“Weaving Unity” Lesson Plan
Materials
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Optional Book – Available for checkout from the lower shelf in the kiln area of the art room.
CD loom with 15 yarn spokes
Plastic needle
Variety of colored and textured yarn
Extra supplies available if needed on the lower shelf in the kiln area of the art room.
Instructions
1. Optional: Read one of the provided books with your students, available for checkout from the lower shelf in
the kiln area of the Art room. (Woolbur, The Goat in the Rug, Wild Rose's Weaving, The Weaving Adventures
of Edgar & Rita, Charlie Needs a Cloak)
2. Discuss the weaving process, the individual contribution of a piece of yarn (its color, texture, length, type) to
the greater whole of the fabric or weaving. Mention how much stronger and even more beautiful the created
piece becomes as a result of all the individual fibers coming together to share their unique qualities. While
students are weaving, you can continue the discussion. For example, make comparisons to our individual
students, their unique qualities and contributions to the greater whole or community of your class and our
school, International Night, etc.
3. Discuss what we will be doing (the CD weaving) and why. Mention the 10 year anniversary, and reiterate the
qualities of our school that we are proud of and celebrating: community, diversity, unity, risk taking,
collaboration and the infusion of the arts as a key way to achieve our goals and support our values.
4. Explain that we will make one shared weaving to represent the class, plus individual weavings. This may be
a good time to have students choose the yarn strand that they will use to contribute to the class weaving.
5. Hand out individual CDs and needles with little baggies. Have kids label the baggies with their names using a
Sharpie or by putting a little piece of paper with their name on it, inside the bag.
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“Weaving Unity” Lesson Plan
6. Allow the students to choose 5 colors of yarn to start.
7. Demonstrate how to weave. (This demo could be done as part of the shared class weaving, or you could
simply begin together as a group.) Holding one CD, make sure all of the spokes are separated evenly around
the CD like pieces of a pie.
8. Choose your first yarn. It will be the center of your weaving. Attach the strand of yarn on the back of the CD
by tying it to one of the warp spokes. The back is the side with words, knots, labels, etc.
9. Thread the other end of the yarn to the needle, leaving a few inches through the eye of the needle to make it
less likely to slide out.
10. Push the needle up through the center hole to the front side.
11. Hold the CD in your hand as you weave. Weave over under, over under. If you’re right-handed, weave
counter clockwise. If you’re left handed, weave in a clockwise direction. Put the needle under a warp spoke
and then off the edge, repeating over/under for a few spokes before pulling the yarn all the way through and
then down and tight.)
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“Weaving Unity” Lesson Plan
12. Make sure to periodically pull the yarn tight for a close weave (every few weaves).
13. When you get near the end of your yarn, leave a tail long enough to tuck in, about 1”. Volunteers will take
care of tucking in the tails once the CDs have been turned in.
14. To start the next color, go back two spokes and start the new color, making sure to weave the opposite of
what is on that spoke, though continuing in the same direction. (In other words, if the yarn already there is
under, the new yarn goes over. Once you've gone all the way around, the yarn should be secure.)
15. A completed weaving takes approximately 16-22 strands of yarn depending on yarn length. Encourage
classmates to help each other with the process! They may work in pairs or groups, though it is OK to work
individually as well.
16. At the end of the one hour weaving session, the shared class weaving should be turned in to the front office.
Susan knows where. Please make sure the shared class weaving is clearly labeled/put back into it’s special
bag. If you did not have time to complete the weaving, please put the selected yarn into the bag & volunteers
will complete the weaving before sending it out for framing.
17. The individual weavings & bag of supplies can stay in the classroom and students may work on their
weavings until the last week of April. The supply bag & weavings can be turned in by leaving them under the
laminating machine table in the art room. They may be turned in anytime between now & the end of April.
STUDENTS MAY NOT TAKE THEIR WEAVING HOME. We want to ensure they remain in school to become
part of the classroom weaving display.
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