Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher Guide | Credits
Original project created by Laurie Gassett, Rebecca Schultz, and Kasey Yetman
Project redesign created by Heather Eysaman, Susan Price and Kristin Smith.
Welcome to our WebQuest on quilting! We created A Stitch in Time as a project for a course on integrating technology across the curriculum. This is an interactive lesson that incorporates history, literature and art. A great deal of this lesson involves research that will be conducted through the Internet. Students will be directed to sites that contain information on quilting and the cultures of African, Amish, and Native American people. For each site, students are given questions and points that they should focus on.
Students will be instructed to work in groups of three. These groups should be split up according to the individual teacher's decision. Each group member will take on a specific role which explains which culture they will research. Over the course of this project, students will conduct individual research, come back to the group with a summary, create a group patch using the cultural information and designs found, and finally, present their patch to the class with a description/explanation.
The final product of the WebQuest is a quilt made out of cardboard, cloth, felt, ribbons, buttons, and any other materials. Students should be coming up with some great ideas for their quilts once they begin their research. Ask them to be on the lookout for any materials they could bring in from home, appropriate for the quilt design they will be constructing. Designate a large box in the classroom for anything students bring in. It would be helpful for you to contribute as well.
The individual group patches should be created on a cardboard square that is about three feet by three feet. The color of the cardboard will not affect the quilt as it will be covered with material anyway.
These materials do not have to be brand new or expensive. Keep your eyes peeled, there are useful materials everywhere; an old curtain, a old sheets, old rugs, and basically anything that is not being used.
Due to the amount of research, group collaboration, and creativity required for this project, this WebQuest would best be suited for fifth grade students.
Students will need the following entry level skills and knowledge:
What Students Will Learn:Knowledge of what a culture is Familiarity with African Culture Familiarity with Amish Culture Familiarity with Native American Culture Comfortable with the World Wide Web
Through their participation in this WebQuest, students will expand their knowledge of other cultures. The sites we have chosen for students to read and share with their groups give them a better idea of the specific culture and its traditions and beliefs. In order for a student to share the information he/she has read about with the rest of his/her group, the student must have fully comprehended the information.
This project enhances additional skills, such as working cooperatively in a group, individual responsibility during the research period (each student must complete his/her portion of the research in order for the group to continue), and applying what has been learned in a creative manner.
The WebQuest requires students to practice their skills navigating the Internet. Each member of the group is given different URL addresses, must find the correct sites, and gather pertinent information. There is an Online dictionary for those students inclined to use it. This encourages students to use the resources Online as well as providing them the opportunity to become familiar with such resources.
The following Virginia Standards of Learning are addressed in this WebQuest:
English
5.1 The student will listen, draw conclusions, and share responses in subject-related group learning activities.
Participate in and contribute to discussions across content areas. Organize information to present reports of group activities. Summarize information gathered in group activities.
5.6 The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of literary forms.
Prioritize information according to purpose of reading. Write about what is read.
5.8 The student will synthesize information from a variety of resources.
Skim materials to develop a general overview of content or to locate specific information. Develop notes that include important concepts, paraphrases, summaries, and identification of information resources. Use available electronic databases to access information.
Computer/Technology
C/T5.2 The student will develop basic technology skills.
Develop a basic technology vocabulary that includes cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive, and CD-ROM Select and use technology appropriate to tasks. Operate peripheral devices. Apply technologies to strategies for problem solving and critical thinking.
C/T5.4 The student will communicate through application software.
Create a 1-2 page document using word processing skills, writing process steps, and publishing programs. Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
Overall, groups will be evaluated throughout the WebQuest, making cooperation and contribution an important part of your grade. This and the following areas will be taken into consideration for an individual and group grade.
Individual:
Each group member will be required to write a one to two page summary of the information that was found while researching his or her role. The summary should include information pertaining to the questions and points to focus that are provided for each web site, as well as any additional information that was found.
Group Creativity:
It is important to see how the group was able to incorporate the information that was found on each of the cultures into making a representative square. A short summary explaining the designs that make up your quilt and why they were included and what they represent is also needed.
Group Presentation:
This grade will be based on the group's presentation of its square to the class. Because all groups are viewing the same sites, the presentation is meant for groups to share one or two unique points that they may have found in addition to pointing out key designs in the square and what they represent. Each group member should be responsible for explaining what is relevant to his or her own role.
Group work is an essential aspect of this web quest. In order to teach and evaluate students in this area, view this rubric for appropriate guidelines: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/tidepoolunit/Rubrics/collrubric.html
Tell the students that all of their hard work and creative ideas have made this quilt something that any museum would be proud to have. Reiterate the importance of quilting, and that they have learned many important stories about the African, Amish and Native American cultures. Encourage them to go home and ask a parent if they have a family quilt. If so, what's the story behind it? What type of patterns is it made up of? Can they recognize any of them from the quilts that were looked at in their research? Finally, if they do not have a family quilt, encourage them to create their own square and to have the rest of their family do so.
Quilts can be used in classrooms as a tool for teaching students patterning, history, geometry, angles, literature, and much, much more. The following sites would be helpful in creating activities related to other quilting lessons.
Lesson Ideas/Plans
http://sbgmath.com/gr3/310p363/310p363_inx0a.html http://www.thecraftstudio.com/qwc/sharon.htm
http://www.thecraftstudio.com/qwc/
http://www.pbs.org/americaquilts
More Helpful Sites
http://www.quiltgallery.com/technique2.htm