square. Using large
needles, they added
decorative stitching. I helped them
machine stitch
around one of their
squares; students
ran the foot pedal of
the machine while I
guided the fabric by
hand.
Reflections
The finished quilts werevaried
and beautiful. All students were
wholly engaged in the entire unit.
Through the process of creating a
quilt, first and second graders learned
about art, history, and culture in an
immediate and visceral way. By examining the culture of another community, students learn to value their own
community’s cultural expression.
Thea Storz is a teacher at Brighton Elementary and East Haven School in Kirby,
Vermont. tastorz@yahoo.com
NATIONAL STANDARD
Students demonstrate how history,
culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and studying works of art.
WEB LINK
www.quiltsofgeesbend.com
