District/School Administration PK-16 Program Support Educational Technology
Technology Toolkit

The Patchwork Quilt
Westfield Public Schools

Description of Activities

After reading aloud the book The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy, each student brought in one or two pictures of family members or friends to use as a springboard for writing about special memories and creating their own patchwork quilts. (A digital camera was used to take pictures of students at school if they had no pictures to bring in.) Before they began writing, students worked with a graphic organizer [PDF] to construct their ideas in meaningful ways. Word processors allowed students to summarize [PDF] the main ideas of the book, describe their pictures and then publish these ideas in clear and coherent paragraphs. Students scanned their photographs so that they could include them in their finished writing pieces [PDF].

To create their own digital quilts, students used Photoshop Elements to "clone" swatches of fabric from their scanned pictures. They then digitally cut different geometrical shapes from the paper quilt, manipulated the shapes, and created their own quilt patterns. Finally, each student created an 8 x 6 inch digital quilt from the scanned pictures. Students then printed their miniature quilts.

For a math activity, students cut their paper quilts into squares, rectangles, and (in some cases) triangles. They then measured these and calculated their perimeter and area. Students recorded their calculations on a math activity worksheet [PDF]. Next students glued these paper quilt pieces onto a sturdy oaktag base to create a new quilt pattern. Some students just reassembled their original quilts, while other students created new designs with beautiful stars and checkerboards.

In another math activity, students constructed miniature bed frames using oaktag and a pattern provided by the teacher. Students measured pieces of their bed frames as they constructed them. Then they created spreadsheets with the measurements of their beds and quilts. After entering the correct formulas into their spreadsheets, students found the perimeter, area, and volume of the beds and quilts they had designed.

Finally, students designed their own book covers for the The Patchwork Quilt using Photoshop Elements. Each student added an original synopsis of the book, along with fictitious book reviews, quotes from critics, and a biographical paragraph about the book cover designer (the student). Students were so excited about finishing their projects! The book covers were the biggest hit. Since the book cover was one of the last activities in the unit, it provided an incentive for some students to finish their math and writing portions.

As a culminating activity the school hosted an evening showcase so all the participating schools and any students interested could display their projects for their parents, family, and school committee members. Students put their paper quilts, spreadsheet calculations, graphic organizers, and published writing pieces into the book jackets they designed to create a mini book about their project. Then their beds and the mini books were on display at the showcase.

Universal Design/Inclusion
The entire project incorporated several learning standards and succeeded in bridging communication gaps between the second language learners and the other students. The project also tapped into the resources of Title I, ESL, and bilingual teachers, enabling the staff to address various learning styles and needs.

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