Students will be able to:
- create a weaving using hand-coloured fabric;
- use warm colours for the weft;
- use cool colours for the warp;
- demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity;
- support their ideas with evidence found in the works.
WEAVING WORDS – Warm and Cool Colours
Steps
Step One
- Colour a design using fabric markers on fabric.
- Make sure half of the design is made with warm colours and half with cool colours.
Step Two
- Cut the fabric in 1½ cm (1/2") strips.
- Make a list of words that make you think of summer.
Step Three
- Divide the strips in half.
- Place warm colours in one half, and cool colours in the other half. - Use a pen to write your words across the strips of warm coloured fabric.
- Place the cool coloured strips on a plastic placemat or piece of cardboard.
- Make sure the top of each strip is at the same level.
- Leave a tiny space between each strip.
- Place tape across the top of the strips to hold them in place.
- These are the warp strips.
Step Four
- Weave a warm coloured strip over and under the warp strips. This is a weft strip.
- Repeat with another strip. This time start by going under and over the warp threads.
- Keep doing this until you have used all your strips.
Step Five
- Use a toothpick to apply tiny drops of Washable glue to the back of your fabric strips to hold them in place.
Step Six
- Use a small amount of Washable glue to attach your weavng to heavy weight paper.
- Trim the ends of your weaving strips to suit your paper.
Learning Goals
Extensions
Have students:
- choose a children's fiction book such as, The Goat in the Rug, by Charles L. Blood; The Chief's Blanket, by Michael Chanin; or Weaving the Rainbow, by George Ella Lyon to read.
- list words from the book;
- use the words to create a poem about weaving;
- make sure they include the terms weft and warp;
- research different weaving processes
- present their findings along with their poem to the class.
Prepare
- Cut fabric 15 cm x 28 cm (6" x 11") - enough for each student to have 1 piece.
- Download and display the Colour poster available on this website,
- Gather and make available books on the theme of weaving such as The Goat in the Rug, by Charles L. Blood and The Chief's Blanket, by Michael Chanin.
- Prior to this lesson introduce or review warm and cool colours.
- Create a sample weaving.
Introduction
- Conduct a read-aloud using a book such as A Goat in the Rug, by Charles L. Blood.
- Use 2 colours of strips of paper to demonstrate the terms weft – the horizontal threads that move over and under the warp in a weaving, and warp – the fixed threads that run up and down in a weaving.
- Introduce the challenge.
Activities
The Challenge
- Create a weaving using hand-coloured fabric.
- Use warm colours for the warp.
- Use cool colours for the weft.
- Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.
- Support your ideas with evidence found in the works.
The Process
- Make sure that everyone understands the challenge.
- Establish success criteria with your students, for example,
I know I am successful when I have:
- used warm colours for the warp
- used cool colours for the weft
- created a weaving that is tight and holds together
- used a small amount of glue
- cut the fabric into strips about the same width
- kept the fabric in good condition - Guide students through the steps outlined in the lesson plan.
- Demonstrate how to lift the warp strips up and thread the weft through to create the weaving.
- Observe students as they create their weaving.
- Provide individual assistance and encouragement.
Sharing
- Once all weavings are complete place students in partners or small groups. Ask them to:
- Look closely at each weaving and observe how they are the same, how they are different.
- Share thoughts about the weavings.
- Talk about how each weaving demonstrates warm and cool colour patterns.
- Talk about what was difficult about making the weaving and explain why.
- Tell what was satisfying about making the weaving and explain why. - Ask some students to share their weavings and ideas with the whole class.
- Display the weavings so students can view them as a body of work throughout the next few weeks.
Assessment
- Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
- Observe students as they discuss their weavings – speaks with a clear voice, looks at audience while speaking, points to areas in the weaving, provides accurate information, answers questions from the audience effectively.
- Observe students as they listen – looks at presenter, asks effective questions, supports ideas with evidence found in the artwork.
- Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads - Weaving_tracking.pdf).
- Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads - Weaving_self-assessment.pdf)
