LESSON PLAN # 1 Days: 4

Teacher:​ Kristin Thomas and Dana Katz

Lesson Title: ​Tar Beach Story Quilts
Grade Level: ​First and Second

Central Focus: ​Students will explore the idea of narrative art by looking at Faith Ringgold’s
quilts and creating their own version using a personal memory.

IL Art Learning Standards:

CREATING: Anchor Standard 2 and 3: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Investigate: VA:Cr2.1.2 ​Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal
interests in a work of art or design.
● In this lesson, students will meet this standard by creating a sketch of possible
memories or dreams they would like to recreate in their story quilt.

Investigate: VA:Cr2.2.2 ​Demonstrate safe procedures for using and cleaning art tools,
equipment, and studio spaces.
● In this lesson, students will meet this standard by safely cutting up pieces of
construction paper to create a collage of a story quilt, and cleaning up their area after
they are finished.

Reflect, Refine, Continue: VA:Cr3.1.2 ​Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in
creating artwork.
● In this lesson, students will meet this standard by writing about their artwork and
describing their process to their peers.

CONNECT: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal
experiences to make art.
Interpret: VA:Cn10.1.2 ​Create works of art about events in home, school, or community life.
● In this lesson, students will meet this standard by creating a story quilt about their
personal memories or dreams.

Objectives: Illinois Fine Art

Standards
 Objective I:
Given a pencil and white sheet of paper, student will sketch out VA:Cr2.1.2
an idea for a memory they would like to create.

Objective II:
Given a variety of colored construction paper, students will cut out VA:Cr2.2.2
different parts of their drawing and create a collage of their
narrative.

Objective III:
Given a variety of wallpaper squares, students will create a quilt VA:Cn10.1.2
border for their narrative collages.

Objective IV:
Given a prompt, students will describe what memory they created VA:Cr3.1.2
in their narrative story quilt.

Instructional Resources and Materials:

Student examples from the past and ladybug projector to show past examples.

Kristin Thomas Story Quilt Examples -

http://artiswhatiteach.blogspot.com/search/label/Faith%20Ringgold

Art Materials for the Lesson:

White Sheets of drawing paper, black sharpies, crayons, variety of construction paper colors,
scissors, glue.

Management and Safety Issues:

This lesson will require basic management of students and their behavior. Students should be
carefully observed to ensure that they are using their materials appropriately.

Vocabulary:
● Day One
○ Faith Ringgold: ​an artist, best known for her narrative quilts.
○ Plan: ​diagram or list of steps with timing and resources, used to achieve an
objective to do something.
○ Quilt: ​a multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a
woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding, and a woven back, combined
using the technique of quilting, the process of sewing the three layers together.
○ Sketch: ​a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended as a
finished work.
 ● Day Two
○ Background: ​the area or scenery behind the main object of contemplation,
especially when perceived as a framework for it.
○ Collage:​ a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as
photographs and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing.
○ Contrast: ​the state of being strikingly different from something else, typically
something in juxtaposition or close association.
○ Foreground: ​the part of a view that is nearest to the observer, especially in a
picture or photograph.
○ Layer: ​a sheet, quantity, or thickness of material, typically one of several,
covering a surface or body.
○ Overlap: ​extend over so as to cover partly.

● Day Three
○ Border: ​form an edge along or beside (something).
○ Decoration:​ the process or art of decorating or adorning something.
○ Pattern: ​a repeated decorative design.

● Day Four
○ Describe: ​give an account in words of (someone or something), including all the
relevant characteristics, qualities, or events.
○ Reflect:​ think deeply or carefully about.

In-Class Activities:
Time Learning Activities Purpose

15 Day 1: Orientation/Engagement/Motivation​: This activity will

min Read the story Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold with students. introduce to Faith
Discuss who she is and the significance of her quilts. Also Ringgold and
discuss what a quilt is. provide them with
● She used them to tell stories and visually show her background about
memories. her artwork.

