ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Family and Consumer science: 10. Textiles and Apparels.

Needs Assessment/Rational

There were two reasons for deciding on this unit of instruction. First of all, in reviewing the past activity and project work in the FCS Department with the computer embroidery design machine I found that there could be another part added to it so that the machine usage would become more visible to the school and community. Secondly, I found that there would be students who had previous computer program training enrolled in one of the FCS classes so they could apply their computer skills to this class and add another dimension to their computer skills. This unit would allow integration of skills from across the curriculum along with using various technology skills. The quilting project would involve math skills, computer program skills, FCS sewing skills, social skills, cooperation and team working skills, along with entrepreneurship skills. The plan of having the students complete a class project where they would not have to invest anything other than the class time and their skill would help make the unit be more successful.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: I would like the students to understand the following items long after they leave my classroom: 1) I want the students to feel confident about what they can achieve by being able to try doing something new and taking on a project that may be challenging to them; 2) I want them to understand the process of how to learn a new skill when they are not in a school setting; 3) I want them to be able to see that they do have creative skills and that it is okay to “step out of their box”  to learn something new and different along with being successful, and 4) I want them to be able to see that doing something new and different now could become a hobby, a job or even a career for themselves later on in life.
Goal(s): 1. Students will learn all the basic steps in sewing a quilt and learn how this craft like skill can turn into a hobby. 2. Students will assemble a slide show to show the steps in making a quilt for FCS class use and for the promotion of the FCCLA Quilt Raffle. 3. Students will make two quilts of designs they have chosen to use as a FCCLA fund- raising project. 4. Students will learn how to apply machine embroidery designs to each quilt. 5. Students will learn how to set up and operate a raffle as a school fund-raising project.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1. How does one go about learning a new skill, craft or hobby?  2. Why is accuracy so important in all steps of quilt making?  3. How can one show others the steps involved and provide documentation in a quilting project?  4. What type of technology can be part of one’s leisure time?  5. What is the process in setting up a raffle as a fund-raising event?
Objectives: 1 Students will apply techniques to successfully cut, piece, sew, embroider and finish two quilts that will be well-constructed and be of top quality work by following the instructions given in written and verbal form.  2. Students will identify the various steps and procedures in quilting during a fieldtrip to an area quilt shop, and by listening to a presentation by the quilt shop owner on quilting and purchasing quilting supplies.  3. Students will develop and master the skills in quilting as they are guided through the steps by an area qualified quilt instructor.  4. Students will accurately apply one machine embroidery design to each quilt by using the computer embroidery design sewing machine and computer design software after a demonstration by the FCS instructor.  5. Students will illustrate the steps involved in quilt making by keeping a photo log of digital pictures and then assembling them in a short power point slide presentation by using their previous computer skills.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding?
The following assessment tools will be used: 1) traditional written tests would be used to assess factual recall; 2) a demonstration type test would be used for the usage of the computer design embroidery machine as well as for the steps involved in making a quilt and 3) teacher observations made during the quilt construction of any problem-solving situations solved by the students.
What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding?
The unit would begin with students looking at sample quilt and embroidery projects along with responding to the following questions:1) What do you know about quilts and quilting;  2)What is all involved in making a quilt; and 3) How can you combine quilting and machine embroidery designs?
What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding?
1. Students will decide as two teams of three to make two quilts that will have machine embroidery designs on them. The two quilts will be the prizes for the FCCLA fund-raising raffle project. The first quilt will be a four-patch design that will represent the school colors of silver, light blue and black with a wildcat mascot design embroidered on it. The second design the students chose was a rail fence design using a winter snowman print fabric in dark colors of brown, green, maroon, black and cream and applying a machine embroidered snowman on it. 2. The students will design and type raffle tickets to be used for the fund-raising project.  3. The students will assemble a power point slide show to illustrate quilting steps and to promote the FCCLA quilt raffle.
What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect?
The other evidence of understanding that may be collected are: 1) the quilting or embroidery projects that the students complete or start on their own outside of class; 2) the number of times the slide presentation is shown to others; 3) the dialogues that are held with the students during the project that show their excitement of learning, solving a problem and overall success with their quilt-making accomplishments and 4) the students will complete an evaluation of their work by filling in a project-based rubrics.

Instructional Strategies

Students will use a combination of all the strategies to learn about their quilting and machine embroidery project. The inquiry-base strategy would be used for the research part of the project where students would look through the resources available for the quilt pattern and machine embroidery design ideas as well as learning the steps involved in making a quilt and how to combine the two techniques together. The problem-based strategy would be used for any trouble-shooting problems that may occur when quilting or machine embroidering. The project-based strategy would be addressed when the students would decide what two quilt designs they would want to do based on their skill of quilting. Also, when deciding on what fabric colors to use and what machine embroidery designs would look best on each quilt. Higher-order thinking would be necessary as the students assemble the quilt blocks into the quilt pattern chosen, using the computer to modify the embroidery design and then transferring it to the computerized design sewing machine. Self-directness would be shown as each student works as part of a team to meet their team goal of having a well-made quilt.