, and they must be very good listeners to complete the activity. Have the students separate their desks or put up dividing folders to minimize distractions and wandering eyes. Then ask the students to take out a sharpened pencil as well as crayons or colored pencils. Distribute the blank listening sheets, but ask the students to refrain from marking them until you give directions. Read the student directions one at a time, allowing adequate time between each. When the activity is complete, use the quilt designs as a bulletin board display.
Student Directions:

1. Write your first name in the large center block.
2. Start with the first block on the top row left. Color it red.
3. Move two blocks to the right and color it yellow.
4. Move two blocks to the right and color it blue.
5. Go to the second row. Begin with the second block. Color every other block just as in the first row, but this time color blue, then red, and then yellow.
6. For the third row, follow the same pattern as the top row, using this order: yellow, red, blue.
7. For the fourth row, follow the same pattern as the second row, using this order: red, yellow, blue.
8. Using your pencil until you are told otherwise, fill in the following things in the empty spaces in the top row, going from left to right: the number of people in your family, any consonant, and your initials.
9. Go to row two. Left to right, fill in the blocks this way: draw your pet (or any animal you wish you had for a pet), a square, and a tree.
10. Go to row three. Left to right, fill in the blocks this way: draw a bunny, a house, and a star.
11. Go to row four. Left to right, fill in the blocks this way: write the number on your house (the address), a vowel, and your age.
12. Use your colored pencils or crayons to color your pictures in rows two and three.

Resources

• 1 blank Listening Sheet per student
• pencils
• colored pencils or crayons
• The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy (E.P. Dutton, 1985)