Objectives:

• Students will begin to develop a sense of history and a fascination with historical documents by sharing in the family histories of their peers as told through the quilt stories.
• Students will apply math skills by using invented strategies to determine the (approximate) age of the quilt from the information given about the date it was made.
• A stronger sense of classroom community and personal connections between students will be developed by the sharing of personal stories and artifacts. This builds a connection between home and school and helps to establish a more secure environment where students' backgrounds are respected and celebrated.

Materials:

• quilts brought in by students and teacher (or others in the school)
• Background information about the quilts: who made it, when, where, occasion, pattern, etc.
• Family photos of the maker of the quilt and people from the generations in between that person and the student sharing the quilt. (This is optional, but helps by giving students a concrete image of the people involved, the personal nature of quilt making, and the time that has passed between the date made and now.)
• Camera to take pictures of each quilt as it comes in, many students will not be able to leave their quilts at school. A photo will enable further study to take place, serve as a record, and be used to make charts or class books on our quilts.

Procedure:

1. I will share a family quilt to introduce the topic and serve as a model for how to share quilts and possible aspects to highlight. Some of the highlights will be: looking at the pattern, generating possible names and researching to find actual name; share name of the person who made it and the connection that they have to me (at this time I will share the photo of my great-great aunt Grace Ogg, her sister- my great-great grandmother, my grandmother, mother, and myself); the date the quilt was made and any other available information.
2. Give students the opportunity to make comments and ask questions about each quilt. As you look at the first few quilts that are brought in brainstorm to generate a list a questions that the students would like to answer through research and further investigation.
3. After sharing the date the quilt was made, ask how we could figure out how old it was. Let students devise their own strategies. (My class generated: counting up by ones, counting up by tens, and using our base ten blocks to help us count and show our answer.)
4. If possible display quilt in the room so students can investigate during free time and get a closer look.
5. Take a picture of each quilt that is brought into the room. One set of these will be used on chart where data will be recorded as we find it, another set will be used in a class book where childrenŐs family stories will accompany them.
6. If a student is not able to bring in a quilt have them take a photo at home and bring that in. If a student does not have a quilt let them pair up with another student or choose a quilt out of one of our trade books to share.
7. After I model the sharing of my quilts, students may bring their own and will have the opportunity to share it during our morning meeting. This will be ongoing throughout the unit, closure of this ongoing activity will be provided in a class book about all of the quilts that were shared.

Evaluation:

1. Students will not be assessed per se during this lesson, but rather observed in terms of interest, motivation, and participation. I am looking for students to become involved with the unit topic and take initiative to investigate through trade books to find out more about our quilts.
2. I am looking for students to become interested in learning about their peers and their backgrounds, accepting and celebrating the similarities and differences in experiences and beliefs, along with gaining confidence in their ability to speak in front of the class.

Extension Activities:

1. Use trade books to look for the pattern names of the quilts brought in and find out how those patterns got their names.
2. Use photos in a class book where students write stories or poems to accompany the picture of their quilt.
3. Create a class chart with the photos, where information about date and pattern can be recorded.
4. Interview parents or grandparents about the quilt or the person that made it. Share interview with the class, write up information to accompany picture or newspaper article for "Room 12 News".