Kente Cloth Weaving Game
Ready to teach a Black History Month art activity that’ll keep elementary art kids engaged? This kente cloth art project will boost confidence and creativity. Kids will be excited to learn how to craft a paper weaving. Moreover, they’ll enjoy learning to decode symbolic kente cloth colors!
And, it’ll help time-starved teachers like you create art lesson plans based on the history of Ghana.
During this weaving art project, your class will learn the different ways men and women wear kente cloth. Use it to discuss art vocabulary such as warp, weft, and loom as well as pattern and repetition in visual arts. Students will create a paper weaving patterns from kente using the step-by-step guide and PowerPoint.
Plan lessons for students about Black art history and art appreciation in a way that excites them. Finally feel confident in your art curriculum and be organized and prepared to teach art!
What’s Included
Can I be honest with you? Art history can sometimes be boring for kids. There, I said it. Teaching about artists and cultures doesn’t have to be a snoozer, though!
I’ve designed 3 different ways for students to attempt this kente cloth art lesson. All will engage kids to create! Choose which way works best for your classes:
- Roll a dice game to add randomness to your student’s artwork
- “You Pick” idea worksheet for kids to choose their own elements
- Digital spinner wheels, so kids can randomly pick elements and you can integrate technology in the art room
- Printable dice template in case you have no dice
- Step-by-step picture directions to guide students through the art process
- Drawing practice worksheet, for kids who want to sketch out their ideas
- History of Kente Cloth worksheet about the folklore behind weaving, what kente is made from, and what the colors symbolize
- How To Paper Weaving handout, which explains how to make a paper loom and begin weaving
- Paper Weaving Pattern worksheet, so students can design the layout of their art project
- “Big Ideas” reflection worksheet where students write about their art process
- Art rubric, a self-assessment tool to get students thinking about things like craftsmanship and art project goals
- 8 “I CAN” Statements aligned to the Studio Habits of Mind to use during instruction or post on your bulletin board
- 4 Art exit tickets with quick, thought-provoking prompts
- Art history coloring pages to keep kids inspired by the beauty of kente cloth art designs outside of the art room
Ways to Use This Kente Cloth Paper Weaving Art Lesson for Black History Month
This art project is flexible and can be used in many ways throughout your art room and beyond. It’s great for maternity or emergency art sub plans, early finisher activities, and even for virtual art class or an after-school art club.
You Will Receive
- 1 Non-Editable Printable PDF (Kente Cloth Paper Weaving Art Lesson)
- 1 Non-Editable PowerPoint
- 5 Digital Spinner Videos (downloadable, and links to them on Google Slides and YouTube)
- Paperless Google Drive Digital Resource
Why You’ll Love It
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My students loved viewing the designs, and having printed Kente Cloth imagery right at their tables, to add to their weaving. The finished weavings were beautiful, and they left really proud of what they accomplished! Having these designs also helped ME, because the quick finishers had a challenge, and students needing more support in the weaving aspect of this art lesson were able to have my attention.
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This was hands down my favorite activity for my 6th grade students. I found some great videos that a went along with the history of the Kente. My students had a lot of fun making them a wanted to do more than one. We ended up putting all 64 together to make a large wall hanging which all the teachers loved.
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I used this as a resource for designs when my 5th graders were working on a Kente cloth paper weaving. We learned about Kente cloth, patterns, design, the history and then worked on the weaving. Students were engaged and did a great job! thank you!
Terms of Use
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This art project was simple for students to master (even ESL students) and yet the end result looked so amazing. It made even my most reluctant students feel like artists.
I love this product. It’s well made, thank you for saving me time.
This is a great resource. I did this project with my 1st graders in Art class. I used the “you pick” designs to help them get ideas of patterns to draw to decorate their paper weaving. Also the visuals are nicely illustrated for how to set up a paper loom. Finally, the assessments are great. I like how they use the studio habits.
I love that this resource can be used in person or virtually! I used the digital spinners with in person classes! I think the visual directions and the interactive digital parts are wonderful and make this project easier to teach! Thank you!
We traveled to Africa and this was the kids art project .. it went perfect and the kids were amazed of how it turned out