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Cross- Curricular Activities
Story Quilts
Don’t be deceived by the delicate stitches of a quilt. African American quilts have not only kept people warm, but they’ve also told stories of suffering and triumph- even guided slaves on the underground railroad.
Throughout the summer of 2021 Learning Through Art presented “Story Quilts” to hold open community conversation about systemic racism and social justice. Explore more here!
Here are a few age-appropriate conversation starters to help build empathy and create a future of anti-racism in your classroom:
Have you ever had anything unfair happen to you? What happened? How did you feel?
Can you think of a time where someone made a judgement about you based on how you look? What did you do?
Math
Explore the Geometry of Quilts! Students may use these quilt patterns to:
Identify shapes (triangles: isosceles, right, obtuse, quadrilaterals: parallelogram, rectangle, square)
Measure angles
Develop repeating patterns using colored pencils
Practice one-to-one correspondence! Students may color in each type of shape in one specific color, then tally totals for practice
Science
Examine the science of sound using homemade drums! Once your instruments are constructed, allow students to document their observations. Key words: vibration, tension, pitch, loudness.
To build a drum: use margarine tubs/ old coffee tins/large plastic cups for the body of your drum. To create a lid, cover items using fabric or tape. Affix using rubber bands or hot glue. Notice how the tighter the drum head the higher the pitch of the instrument!
Sample questions: How did size of the instrument change the sounds? What differences in sound did various materials make? Does the amount of force used to move the instrument affect the noise level?
Social Studies
Complete a timeline of jazz history based on the story. For older students, encourage the inclusion of other historical events throughout the timeline (ex. Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg address). Emphasize chronology and how the past impacts the future. Key words: present, past and future.
Law & Re-Order: Revisit your classroom rules. Discuss rules and rights, injustice of the US laws during the time of slavery. Explain how everyone can learn from the heinous acts of the pasts. Have students determine if your classroom rules are equitable for every student.
Language
Strengthen phonemic awareness through scat music! Use “I’m a Little Be-Bop” in your classroom as a call and response song. Encourage students to create their own scat lyrics, playing with initial consonant blends and vowel sounds.