Harmony Quilt Blocks

Summary

Students will create a quilt block following very specific rules and the three colors of paper provided in class.

Materials

• overhead projector
• harmony notes outline transparency

Background for Teachers

Harmony is created when unity and variety are combined effectively. Unity occurs when all parts of a design are related by one idea or theme. When two or more different elements of design are used to create interest it has variety.

Student Prior Knowledge

Students should be aware that harmony is a principle of design. The principles of design are the guidelines to follow when using the elements of design.

Intended Learning Outcomes

When the "quilt" is complete and hanging on the wall of your classroom, students should be able to see that it has harmony because it is unified by a theme (color scheme, quilt block size) and it has variety (all the different block designs with their differing pattern, texture, line, etc.).

Instructional Procedures

Put the note outline on the overhead projector and have students take notes as you discuss the different parts of harmony. Hand out the assignment sheets for the Harmony Quilt Block. Go over each direction, step by step. Stress the importance of following each step very closely. Go over the grading breakdown so that students are aware that they will be graded upon how well they followed directions. Show example quilt blocks so that students know more fully what is expected of them. Remind students that their quilt block "pieces" cannot be any larger than 3 inches, so they must "piece" them together if they want something that appears larger than 3 inches. Also remind them that nothing should go in the one inch border. Once again, remind them that it is imperative to the success of the assignment that they follow EVERY direction very closely. Turn the rest of the time over to the students to finish their quilt blocks. Once all the blocks are competed and handed in, correct them using the assignment sheet as a rubric. Hand the assignment sheet back to the student, but keep the blocks. On a bulletin board or wall in your classroom, put the blocks together in a "quilt-like" fashion. At the beginning of the next class period, discuss the quilt. Which are the most interesting blocks? Why? Why does the quilt have harmony?

Strategies for Diverse Learners

The struggling student can easily complete this assignment using a simple block design, just make sure that they are clear on each step and what they should do for each.

Assessment Plan

Refer to the attached assignment sheet for a complete grading breakdown for this activity.

Bibliography

USOE Curriculum Guide