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Year 1 - Art and design

Print a sea pattern on cloth – stories in indigo

My world: art and nature

Unit Summary

Designed in collaboration with October Gallery, this unit reflects how art operates in the world, as expression, storytelling, identity and connection. While remaining accessible for all classrooms pupils explore mark-making, movement, clay, print, and dye to build fine and gross motor skills.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to print on cloth using wax or paper shapes to tell a story.

Key Notes

  • 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.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • 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 Mistakes To Avoid

  • You need special or expensive things to make fabric patterns.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key 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.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'pattern'

something that repeats again and again.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: You need special or expensive things to make fabric patterns. Correction: 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.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 1 Art and design guide library.