Patterns in Lakota Star Quilts

Age group
  • Primary (Age 6 to 9)
  • Junior/Intermediate (Age 9 to 12)

Curriculum Goal

Primary: Geometry and Spatial Sense

Sort and identify two dimensional shapes by comparing number of sides, side lengths, angles, and number of lines of symmetry.

Primary: Patterning and Algebra

  • Identify and describe repeating elements and operations in a variety of patterns, including patterns found in real-life contexts.
  • Create and translate patterns that have repeating elements, movements, or operations using various representations, including shapes, numbers, and tables of values.
  • Determine pattern rules and use them to extend patterns, make and justify predictions, and identify missing elements in patterns that have repeating elements, movements, or operations.

Junior: Patterning and Algebra

  • Identify and describe repeating, growing, and shrinking patterns, including patterns found in real-life contexts.
  • Determine pattern rules and use them to extend patterns, make and justify predictions, and identify missing elements in repeating and growing patterns.
Related Links
Context
  • Students listen to the story Shota and the Star Quilt. Afterward, students work individually and as a class.
  • Students should be familiar with spatial language.
  • Students should have a basic understanding of patterning.
Materials
  • Book: Shota and the Star Quilt by Margaret Bateson-Hill and Philomine Lakota
  • Patterning in Lakota Star Quilts Slides ()
  • Quilting Branch Templates ()
  • Quilting Star Template ()
  • Colouring Tools

Lesson

  • Introduce students to Shota and the Star Quilt, a story about a young, Indigenous woman who must save her apartment block from being redeveloped.
  • Read or play the read aloud of Shota and the Star Quilt.
  • Project to the class.
    • Highlight the importance of Star Quilts and Lakota history
    • Lakota people are Indigenous to what is Midwest United States. They are from Sioux Nation, which includes three dialects: Nakota, Dakota, and Lakota – three different ways of speaking within this community. Their homes and lands were taken and reduced by settlers and colonizers, similar to the crisis in the book.
      • Ensure students understand this culture is very present today.
      • If needed, spend time discussing the impact these events had on these communities.
    • For Lakota people, star quilts are very important and made for several occasions, such as celebrations, pow-wows, and honouring different people. Quilt making is a skill adapted from settlers, as they were already skilled at sewing.
    • Unlike European quilters, Lakota quilters tend to work individually on quilts unless there is a great need to come together, again as in the book.
    • Inform students they will be working individually to create a star quilt by patterning.
  • Follow the instructions in the footnotes of the slides to generate a pre-discussion on patterning, quilts, and symmetry.
  • Highlight the similarities between the quilts (e.g. symmetry, patterning. etc.). On slide 14, consider guiding student thinking with the following questions and challenges:
    • How is the pattern different? How is it similar?
    • Let’s count inside one diamond, starting from the tip then move towards the inside.
    • Now let’s count all the diamonds, beginning with the tip, then one row in, then the next.
    • What do you notice? Are the units symmetrical? How do you know?
    • How much does the pattern increase by each row? Why is that?
    • How many units do we have total?
    • We multiply the pattern within the unit, by the number of units we have and then we have the pattern for the entire shape.
  • When the discussion has concluded, distribute the star branch templates ().
  • Students use the patterning rule they just discussed to create their own colour pattern.
  • When students complete the branch, distribute the quilting star template (). They can extend their pattern to create an entire star.

Display the stars somewhere in the class.

Look Fors

  • Do students understand the pattern rule as more tiles are added?
  • Do students understand the pattern rule when more units are added?
  • Are students able to create their own pattern using colours?
  • Are students able to recognize when a quilt does not show a pattern?
  • Do students recognize lines of symmetry?
  • Are students able to create the symmetrical half without error?

Extension

Using coding, have students make their own star quilt.

 

 

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