Release week Dec. 24, 2006: Basketry

Standards

• Art: Students will identify modern forms of containers in the newspaper.
• Art: Students will examine woven materials and classify the type of weave.
• Art: Students read about baskets used in literature.

Activities

• Use the News: Baskets used to be one of the main container types for ancient cultures. What materials do we use today? Find as many “containers” as you can in the newspaper. What are they? What are they used for? What are they made out of? Can they be used for more than one purpose?

• Examine and compare different types of real woven materials. Bring baskets, cloth, etc., to class and examine to determine if it’s a weave, twine, plait or coil. You may need to use a magnifying glass for the cloth.

• What are some “classic” examples of basketry in literature? For example, Little Red Riding Hood brought a basket of goodies to her grandmother. What other examples con you find in literature? Search, make a list, include text examples, and share with the class.

World of Wonder meets many state educational standards. This guide helps teachers identify standards and related activities generally intended for grade 6, but teachers can modify activities to the appropriate grade level.