Suggested Grades

K-1

Objective

Students will identify and form a pattern out of 2-D shapes, then will transfer this pattern into creating placemats.

Materials

• fabric scraps cut into a variety of shapes, and thrown randomly into bins or boxes.
• fabric in 8.5 X 11 rectangles (approx.), one per student (will act as the ‘placemat’)
• good scissors
• craft or white glue
• paper

Method

• On the chalkboard/chart-paper draw all the shapes that are available in the fabric scraps.
• Ask students to draw a pattern using these shapes on a piece of paper. Shapes can be used more than once, and not all shapes need to be used (eg. triange-triangle-circle-square, triangle-triangle-circle-square…).
• Divide class into groups, with the appropriate number of bins of fabric shapes.
• Hand out the 8.5 X 11 fabric rectangles (soon to be placemat).
• Ask students to transfer the pattern that they drew to their ‘placemats’ using the small fabric shapes. The fabric shapes will form a border around the edge of the ‘placemat’ when glued down.
• Will take about a half-day to dry.
• NOTE: CANNOT BE WASHED!!! Glue will dissolve. Ornamental not utilitarian.