Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy

Abbreviated Lesson Plan

NAME Finnick Vest

UNIT TITLE Needle Felting
GRADE LEVEL Fashion Juniors, Seniors
DURATION 3-4 weeks

SAMPLE

Students will expand their knowledge of textile, learning ways to accessorize, sculpt, and create
their own textiles from roving wool. Students will learn about how the ancient craft of felting has
CENTRAL
been utilized in recent years in the fine art world. Students will use the artists Andrea Graham
FOCUS
and Lorna Simpson as inspiration for their ideas and artmaking.

3PE Explore the relationship between community or cultural values and trends in visual art.

3PR Solve visual art problems that demonstrate skill, imagination and observation
STANDARD(S)
3RE Expand the use of arts-specific vocabulary to define and describe techniques and materials
used to create works of art.

Students will explore the relationship western culture and communities have with textiles and
their significance and place in visual art.

Students will solve prompted visual art problems utilizing taught felting skills, bring an
OBJECTIVE(S) unexpected element into the pieces, as well as using observation to improve proportion and
textures.

Students will utilize vocabulary terms to describe felting techniques including words such as
roving, needle felting, and wet felting.
Vocabulary:

Felt

Felting
ACADEMIC
LANGUAGE Soft sculpture

Needle felting

roving
 Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy
Abbreviated Lesson Plan

fibres

RESOURCES
MATERIALS Projector, sketchbooks, roving wood, felting needle, leather finger guards, foam, jewelry pieces
EQUIPMENT
Lesson One: Students will be introduced to Andrea Graham and Lorna Simpson. Students will all
sketch for 5 minutes inspired by Graham’s artwork. After that I will ask about cultural
assumptions about felt, and fibre arts. We will touch on gender roles and craft versus art. We will
talk about how textiles and fibers not only make clothes but are involved in sculpture as well.

I will demonstrate basic felting principles, compare it to dreadlocks. Students will have cookie
cutter templates to needle felt basic shapes. I will really focus on safety protocols of using leather
guards for fingers. I will show my examples. Students will be transforming these small shapes
into jewelry using old jewelry parts and pieces.
PROCEDURES
Lesson Two: Students will be tasked with creating a small sculpture, the size of your palm.
Students will have the choice to create an objective of non-objective sculpture. The class will
come up with a theme for these sculptures so they can all make an environment when put
together.

Lesson Three: Students will be making their own textile using roving wool. Students will layer
wool and create a flat piece of felt, and felting and stitching into the felt to craft their own
imagery. Students will also have the choice to use various amounts media to include in their
textile.
Did students participate in sketchbook writing prompts? (y/n) 1
Did students make 3 basic shapes using felting techniques? (y?n) 3
Did students experiment with color? (y/n) 1

Did students sketch an idea for a sculpture? (y/n) 1

Did students use elements from observation as well as imagination to create a sculpture? (y/n) 3
Did students finish their sculpture/jewelry? (y/n) 1
ASSESSMENT
Did students participate in wet felting? (y/n) 2
Did students create a textile? (y/n) 3

Did students create a theme for their collaborative work? (y/n) 1

Did students utilize wet and needle felting in their collaboration? (y/n) 2
Did students write an artist statement connecting their themes and media? (y/n) 1
Did students complete and submit their collaborative work? (y/n) 1