Handwoven Bowls of Diversity.

Handwoven Bowls of Diversity. My "Handwoven hand¡¤wo¡¤ven?adj.1. Woven on a hand-operated loom: handwoven rugs.2. Woven by hand: handwoven baskets.Adj. 1. Bowls of Diversity" project came to me whenI was working on a very limited budget and wanted to create a weavinglesson that would produce a unique product. I have seen many styles ofweaving throughout my art career, so I adapted this weaving method bycombining various techniques. Using only paper plates as a loom and bagsof leftover yarn for materials, my students and I were able to createsomething beautiful. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CULTURE Throughout history, weavings have not only been made tokeep us warm and cover our floors, but they have also been created totell stories of triumph, glory, pains and struggles, and to show ourancestry and heritage. Weaving is truly a multicultural exper ience and atype of expression that has been found all over the world--it was evenused in cave art cave art:see Paleolithic art; rock carvings and paintings. times. There are glorious examples of American Indian,Asian, African, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Hawaiian weavings thatdemonstrate various styles, techniques, colors and stories of manycultures. We talked about the similarities of cultural weavings as well asthe ways they are different, and the many uses of weaving, from clothingto rugs. As we talked about culture and people, the students wanted toknow where these places were, and by looking at world maps we reallystarted to understand these faraway places. It became a great experiencenot only in making something beautiful, but also in teaching culturalgeography Cultural geography is a sub-field within human geography. Cultural Geography is the study of spatial variations among cultural groups and the spatial functioning of society. in a memorable way. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THE PROCESS It was time to begin the process of weaving. First, wecreated our looms using round cardboard disks or paper plates. In orderto find the center of disk, we reviewed radius and how to find thediameter of circles. Students measured one-inch portions around thecircumference of the disk, and used scissors to create small slits forweaving. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Each student then measured five yards of yarn and began setting upthe loom. Students chatted about the colors they were choosing, sayingthey chose an American Indian color scheme of bold earth tones, or thebright, vibrant colors of Mexican weavings. The students had such anin-depth understanding of weaving! It really became important to themthat the colors they chose matched the ideas and schemes of a certainculture. Once students chose their colors, they began weaving using anunder-and-over motion. At first they struggled with keeping a pattern,but soon all was silent. They were so intent on thei r motions that theyforgot to talk! After the weaving was complete and had been removed fromthe cardboard loom, students had the option of adding beads as anembellishment. The quiet while they were weaving also proved to be agreat opportunity to talk about the culture and diversity of the peopleand traditions we find throughout the world. CONSUMERISM As we talked about ancient weaving, the question ofcost arose. Students are always amazed a¡¤maze?v. a¡¤mazed, a¡¤maz¡¤ing, a¡¤maz¡¤esv.tr.1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise.2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex.v.intr. to hear the prices of art. Westarted by talking about the cost of ancient tapestries and how most ofthem are museum quality. The conversation then turned to modern-day forms of weaving. It wasinteresting to note that most of the students assumed weaving was nolonger being done. I showed them it indeed is alive and well, and can bevery expensive, especially hand-woven garments and rug s. Oriental rugsare not only beautiful and extremely durable, they are also costly dueto the material used in production. We considered production, talking about handmade weaving versusmass-produced weavings, and their differences. We discussed which oneshould cost more and why. We also looked at images of largeindustrial-made rugs, which helped the students understand just how muchis invested in the production of large weavings, even today. CRAFTSMANSHIP Teaching weaving also teaches the ideals ofcraftsmanship, through care for students' work and dedication tothe final product. Weaving gives students the ability to understand aprocess-based unit of study, as well as a study of culture anddiversity, and a way to emulate an ancient tradition in modern-day art.They now have a richer, more complex understanding of the world ofweaving, and its impact on civilization and the culture in which welive. VOCABULARY Circumference Critical thinking Diameter Garments Hypothesize hy¡¤poth¡¤e¡¤size?v. hy¡¤poth¡¤e¡¤sized, hy¡¤poth¡¤e¡¤siz¡¤ing, hy¡¤poth¡¤e¡¤siz¡¤esv.tr.To assert as a hypothesis.v.intr.To form a hypothesis. Industrialization industrializationProcess of converting to a socioeconomic order in which industry is dominant. The changes that took place in Britain during the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th century led the way for the early industrializing nations of western Europe and Interlocking interlocking/in¡¤ter¡¤lock¡¤ing/ (-lok¡äing) closely joined, as by hooks or dovetails; locking into one another. interlockingObstetrics A rare complication of vaginal delivery of twins; the 1st pattern Loom Radius Shuttle Textiles Warp Weft LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upper-elementary and middle-school students will ... * develop their sewing, knotting, beading beading,n the scribing of a shallow groove (less than 0.5 mm in width or depth) on a cast that outlines the major connector. It is used to transfer the design to the invest ment cast and ensure tissue contact of the major connector. and weaving abilities bycreating a handwoven bowl. * apply the principles of form, texture, design and contrast totheir work. * compare and contrast weaving techniques to troubleshoot andinterpret information. * hypothesize about the outcomes of their woven creations. * identify the various stylistic differences between cultures ofweaving. * understand the significance of weaving within the IndustrialRevolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, enabling massproduction of textiles. * understand child labor child labor,use of the young as workers in factories, farms, and mines. Child labor was first recognized as a social problem with the introduction of the factory system in late 18th-century Great Britain. in many present-day Third World countriescontributes to the mass production of garments. MATERIALS * Multicolored yarn * Plastic weaving needles * Beads * Round cardboard disks or heavy-duty pa per plates * Pencils, rulers and scissors RESOURCES The following Web sites contain reproductions of the weavings ofvarious cultures including Navajo, European, Asian and Middle Eastern: * www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaving * www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa085.shtml * www.tribalexpressions.com/weaving/ weaving.htm * www.ethnomath.org/resources/ bird1982.html Karla Gearhart teaches art at Verner Elementary School elementary school:see school. in Verona,Pa.