LESSON PLAN: FOLK ART: BASKETS

  1. General Overview of Exhibit at the Tarble:
  2. Students who cannot make it to the exhibit need to know the following about folk art:
  3. Folk artists did not have academic training in their art
  4. Sometimes folk art is passed down through families; some artists have learned how to make their art from books or by watching other artists at work
  5. Folk art is made by hand and is not made from any one material, nor is it any one shape or size. Folk art, like folk artists, is special and unique.
  6. In the exhibit about folk art at the Tarble, you can find many pieces of folk art that are very different from each other: (are photos available?)
  7. Quilts
  8. Duck decoys (explain what these are if needed)
  9. Carved figures, such as a coal miner and a bear
  10. Dolls: made of apples or cornhusks
  11. A lamp made out of walnut shells
  12. Paintings
  13. Baskets
  14. Focus on one object:
  15. Baskets
  16. Most students should be familiar with the concept of basketry; explain that most baskets are made by weaving pieces of wood or fabric together, and used to hold a wide variety of objects and can serve as decorative pieces as well.
  17. Baskets in the Tarble exhibit: (show photos)
  18. Clyde Biggs: Biggs made this basket by weaving; this type of basket is called a “rib” basket because of the weaving technique. Biggs learned to make baskets by watching his grandfather create them; however, Biggs did not begin weaving baskets regularly until after he retired.
  19. Tilford and Sue Hord: Tilford and his wife Sue are also retired and make their baskets to sell at craft fairs. This particular basket is a laundry basket. Tilford learned how to weave baskets from a great-uncle; however, basket making has been in the family for five generations. Some of their relatives earned their living from making and selling baskets.
  20. Make your own: Woven Basket
  21. Put photos of the baskets in the Tarble exhibit in front of the classroom for reference and inspiration
  22. Have students create a woven basket out of construction paper strips
  23. Find instructions for this project at
  1. Wrapping up: Question time
  2. Why is folk art different from other types of art?
  3. Why are baskets folk art?
  4. Does anyone have any folk art at home? How do you know that it is folk art?
  5. Do you know any folk artists? How did they learn to make their folk art?