10 Day 1: Presentation/Explicit Instruction​: Students will learn

min Today we are going to start by sketching out some ideas for about the activity
our story quilts and a memory that we want to portray. for today and
● For Example…. One of my favorite memories was discuss ideas for
when I got my little chihuahua at the pet store. memories and
○ There were a lot of dogs there, but I was so dreams they might
excited when i saw her and got to bring her recreate.
home!
● Does anyone have any ideas for their memories?
25 Day 2: Independent Practice/Exploration​: Students will begin
min Have students create their own memory drawing. participating in the
activity.

10 Day 1: Closure Students should

min Students should clean up by returning pencils to bins and learn to be
putting their drawings in their classroom folder. independent and in
● Time the students using a visual timer on the screen. charge of their own
clean up.
Pick an artist of the week and let them pick between
● Three blue tickets
● Prize box
● Sit by a friend next week

Call quiet tables to line up.

10 Day 2: Orientation/Engagement/Motivation​: Students will learn

min Today we will be creating a collage of our drawings. about the artistic
● Who can tell me what a collage is? process they will
be using to
Show student examples of what they are creating. recreate their
● What do you think this person’s memory was? memory, and see
● What kind of shapes do you see in the drawing? examples of past
student work.

15 Day 2: Presentation/Explicit Instruction​: The teacher will

min Describe the steps they will be taking today. model for students
● When we create these, we will not be gluing anything how they will be
on to our original drawings. creating their story
● We will be starting fresh by selecting a background quilts.
color and cutting out different parts of our drawing to
add to it.
● Our drawings are just going to be a guide or blueprint
for what we are going to create.
○ If you don’t like your drawing, then you can
create a collage of something else.
■ That was just to give us ideas and get
us thinking.
● Exp. If I am creating my memory of when I got my
dog…
○ I started by picking a background for the pet
shop.
○ Then I selected a ground.
 ○Now I am going to add myself and my dog in
the image.
● IMPORTANT: You must be in your story quilt!

25 Day 2: Independent Practice/Exploration​: Students will begin

min Students will start creating their collages. participating in the
activity.

10 Day 2: Closure Students should

min When cleaning up, students should wipe down tables, pour learn to be
water out, wash brushes, and put materials back, then wash independent and in
hands. charge of their own
● Turn timer on. clean up.

Select two artists of the week.

Have students line up.

10 Day 3: Orientation/Engagement/Motivation​: Teacher will

min For the final step of our story quilts, we will be adding the quilt describe the final
or border part just like Faith Ringgold did. step of the story
● Refer back to examples of Faith Ringgold’s work. quilt referring back
to Faith Ringgold
and her quilts.

10 Day 3: Presentation/Explicit Instruction​: Students will see a

min To start, I am going to take my drawing and glue it on a demonstration over
larger sheet of paper. how to create
● I will then add squares around my drawing as close to execute the final
the edge as possible. step in their story
○ Try not to leave any space. quilts.
○ We don’t want to see the paper underneath.
Just the squares.
● I will go all the way around my drawing adding
squares.
○ You can have a theme to your squares like
adding nature type ones or all patterns that
have blue in them, or maybe your squares
relate back to your drawings somehow.
○ It’s up to you.
30 Day 3: Independent Practice/Exploration​: Students will begin
min Students can add squares to their drawings. participating in the
activity.

10 Day 3: Closure Students should

min Students should clean up by throwing scraps away, and learn to be
cleaning up their areas. independent and in
● Turn timer on. charge of their own
clean up.
Select two artists of the week.

Have students line up.

5 min Day 4: Orientation/Engagement/Motivation​: This final day will

On this final day, students will finish adding squares and provide students
create a sentence about their drawings. the chance to finish
up their story quilt
and write about
their artwork.

10 Day 4: Presentation/Explicit Instruction​: The teacher will

min Prompt: What is happening in your story quilt? describe for
● Answer the question in a complete sentence. students what they
should be writing
about.

25 Day 4: Independent Practice/Exploration​: Students will begin

min Students should finalize their story quilt and answer the participating in the
question in black sharpie on a long strip of paper. activity.

15 Day 4: Closure Students should

min Students should clean up by throwing scraps away, and learn to be
cleaning up their areas. independent and in
● Turn timer on. charge of their own
clean up.
Have students who want to share their story quilts.
● The other students can guess what their memory is.

Select two artists of the week.

Have students line up.

Examples of Final Pieces