Quilt Collage By Misty O.

Quilt Collage

This art activity can be incorporated into Social Studies topics such as Early Colonial America or Thanksgiving. Other subjects and lesson ideas are: Math - shapes, Science - recycling, English - quilt stories or poems. This would make an excellent group activity to help students with social skills as well. By placing students in groups to make quilts in "quilting bees" they can learn to work together. 

Materials Needed:

- 12 x 12 Scrapbook paper or cardstock ( 1 per quilting square)
- Scissors
- Glue or glue sticks
- Yarn
- Classroom scrap paper ( construction paper, tissue paper, magazine, wallpaper samples etc.)
- 3-hole punch
- Edging scissors, special shape hole punches, ruler (optional)

Procedures:

Give your classroom a common theme to unify the quilt. Sample ideas are listed above.

- Have students have a design in mind that goes along with the theme. My theme is Thanksgiving/Early Colonies.

- Each student receives a scrapbook sheet.

- Have students border the sheet using strips from the scraps of paper. Edging scissors may be used to give some texture to the design.

- Students should cut out various shapes and forms to make their design.Stress to use complimentary colors. ( refer to the color wheel)

- Have students place their different shapes or forms first before they glue them down in the center.

- Once everyone has completed their squares have students help with the placement of the squares. Look for similiarities and differences with shapes, colors, or designs that will help create interest in the quilt. 

- Once squares are in place use a 3-hole punch ONLY on the inward border strips of the quilt. You will NOT need holes punched on the outside edge of the whole quilt unless you want yarn tied there as well.

- Punch holes as even as possible to the squares above or beside it. (You can use a ruler if you'ld like, but I just "eyeballed" it.)

- Cut pieces of yarn and double knot it taunt, but not so tight that it pulls the sheets on top of one another.

 Your quilt collage is now ready to hang!

D.Drennan "Tsavo Bridge"

This activity is a great team building activity as well as a great way to understand what leadership and working together is all about.  Perfect for upper grade levels!!  I have used it twice in previous classes.  A lot of what you will experience in building your model bridge is what Patterson experienced: conflicts among workers, problems with materials and equipment.   Subjects that would be easily taught using this enhancement is social behavior of animals, ethnic struggles, European history, colonization, modernization, railroad travel and many more.   If reading the book, this is a great introduction/beginning to the unit or a great way to visualize the story while being active readers. 

This activity would also be sample art to illustrate the theme of global connections that occur within art- where art is viewed from around the world that illustrate conflicts.  It is also a great representation of art illustrating human-environment interaction and geography of the land.   It would be a still-life and would also be a three dimensional model.

Materials used-one large white board, two flat pieces of shale rock, numerous popsicle sticks and tongue depressors, dowel rods of assorted sizes,  hot glue and gun, dead blackberry briars, blue construction paper, two toy lions, one toy train, 2 pieces of gravel

Procedure

1.        Turn white board over to corkboard side (opposite the side you mark on)  Put the blue construction paper under the bridge for the “river.”

2.       Glue the briars standing straight up on the “banks”.  Some greenery is okay too.  Glue the gravel in various places. 

3.       Glue the two flat shale pieces on opposite ends of the board where they are standing on end. 

4.       Glue sticks on these rocks to form a level surface for the bridge to sit on.  (see picture)

5.       Glue dowel rods together to span area between the two standing shale rocks.  You may want to glue a small stick at the joint for added support.  You will need two of these long fixed dowel rods. 

6.       Glue dowel rods to the rocks.  Be sure that you are not putting them to far apart.  Your tongue depressors must sit on these rods in order to make the bridge.

7.       Glue tongue depressors on the dowel rods all the way across.    Use a dowel rod of appropriate height to support bridge middle if needed. 

8.       Insert toy lions.  When the lions were on their reign of terror, the building stopped.  Take lions away to finish the process. 

9.       Glue sticks on the top of the bridge turned on their sides for rails.  Attach track by laying additional sticks on top in a segmented fashion. 

10.   Set the train on top of the bridge.  Your bridge is done!! 

In March 1898, John Henry Patterson arrived in Kenya to build a bridge 132 miles from the coast over the Tsavo River that was preventing Britain’s railroad and colonial expansion.  Patterson’s task was to coordinate over 1000 workers from African and Hindu descent in an effort to keep ahead of other European countries working to also take what part of Africa they wanted. 

Patterson had many trials, including religious differences among the men, lack of sufficient supplies and tools and the sharp thorn trees.  However, the two lions that ravaged the camp for the better part of a year were Patterson’s biggest obstacle in building the bridge.  At one point, all the workers save a few abandoned the bridge and Patterson.  The lions killed approximately 28 people working on the bridge in night raids. 

Patterson finished the bridge after shooting both lions.   His efforts earned him the Distinguished Service Order recognition in the Royal Court and he later sold the lion’s hides to the Chicago Field Museum for $5000.  15 years later, the Germans blew the bridge into oblivion in the early struggles of WWI.  His story is recorded in his book “The Man-eaters of Tsavo.”