Art and Design · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Story Quilts: Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold’s story quilts blend art and narrative in ways that Year 2 pupils can grasp through touch and sight. Active learning lets children explore textiles as storytelling tools, moving beyond passive viewing to hands-on creation that builds memory and understanding.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Art and Design - Textiles and Narrative Art

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Ringgold Quilts

Print or project images of Ringgold's quilts around the room. Pupils walk in pairs, noting stories, symbols, and fabric details on sticky notes. Gather as a class to share findings and vote on favourite elements.

Look at Faith Ringgold's quilts , what stories do you think she is telling?

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, position pupils in small groups so they can discuss Ringgold’s use of colour and symbols before moving to the next quilt.

What to look for

Provide students with a small fabric square. Ask them to draw or glue one symbol onto it that tells a story about their family. On the back, they should write one sentence explaining their symbol.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 45 min · Small Groups

Symbol Brainstorm: Family Icons

In small groups, pupils list family symbols then sketch them on paper. Transfer designs to fabric squares using fabric pens or glue. Share how symbols tell their story.

Why do you think Faith Ringgold used fabric instead of paper to tell her stories?

Facilitation Tip

While Symbol Brainstorming, provide magazines and markers for pupils to cut or draw family icons, ensuring symbols are simple and meaningful.

What to look for

Show students two different story quilt squares, one by Ringgold and one created by a classmate. Ask: 'How are these stories similar or different? Which symbols do you understand easily, and which ones make you wonder?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 50 min · Whole Class

Quilt Assembly: Class Story

Each pupil adds their fabric square to a large backing cloth. Stitch or tie pieces together as a class quilt. Display and read the collective story aloud.

Can you draw or sew symbols onto a fabric square that show something important about your family?

Facilitation Tip

When Quilt Assembly begins, assign roles like ‘fabric selector’ or ‘story writer’ so every pupil contributes visibly to the class quilt.

What to look for

Observe students as they select fabric colors and shapes for their own quilt squares. Ask: 'Why did you choose this color or shape? What story does it help tell?' Note their ability to connect choices to narrative meaning.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 40 min · Individual

Story Sequence: Quilt Panels

Pupils draw a three-panel story on fabric strips individually. Pin strips in order on a board, then discuss changes. Sew panels into personal mini-quilts.

Look at Faith Ringgold's quilts , what stories do you think she is telling?

Facilitation Tip

For Story Sequence, lay out panels on the floor and ask pupils to rearrange them, checking that the order matches the intended story before stitching.

What to look for

Provide students with a small fabric square. Ask them to draw or glue one symbol onto it that tells a story about their family. On the back, they should write one sentence explaining their symbol.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model how symbols carry meaning by sharing their own family stories using fabric or drawings. Avoid over-explaining; let pupils discover connections through discussion and hands-on trial. Research shows that when young learners create physical representations of stories, their narrative comprehension improves, so prioritise tactile engagement over verbal instruction.

By the end of these activities, pupils will connect fabric, symbols, and colour to personal and shared stories. They will use appliqué and stitching to create a class quilt that communicates ideas and emotions clearly to an audience.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Gallery Walk, some pupils may say, 'Quilts are only for warmth, not art or stories.'

  During Gallery Walk, pause at Ringgold’s ‘Tar Beach’ and ask pupils to point to the fabric parts that look like buildings or stars. Have them trace the painted scenes with their fingers to feel the story woven into the cloth.

• During Symbol Brainstorm, pupils might argue, 'Stories need lots of words, not pictures or fabric.'

  During Symbol Brainstorm, display a classmate’s symbol sketch next to a few words describing the same idea. Ask pupils to vote on which version tells the story more clearly and why.

• During Quilt Assembly, pupils may claim, 'Fabric art cannot show complex emotions or events.'

  During Quilt Assembly, ask groups to explain their colour choices and layering to the class. Listen for language that connects emotions to fabrics, such as ‘we used red for bravery because...’

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Role Play