One Book, Many Lessons : The Quiltmaker’s Gift

The Quiltmaker’s Gift
By: Jeff Brumbeau

When a generous quiltmaker finally agrees to make a quilt for a greedy king but only under certain conditions, she causes him to undergo a change of heart. 

Art: Discuss how quilts contain shapes and patterns. Provide various scrapbook papers, with unique designs and colors. Have each student create 3 different quilt blocks using various papers and shapes. 

Math: Quilt blocks contain many shapes. Create worksheets with several quilt blocks, with each block containing various shapes. Have students identify the different shapes and then color alike shapes a specific color. 

Reading: Some information is left out of the story. Ask students to help provide some of that information, such as why does the quiltmaker live by herself at the top of the mountain or what country is the King ruling over. Then ask if not knowing these aspects made the story any less interesting. Continue the discussion with the students over various aspects of the story. An extension could be reading The Quiltmaker’s Journey, which actually tells the story of how the quiltmaker came to be.