Long ago, during a time when many African American families were not free, people found brave and creative ways to help each other. One way families shared messages of safety and hope was through quilts. Quilts are made of colorful fabric pieces, and in stories and traditions, certain quilt patterns could let people know where to go or when it was safe to travel. In this lesson, students explore quilts as symbols of help, hope, safety, and freedom. Through a read-aloud, map exploration, and a creative art activity, students learn how communities supported one another and how we can show kindness and courage today.
New Jersey Student Learning Standards:
- 6.1.2.HistoryCC.1: Use multiple sources to describe how communities lived and worked in the past.
- 6.1.2.HistoryCC.2: Use a variety of sources to describe how people in the past used their environment to meet their needs.
- 6.1.2.CivicsCM.3: Explain how communities work together to solve problems.
- RL.K.1 / RL.1.1 / RL.2.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- RL.K.2 / RL.1.2 / RL.2.2: Retell familiar stories, including key details.
Curriculum
- 4 Sections
- 4 Lessons
- 10 Weeks
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Stage 1:1
- Stage 21
- Stage 31
- Stage 41
