English Language Arts Grade 1
Reading: Literature Standard 7
This activity uses the book "The Patchwork Quilt", by Valerie Flournoy to give students the sense of family in the classroom community.
Additional Resources
Books
This activity is called A Quilt of Many Colors. This lesson gives the students an opportunity to feel a part of the classroom community. You (the teacher) will bring a quilt or other item (made by a family member or friend) to class to share with the students and let the students know how special this item is to you. Give the students an opportunity to tell you something that was made for them that is special.
In the book The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy (illustrated by Jerry Pinkney), a grandmother decides to make a special patchwork quilt from scraps of material in her home. The granddaughter and her mother get involved in the quilt making, too. This story gives the students a sense that we all belong to families at home, school, and in the community. Not every child comes from an ideal home situation. However, it is possible to instill a sense of family in the classroom community. Through the process of making a paper quilt, every child can feel a sense of belonging with his/her school family. It is up to you, the teacher, to provide a safe, caring environment for every student in your class. This unit lends itself to helping each student recognize that he/she is an important part of the school community.
3. Demonstrate responsible emotional and cognitive behaviors.
6. Communicate clearly in oral, artistic, written, and nonverbal form.
Invitation to Learn
The students will sit on the rug as the teacher shares her special quilt/item with the students. Then the teacher will read The Patchwork Quilt with the students. After the story is read use chart paper and draw lines on the paper like tic-tac-toe boxes. In each box, write title, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world (Schema). The students will retell the story, as the teacher writes the words/sentences in the correct boxes.1
Instructional Procedures
Family Connections:
Research Basis
Bullough, R.V. (2001). Uncertain Lives. Teachers College Press, New York, NY.
Children desperately need mentors, adults who model appropriate behavior, coach it, and reinforce such behavior in others; and schools are one place where they should meet. Mentors are more than friends. "Research has shown that if children and youth can form a meaningful and caring bond or attachment with at least one family member or significant adult, their chances of a successful, healthy outcome are very high, even in those families that are facing severe challenges, such as poverty, chemical dependency, and abuse or violence." (Miller, D. (1997) Mentoring structures: Building a protective community.)