This collection of quilts offers material to challenge conventional definitions of art and artists, explore the many different ways to tell a visual story and spark discussions about the traditions that are passed down in families. This resource is structured around 2 hour-long lessons in art analysis, a creative task and a reflection session.

A range of styles and traditions are represented here, as each quilt and quilter has their own story to tell. The story can be evident in the visual content of the quilt, but the context in which it was created can be equally important. Quilting is an art form taught between generations and amongst friends, bridging the gap between material culture and intangible heritage.

By encouraging young learners to look closely and develop evidence-based arguments, we can hope to build their skills to think deeply about the interrelationship of art, memory and community.

Enclosed in the Teacher's Resource is a list of quilts, short biographies of the artists and potential discussion questions. Also included are suggested art and craft activities, and an annotated bibliography for educators who want to do more research on the topic.

Goals:

• How can we express things that are important to us?
• How can quilts teach us about community?

Objectives:

• Challenge and expand definitions of “art” and “artist.”
• Develop a toolkit for visual analysis.
• Understand different forms of creative self-expression.
• Learn about traditions we share in our communities and pass between generations.
• Empower students’ creativity.