American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > The Shape of Things to Come

The Shape of Things to Come

Details

Author
Denise Wood
Topic/Subject Area
Art, Music, Literature, Crafts; Home Life, Household Items, Furniture
Historical Era
The New Nation, 1784–1815, National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860, Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2004
Last Revision Date
2024

Related items

About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

In this activity, students will understand that basic two-dimensional geometric shapes are the building blocks of quilt design. Students will have the opportunity to identify geometric shapes, manipulate the shapes to replicate traditional patterns, and create their own quilts designs.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items

Teaching Plan

  1. Introduce the basic geometric shapes that have been utilized as a basis for design throughout history. Create a comparison chart for the Peony Quilt, The Rising Star Quilt, and the Mosaic Quilt.
  2. Click the Peony Quilt link. Have students identify the geometric shapes used to create the flower design. Chart their answers.
  3. Use the zoom in feature to show detail of the quilt. Click on the center of one of the peony blocks, on the main stem near the intersection of the two bud stems.
  4. Ask students to identify the shapes they now see in the close-up view. Chart their answers and compare with the first list. Do they see diamonds, triangles, and square shapes?
  5. Repeat Steps 2-4 with the Rising Star Quilt. Use the zoom in feature to see a close-up view. Ask students to compare the shapes. How does the placement of the shapes contribute to the overall design?
  6. Repeat Steps 2-4 with the Mosaic or Honeycomb Quilt. Zoom in to see detail. Open additional windows or tabs to view all the quilts side-by-side. Ask students to compare.
  7. Provide the students with a variety of paper shapes (or plastic or wooden pattern pieces) cut in triangles, diamonds, hexagons, and squares. Ask students to try to replicate the designs seen in these three quilts. Students will be able to experiment with the placement of shapes in relation to other shapes. The students will be able to see how simple shapes can be repeated or combined to create more complex shapes.
  8. As a follow-up activity, go to the American Centuries website to view additional quilts in the Memorial Hall Museum Collection.