Unit: Culture

Lesson Title: Gullah Yarn Baskets

Grade: 5th
Length: 4-5 days 45 minutes
Task Description: Using yarn and a piece of cord, students will
create a basket in a style like the Gullah people
living in the low country of South Carolina and
Georgia.
Understanding: Students will gain a deeper understanding of a
culture within the United States that is different
from their own way of living.
Standards:
Objectives: I can:
 Determine how to use all materials in a
safe and appropriate manner
 Emulate the Gullah cultures sweetgrass
basket-making technique by creating a
completed coiled yarn basket in a similar
style and process.
 Discuss the characteristics of Gullah
sweetgrass baskets
 Identify works of art created by Gullah
Artists
 Identify and discuss similarities of
construction between sweetgrass and
yarn.
 Describe, discuss, and analyze the
characteristics and qualities of the Gullah
people living in the low country of South
Carolina and Georgia.
Vocabulary:  Sweetgrass: a long-stemmed plant that
grows near the ocean and is used by the
Gullah people to make baskets.
 Gullah: a group of people descended
from rice plantation slaves in the low
country of South Carolina and Georgia.
 Geechee: The language of the Gullah
people. Mixture of English and man West
African languages
 Lowcountry: the coastal/beach region of
South Carolina and Georgia.
 Feeding: in Gullah basket-making, the
process of adding more sweetgrass to a
coil of grass.
 Needle: a tool used in sewing.
Curriculum Connections Social Studies: Culture
Materials  Various colored yarn
 Plastic student needles
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 Scissors
 Cotton cord (cut in 2 ½ feet lengths with
both ends tapered)
 Masking tape
 Sharpies
 Boxes/bags to store each class’s yarn
baskets.

Procedures: Lesson 1: Introduction

Day 1:
Art Talk (10 min)
 Display of sweetgrass baskets; various
samples of sweetgrass, bulrush, long leaf
pine needles, and palmetto leaves; and
the children’s books. “Today we are
going to talk about a type of South
Carolina art that is over three hundred
years old.”
 Introduce the Gullah culture and
sweetgrass basket technique using a
flipchart Ask students what they already
know about the Gullah people. Discuss
Gullah heritage and culture. Have
students interact with the flipchart by
allowing them to locate west Africa and
the low country of South Carolina and
Georgia. Discuss the tradition of
sweetgrass baskets and explain the
materials and methods used for
construction
 Display several examples of coiled yarn
baskets. Ask students to compare and
contrast the yarn baskets and sweetgrass
basket. Explain to students that they will
be creating their own coiled yarn baskets.
Demo:
 Give a thorough demo of how to begin a
coiled yarn basket. Caution students
about using needles and scissors in a
safe and responsible manner.
Art Making
 Distribute cord.
 Work step by step with the students to
begin the coiled yarn baskets
Day 2:
Review
 Ask a few questions about the Gullah and
Unit: Culture

basket-making
Demo
 Students will follow step by step
instructions as the teacher thoroughly
demonstrates, explains, and reviews how
to start the coiled yarn basket.
 Introduce and explain the process of
“feeding” the basket
Art Making:
 AS students successfully start their
baskets, they may begin working at their
own pace.
Days 3 and 4:
 Review Gullah and ask questions
 demonstrate feeding the basket.
 Students will work until they have
finished the end of their cord.
Day 5 if needed:
- Review
- Finish
- Reflection
Set Up/ Cleanup: Team Captains/Helpers will distribute and collect
materials.
- Distribute baskets
Formative and Summative Assessment: Formative:
 The teacher will observe and ask
provoking questions.
Summative:
Completed Basket Checklist
 Is yarn basket complete?
 Are students able to describe discuss and
analyze the Gullah culture?
 Discuss and identify differences between
basketmaking techniques and coil yarn
technique
 Do students use all materials safely and
responsibly.
Accommodations: UDL:
- Displays images of illustrations, collages,
and triptychs
- Give a demo on how to create illustration
triptychs
- Assist as needed
Multi-modal presentation method:
Speech: information will be presented in an open
discussion format.
Visual: information will be presented with visuals
Unit: Culture

Tactile: students will create their own artwork.

Early finishers can help others or explore books

about sweetgrass baskets.