The 4th graders discussed the Navajo people, including where they are from and some basic information about their culture, specifically their weavings. We then watched a few YouTube videos showing right and wrong ways to create a weaving. And after discussing what a loom, warp, and weft were, they set off to start off their creation.
After I demonstrated how to create a cardboard loom, I instructed them to create an even number of strings in the warp, preferably 6 or 8, using thin string. They then picked out different colors or roving.
A few tips I have to emphasize a few times: Leave a 6 inch tail for each new color, always weave the opposite of what you just did (over and under, over and under). On the final day, I made the mistake of allowing the first class to take their weaving entirely off the cardboard loom before tying, which led to weft strings falling off the warp. The next class I instructed them to remove, cut and tie one warp sting at a time. This solved the problem of escaping weft strings! Lastly they trimmed and tucked in any remaining "tails."
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