Lesson Plan
The Adinkra Cloth: An Art and Math Lesson for Black History Month
In this Black History Month lesson, students will learn about the traditional cloths and adinkra symbols from Ghana. Students will combine shapes to create symbols to decorate their own version of the adinkra cloths.
Grade:
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Learning Objectives
Students will be able to create their own symbols by drawing and combining different shapes.
Introduction
(5 minutes)- Tell students that in honor of Black History Month we are going to learn about the adinkra, which is a printed or stamped traditional cloth that is made by the Ashanti people of Ghana, a country in West Africa.
- Explain to students that the adinkra is covered in symbols, which are images that represent something, such as an object or an idea.
- Tell students that traditionally people decorate the cloths to tell a story and to express their thoughts.
- Project the Adinkra Cloth image onto the board and ask students to describe what they see.
- Optional: Read students The Talking Cloth by Rhonda Mitchell.