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Adinkra Cloth

Adinkra Cloth

Learn about the Ashanti people and create a pattern inspired by a traditional West African Adinkra cloth.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • Ruler

Steps

  • Step 1

    Point out the West African country of Ghana on a map. Talk about the Ashanti people and culture, and show images of an Adinkra cloth - fabric worn by Ashanti people to communicate information about the wearer's identity. Look at some of the many symbols used to decorate the cloth. See if students can interpret their meaning, then look up the symbols online to check their results.

  • Step 2

    Have each student create their own art inspired by Adinkra cloth, as they reference a guide to Adinkra symbols and choose symbols that might identify themselves or their family.

  • Step 3

    They will start by painting a watercolor background a paper. When that is dry, they will measure and divide the space to arrange the symbols into patterns. Then they will draw series of personal identification symbols on their art.

  • Step 4

    Have students present their art and challenge their peers to interpret the symbols. Ask them to discuss why they chose these specific symbols. As a group, discuss why different people in different cultures might create and display various symbols based on the animals, landforms, etc. in their geographic area.

Standards

SEL: Social Awareness: Understand the perspectives of and strengths of others.

SS: Culture: Through experience, observation, and reflection, identify elements of culture as well as similarities and differences among cultural groups across time and place.

SS: People, Places, and Environments: Understand various perspectives and examine changes in relationship between people, places, and environments.

SS: Individual Development and Identity: Describe factors important to the development of personal identity and the context of identity within families, peer or affinity groups, schools, communities, and nationalities.

Adaptations

Have students research how Ghanan traditional symbols are used today in contemporary fashion, book illustrations, graphic arts, etc.

Talk about the various regions of Africa-- North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, South Africa, Central Africa, and note some of their similarities and differences.