Print a sea pattern on cloth – stories in indigo
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can print on cloth using wax or paper shapes to tell a story.
Key learning points
- Adire cloth uses shapes made with stencils and patterns to communicate stories, identity and heritage.
- Resist techniques like wax or stencils block areas from absorbing colour.
- Storytelling through fabric links personal expression to wider cultural traditions.
Keywords
Pattern - something that repeats again and again
Adire cloth - a kind of patterned fabric made with natural dyes in Nigeria
Wax resist - a way to make patterns on fabric by using wax to stop some parts soaking up the dye
Stencil - shapes with cut-out parts used to repeat the same design on cloth or paper
Common misconception
You need special or expensive things to make fabric patterns.
Remind pupils that you can use natural objects, paper and wax to make patterns on fabric. You can use simple, safe materials to tell powerful stories through cloth.
Teacher tip
To manage and support the dyeing element of this activity, teachers could complete this task in small groups.
Equipment
Wax, cloth, newspaper, fabric dye, visual examples of Adire cloth
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What did Kandinsky paint?
Q2.What did Aubrey Williams love and use in his art?
Q3.What inspired some of Aubrey Williams’s paintings?
Q4.What do you do first, next and last to paint with music and wax?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What shows a shape again and again?
Q2.What is the special blue cloth called?
Q3.Match the word to what it does.
Q4.Put these steps in the right order to make a resist pattern using paper shapes.
To help you plan your 1 art and design lesson on: Print a sea pattern on cloth – stories in indigo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 art and design lesson on: Print a sea pattern on cloth – stories in indigo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 art and design lessons from the My world: art and nature unit, dive into the full primary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.