Art and Design · Year 6 · Global Patterns and Textiles · Spring Term

Adinkra Symbols and Relief Printing

Studying West African cloth traditions and creating personal stamps to communicate values.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Printing and Textiles
• KS2: Art and Design - Cultural Diversity

About This Topic

Adinkra symbols come from the Akan people of Ghana, where they stamp cloth with carved symbols to share proverbs and values like wisdom or unity. Year 6 students study examples such as Sankofa, which urges learning from the past, and create their own stamps to express personal ideas. They connect symbols to stories, moving beyond surface decoration to meaningful communication.

This unit fits KS2 Art and Design standards for printing, textiles, and cultural diversity. Students analyze how one symbol holds complex meaning, distinguish decorative patterns from narrative ones, and explain relief printing: ink sticks to raised surfaces, creating textured prints when pressed. These skills sharpen design thinking and cultural awareness, linking art to history and identity.

Active learning thrives here through hands-on creation. Carving stamps from foam or potatoes lets students test how depth affects ink transfer and texture. Group printing on shared fabric builds collaboration, while reflecting on peers' symbols deepens understanding of visual storytelling, making abstract cultural concepts concrete and engaging.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how a single Adinkra symbol can convey a complex proverb or value.
2. Differentiate between a pattern that decorates and a pattern that tells a story.
3. Explain how the physical process of relief printing affects the final image and texture.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the visual elements of Adinkra symbols to identify the core values or proverbs they represent.
• Compare and contrast Adinkra symbols used for decoration versus those used for storytelling.
• Create original stamps using relief printing techniques to visually communicate personal values or ideas.
• Explain how the physical process of carving and printing impacts the final texture and appearance of the artwork.

Before You Start

Basic Drawing and Design

Why: Students need foundational skills in creating simple images and understanding visual composition before designing their symbols.

Exploring Pattern

Why: Understanding how repeating elements create patterns is necessary to differentiate between decorative and narrative patterns.

Key Vocabulary

Adinkra	A system of symbols originating from the Akan people of Ghana, used to express concepts, proverbs, and values.
Relief Printing	A printing technique where the image is created from a raised surface, with ink applied to the raised areas and then transferred to paper or fabric.
Stamp	A tool, often carved, used to apply ink or paint to a surface, creating a repeated image or pattern.
Proverb	A short, well-known saying that expresses a common truth or piece of advice.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All patterns just make things pretty.

What to Teach Instead

Patterns can decorate or convey stories, like Adinkra symbols sharing proverbs. Hands-on design tasks where students create both types help them compare and articulate differences. Peer critiques during printing sessions reveal how narrative patterns carry deeper intent.

Common Misconception

Relief printing copies designs exactly every time.

What to Teach Instead

Printing varies with ink amount, pressure, and material, creating unique textures. Students discover this through repeated stamping trials in groups. Adjusting techniques based on results builds problem-solving and process understanding.

Common Misconception

Symbols mean the same everywhere.

What to Teach Instead

Adinkra symbols hold specific cultural meanings tied to Akan proverbs. Research and redesign activities let students explore contexts, while sharing prints fosters discussions on cultural specificity versus universal values.

Active Learning Ideas

Design Workshop: Personal Symbol Creation

Students brainstorm values important to them, sketch simple symbols inspired by Adinkra examples, and refine designs on paper. Pairs share and critique sketches for clarity and meaning. Finalize one symbol per student ready for carving.

30 min·Pairs

Relief Printing Stations: Stamp Carving and Testing

Set up stations with foam, lino cutters, ink pads, and fabric scraps. Small groups carve their symbol into material, test prints on paper, and note how pressure changes texture. Rotate stations twice for multiple trials.

45 min·Small Groups

Collaborative Fabric Banner: Group Printing

Whole class plans a banner theme like 'Our Class Values.' Each student prints their symbol onto a long fabric strip using carved stamps. Hang and discuss the collective story formed by the prints.

50 min·Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Symbol Stories

Display printed works around the room. Small groups visit stations, read symbol meanings from labels, and discuss how patterns tell stories versus decorate. Vote on most impactful designs.

25 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Textile designers in West Africa, like those creating Kente cloth or Adinkra print fabrics, use symbolic motifs to convey cultural heritage and social messages.
• Graphic designers and illustrators create custom stamps or digital icons to represent brands, ideas, or emotions, similar to how Adinkra symbols communicate meaning visually.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Students will receive a card with an Adinkra symbol they studied. They must write: 1. The name of the symbol. 2. The proverb or value it represents. 3. One sentence explaining how the symbol's visual form relates to its meaning.

Peer Assessment

Students display their created stamps and a printed example. In pairs, they discuss: 'What value or idea does your partner's stamp communicate?' and 'How does the texture of the print enhance the message?' Partners provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

Quick Check

During the carving process, the teacher circulates and asks students: 'Show me the part of your stamp that will hold the ink. How will the depth of your carving affect the final print?' This checks understanding of relief printing mechanics.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I introduce Adinkra symbols to Year 6 art class?

Start with real cloth examples or images from Ghanaian traditions, sharing proverbs each symbol represents. Students match symbols to meanings in a sorting activity, then discuss personal connections. This builds context before design, ensuring cultural respect and engagement across abilities.

What materials work best for Year 6 relief printing?

Use safe, accessible options like soft foam sheets, potatoes, or erasers for carving with plastic tools. Pair with water-based block printing inks and fabric or cartridge paper. These create clear raised prints and allow texture experiments without advanced skills, fitting KS2 safety standards.

How can active learning help students with Adinkra symbols and printing?

Active approaches like carving and stamping give direct feedback on design choices, such as how line depth affects prints. Collaborative banner projects combine symbols into stories, reinforcing narrative versus decorative patterns. Reflections after gallery walks solidify cultural analysis, boosting retention over passive viewing.

How to assess understanding of narrative patterns in Adinkra?

Use rubrics for symbol designs noting proverb links and story elements. Observe printing sessions for explanations of process impacts on texture. End with written or verbal reflections comparing student prints to decorative repeats, aligning with key questions on meaning and technique.