Many crafts began as a way to keep items that helped keep people warm, or originated as a result of people wanting to beautify their homes. Our ancestors let nothing go to waste. Every scrap of fabric was used, and the result was the birth of several types of crafts that have survived through to the present day. In this lesson students will look at the importance of crafts in history, and will study modern day crafts as a way of better understanding life in the 2000's.

Objective:

Students will gain a deeper understanding of the purpose that crafts served in the lives of Early Americans. They will also understand the differences in the ways that crafts are made and the purposes that they serve in the present day. Target audience: history and social studies classes.

 

A. Research

What crafts were done by our ancestors? Look for examples of early American crafts in paintings and photos in history books or at museums. For each item found, answer the following questions:

What is the item?

How was it made?

How long do you think it took to make?

Why was it made/for what was it primarily used?

Were there also secondary uses for this item?

Have students report on their findings, either by giving a brief oral presentation, designing a poster display, or collaborating to create a class website.

 

B. Discussion

What do we know about the lives of early American settlers? (Possible answers: they were not able to bring many resources with them when they traveled across the country, they therefore had to conserve their resources, They did not have many of the modern amenities that we take for granted, like heat and well insulated homes. They did not have television or video games--they therefore had to come up with other ways to keep themselves entertained. They did not have lots of decorative items, and their homes could be quite drab compared to today's standards). Given what we know, what possible purposes could crafts have served?

Examples:

Staying warm: Quilts and different types of blankets were made primarily to help protect and keep people warm during the winter.

Decoration: Why would they have to create their own items to beautify their homes? (Craft items weren't readily available in stores).

Re-using materials: How could items be re-used in crafts (Scraps of fabric could be used in quilts, or shreded and used in hooked rugs)

Entertainment: Who did the crafts? (primarily girls) What types of activities did young boys do for fun?

 

C. Activity: Craft Inventory

Have students take an inventory of the craft and art items they have in their homes. Be sure to have them include blankets and rugs with designs, wall hangings or pictures, art items on tables and bookshelves and any scupltures that are located inside their homes.

Describe each item in one sentence and answer the following questions:

Was it handmade or store-bought?

Was it made by someone in your family, a friend or a stranger?

What purpose does it primarily serve?

Have students present their findings to one another and compare the types of results with those found in the earlier research activities.

 

D. Assessment

Student presentations should touch on the themes outlined above for why early Americans created crafts and how modern day crafts (and our homes) are different.