Objectives

  • Students will learn how to weave using paper and/or cloth.
  • Students will learn about the tasks performed by women during colonial times.

Materials

Regular school-grade colored construction paper is suggested for this activity because it is inexpensive and readily available. Choose colors that were popular with the early colonists: naturals (cream, off-white, tan), all shades of blue, yellow, pink, orange, and purple.

Procedures

  1. Distribute the Paper Weavings Instruction Sheet.
  2. Discuss the role of women in colonial times.
  3. Go over the instructions with your students.
  4. Distribute materials and allow time for students to make a weaving. Encourage variations to the basic weaving pattern as outlined and suggest limiting color selections to three or four choices.
  5. When students are finished, display the weavings around the room.
  6. (Optional) Laminating the weavings will preserve them and turn them into usable placemats.
  7. Extension Activity: Contact the art teacher in your building well in advance and coordinate a fabric- or rag-weaving activity while your classes are learning about the New England colonies.

Excerpted from America: Ready-to-Use Interdisciplinary Lessons & Activities for Grades 5-12.

Students learn to make weavings out of paper or cloth to mimic the activities of women from Colonial times. This is a great Thanksgiving arts & crafts activity that will encourage students to be creative as they explore American history.
Grades
3
4
5

Featured 5th Grade Resources

Indoor Recess Choice Board Activities for Elementary

CHOICE BOARDS

Indoor Recess Choice Board Activities for Elementary

This menu features a selection of simple and engaging student-choice indoor recess activities.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Movement Activities for Elementary Students

ACTIVITIES

Movement Activities for Elementary Students

Break up the day and get your students moving with these movement activities for elementary students.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Simple STEAM Suggestions

ACTIVITIES

Simple STEAM Suggestions

Bring Science,Technology, Engineering, Art and Math into the classroom with these fun, cross-curricular projects for ele...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

Related Resources

TEACHING RESOURCE

Pilgrim Fact Cards

Pilgrim Fact CardsThese Fact Cards were designed to be used with the Pilgrim Study Unit.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

ACTIVITIES

Sarah Morton's Day, Samuel Eaton's Day, & Tapenum's Day

Sarah Morton's Day, Samuel Eaton's Day, and Tapenum's Dayby Kate Waters In Kate Waters' books, she shows young readers ...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

LESSON PLANS

Aboard the Mayflower - Pilgrim Study Unit (Lesson 2 of 7)

ObjectivesStudents will be able to identify the difficult and the pleasant aspects of the voyage of the Mayflower.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

ACTIVITIES

Make a Dried Bouquet

Gathering and drying flowers was a popular fall activity during the Colonial era in America.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

LESSON PLANS

Hands & Feet Reindeer Heads

ObjectivesStudents make reindeer heads.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

LESSON PLANS

Planning for the Voyage - Pilgrim Study Unit (Lesson 1 of 7)

ObjectivesStudents will be able to locate Plymouth, MA, Hudson River, Cape Cod, Holland and England on a map.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
loading gif