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Plan Number: 028
Title/Lesson/Theme: Creating Patterns on Textiles
Designed by: Joan Lingen
Grade level/Discipline: Grades 4-6/Art
Estimated Time: 3 - 60 min. periods
Objectives (what will be assessed?):
Students will be able to identify the processes used in the making of African textiles.
Students will use repetitive patterns in creating adinkra cloth and adire eleko cloth designs
Description/Background:
Students will discuss contemporary western clothing and its methods of manufacture. They will see how social status is reflected in attire.
After looking at African images and textiles on the CD they will compare the clothing with western clothing and see how different process were used in making the textiles and how social status is visible.
Step by Step Procedure:
1. Search the CD for examples of clothing in context - look for the different processes involved. Find images of textiles, dyes and processes of manufacture.
2. Review concept of Patterning. Look at examples of African patterns.
3. Create stamps using flexible plates and wood blocks. Use stamps to create adinkra cloth.
4. Create patterns on cloth with flour paste for adire eleko . Let dry and dye blue.
5. (Project could be extended to include study of the meaning imbedded in African textile symbols or to include making narrow strip weaving using cardboard looms.)
Assignment in CD (essays, chapters):
Search Images Database for use of textiles, clothing, royalty. Focus on peoples of Mali. Ghana and Nigeria.
Rachel Hoffman essay - "Textiles in Mali"
Lisa Aronson essay - "Weaving in Southern Nigeria"
Studio Materials Needed:
White & light colored cotton cloth, blue dye, flour, water, block printing ink, flexible plates, wooden blocks, rubber gloves, squeeze bottles, newspapers, plastic container
Vocabulary:
textile, loom, warp, weft, printing, block print, pattern, resist, indigo, kente, adinkra, adire eleko
Evaluation/Assessment tool (how will objectives be assessed?:
Completion of textile examples of block printing (adinkra) and resist (adire eleko) techniques in which patterning is evident.
Bibliography/Alternative resources:
Websites:
Submitted 7/28/98