Zamorano Second Graders Learn History Through Quilting

 Students work on their quilts.

At the Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in South Bay, learning sometimes takes unusual forms.Second-grade students recently completed a project, learning about African-American history by creating their own version of the historic Gee's Bend Quits.

The quilts have been produced as a community project in the historic Alabama African-American community for decades. At Zamorano, students created their own quilts from construction paper, learning about the geometric shapes and the women who create them.

"Students created their own paper quilts," said art teacher Donald Masse. "They followed the “housetop” pattern common in Gee’s Bend for a few steps and then were free to make their section unique by adding shapes and colors in different ways."

This creative approach to learning is one of the unique features of the magnet school.

"As a final step, all the quilts were assembled together in our auditorium to serve as an example of the beauty people can create when they work together," he said.

For more information on the program, contact Principal Caroline King at 619-267-8007.