Our next visit on our Arts Around the World tour brought us to Ghana, which is located on the western coast of Africa. We learned that it is hot and humid in Ghana and the capital city is Accra.
We also learned about Kente cloth, a woven traditional fabric. Kente cloth began in the Ashanti Kingdom and was originally worn by royalty. It is woven by men and is known for its bold designs. Over time, it became more popular and now it is worn by many people, not just royalty.
When looking at examples of Kente cloth, students noticed the bright colors, geometric designs with rectangles and zig zags, and the patterns in the fabric. Students also connected it to learning about weaving in 1st grade.
To begin making our own Kente cloth, students painted a piece of paper with colorful stripes and added patterns with lines and dots to create their loom. Students also painted two sheets of colored paper with a simple pattern of lines using black paint.
We revisited the process of weaving with construction paper before cutting the painted paper we made to weave with.
Students recalled the over and under motion of each woven piece, and students used their painted paper to make their loom and the pieces to weave across.
It was wonderful to see just how many students remembered the technique of weaving from last year! Students also helped each other once they were finished. Below are some examples of our colorful Kente cloth inspired weaving!
 |
| Christopher, 2nd Grade (Pearse) |
 |
| Gabrielly, 2nd Grade (McCarthy) |
 |
| Kiana, 2nd Grade (O'Connor) |
 |
| Lucia, 2nd Grade (Hinds Thiemann) |
 |
| Meri, 2nd Grade (McCarthy) |
 |
| Nico, 2nd Grade (Pearse) |
 |
| Noah, 2nd Grade (Pearse) |
 |
Thiago, 2nd Grade (Pearse)
 |
| Zoie, 2nd Grade (Hinds Thiemann) |
|
