Production of Pattern – JSS2 Cultural & Creative Arts Lesson Note (Second Term)

A pattern is a design that repeats in a particular order or arrangement.

• Subject: Creative Arts (Cultural and Creative Arts)
• Class: JSS2
• Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioural objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils should be able to:

1. Explain what a pattern is in simple terms.
2. Identify patterns in their everyday environment.
3. Describe three types of patterns.
4. Create their own patterns using simple repeat, diamond repeat and mirror repeat.
5. State the difference between the three types of patterns.

Materials needed

• Paper: plain white A4 paper, and grid paper (optional).
• Drawing tools: coloured pencils, crayons or markers, rulers and pencils.
• Fabrics: samples with patterns, such as ankara and lace.
• Pictures: photographs or drawings showing different patterns.
• Objects: patterned cloth, basket, mat and decorated calabash.

Previous knowledge

• Pupils can draw basic shapes such as circles, squares, triangles and rectangles.
• Pupils have used colours in earlier art lessons.

Introduction (5 minutes)

1. The teacher wears a cloth with a repeated design, such as ankara.
2. The teacher asks: “What do you notice about my cloth? Does the same design appear again and again?”
3. The teacher shows a plain cloth and the patterned cloth side by side.
4. Pupils say which one is more interesting to look at and why.
5. The teacher brings out a woven basket, a decorated calabash or pictures of tiled floors.
6. Pupils look around the classroom and name things with patterns, such as floor tiles, a dress, a notebook cover or curtains.

What is a pattern? (7 minutes)

A pattern is a design that repeats itself over and over in a particular order or arrangement.

• Motif: the single shape or design that is repeated to make a pattern.
• Repeat: drawing the motif again and again in an agreed order.
• Rule: patterns follow rules, so they do not appear randomly.
• Effect: patterns make things look organised and beautiful.

The teacher writes PATTERN on the board in large letters.

Where do we see patterns in everyday life?

Patterns appear in homes, clothes, nature, buildings and traditional crafts.

• In our homes: floor tiles, bed sheets, curtains, tablecloths and wall paint designs.
• In our clothes: ankara fabric, lace material, stripes on shirts and checks on skirts.
• In nature: stripes on a zebra, spots on a leopard, scales on a fish and petals arranged in a circle on a flower.
• In buildings: bricks in walls, windows in tall buildings and roof patterns.
• In traditional crafts: woven baskets, decorated calabashes, beaded necklaces and carved wooden doors.

Why do people use patterns?

People use patterns to decorate things and to show skill, planning and culture.

• Beauty: patterns make things attractive.
• Skill: patterns show skill and planning.
• Culture: patterns are part of our culture and tradition.
• Decoration: patterns make plain surfaces more interesting.

What are the types of patterns? (20 minutes)

There are three types of patterns taught at this level: simple repeat, diamond repeat and mirror repeat.

Type 1: What is a simple repeat pattern?

A simple repeat pattern is one in which the same shape or design appears again and again in a straight line.

• It is the easiest type of pattern.
• You draw one motif, then draw it again in the same direction.

Examples of simple repeat drawn on the board

1. Circles: ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
2. Squares: □ □ □ □ □
3. Flowers: ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
4. Hearts: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Simple repeat with two shapes

• Circle and triangle: ○ △ ○ △ ○ △
• Star and square: ★ □ ★ □ ★ □

Simple repeat in real life

• Beads: a necklace with red, red, red, red beads.
• Borders: designs along the edge of a notebook page.
• Fences: the same design repeated along the fence.
• Brick walls: bricks laid in the same way row after row.

Practice activity: pupils draw in the air with a finger: “a circle, now another circle, now another one.” This shows the movement of simple repeat.

Type 2: What is a diamond repeat pattern?

A diamond repeat pattern is one in which diamond shapes touch at their points and form a net-like or chain-link design.

• Diamond: a square standing on one of its corners.
• Contact: the diamonds touch each other at their points.
• Look: from far away it looks like a net or fence made of connected diamonds.
• Direction: it spreads across (horizontal) and up and down (vertical), unlike simple repeat, which usually goes one way.

Where do we see diamond patterns?

• Chain-link fences: the metal fences around some schools and houses.
• Net fabrics: used for making dresses.
• Traditional weaving: some woven patterns.
• Window grills: some decorative grills.
• Cloth: some ankara and lace designs.
• Nets: basketball nets and fishing nets.

How do you create a diamond repeat pattern?

1. Draw one diamond.
2. Draw a second diamond beside it so that their side points touch.
3. Continue along the row until it reaches the edge of the space.
4. Start a second row below, shifted half a diamond across.
5. Draw each new diamond so its top point meets the point where two diamonds above touch.
6. Repeat the rows until the space is filled. The result looks like connected chains.

Type 3: What is a mirror repeat pattern?

A mirror repeat pattern is one in which a design is repeated as if reflected in a mirror, so one side matches the other but faces the opposite way.

• The teacher asks: “What happens when you raise your right hand in front of a mirror?”
• Pupils see the mirror show the raised hand on the opposite side.
• The teacher draws a shape facing right, then the same shape facing left, so the two face each other.

What are the features of mirror repeat?

• Matching sides: the left side and the right side are the same.
• Opposite directions: the two sides face each other.
• Balance: the design has symmetry.
• Line of reflection: an imaginary line down the middle acts as the mirror.

Demonstration: the teacher folds a paper in half and draws half a butterfly on one side. When the paper is opened and the other half is traced, both sides match like mirror images.

Examples of mirror repeat in real life

• In nature: butterfly wings, the human face, leaves of some plants and the left and right sides of animal bodies.
• In designs: traditional Nigerian carved doors, building fronts with matching windows, decorated gates, some fabric designs, greeting cards and wall hangings.
• In cultural items: calabash decorations, some beadwork, traditional pottery patterns and carved wooden masks.

How do you create a mirror repeat pattern?

There are two ways: by folding or by drawing without folding.

Method 1: By folding

1. Fold your paper in half.
2. Draw a design on one side.
3. Cut along the design while the paper is still folded (if using scissors).
4. Open the paper. You now have a mirror pattern.

Method 2: Without folding

1. Draw an imaginary line down the middle of your paper.
2. Draw a shape on the left side.
3. Draw the exact same shape on the right side, facing the opposite way.
4. Check that both sides match.

How do the three types of patterns compare?

• Simple repeat: the same motif repeats in one direction.
• Diamond repeat: diamonds join at their points to form a net.
• Mirror repeat: a design is reflected so the two sides face each other.

Evaluation (5 minutes)

1. What is a pattern?
2. The teacher draws ○ ○ ○ ○ on the board. What type of pattern is this?
3. A flower is drawn on the left of the paper and the same flower facing the opposite way on the right. What type of pattern is this?
4. Where have you seen diamond patterns in your community?
5. Name one thing in nature that has a mirror pattern.

Assignment

Draw one example each of a simple repeat, a diamond repeat and a mirror repeat pattern. Under each drawing, write one place where you have seen that type of pattern at home or on the way to school.

Closing the lesson

• The next lesson is practical work, where pupils create their own patterns.
• Pupils should notice patterns at home, on the way to school and at the market.
• Patterns are an important part of Nigerian culture, seen in cloth weaving, pottery and building decoration.