Wednesday works - Thursday edition - Weavings part 2

My apologizes, I just cannot get my days straight!  Seems like having a day off in the middle of the week resets my internal calendar a bit so I go on thinking Tuesday is Wednesday, and Thursday is Friday, and Wednesday gets completely lost in the shuffle.


At any rate, here's our Wednesday Works post on 5th grade Weavings.   Lots of progress with the Level 3 weavings from these guys.

If you recall we went from our repeat of the 1st grade weavings (called Level 1s)

Then I challenged them with a Level 2 weaving,

And now we are onto the Level 3s - yarn!  And lots of it.   First an intro to the cardboard looms made either square/rectangular or circles.

Circles became a challenge when students realized the even number of spokes meant they couldn't go on autopilot when weaving.   If they continued their over-under-over-under without looking at the weave before it, they would find themselves repeating stitches and the project would collapse on itself.  They had to consciously watch and at the beginnings of each round, repeat a step.  So it would be over-under-over-under-under-over-under, etc.    

Once we got that pattern established they were off!

A few finished strips. 

This week I introduced a few alternative things they could weave on.  

This large up-right loom (my dad build this for me)

 Burlap scraps

And my personal favorite - BASKET WEAVING!

Coil baskets and using a plastic strawberry basket....

 (What art room hasn't been accused of being just a place to do basketweaving at some point?? )

I also called their attention to this project hanging above my desk.

A little stick from the yard, some leaves, yarn and instant loom!

We'll be finishing up the classroom time on weaving next week, but the students will keep their projects around to complete on their own times, or when they finish work in the art room.