Celtic Knots

"Multicultural education has as its goals to promote cultural awareness,

equal opportunity for learning, promotion of self identity

as well as encouraging unity through diversity.

What better way to realize all of these goals than through

something visual, tangible, and universal to all cultures—art."

-T. Wooden

Mr. Malloy is teaching a lesson on Celtic Knots. Students will learn to make these beautiful intricate designs using a technique that is as easy as making a paper snowflake!

Objectives:
Students will design an original Celtic Knot by using the following process. Each knot will turn out to be unique. Same process -- different results.

Students will learn about the different types of Balance by teachers explanation and using symmetry in their art work. Symmetrical Balance, Radial Balance, and Asymmetrical Balance will be demonstrated.

Before we start the knots, the students will have a cultural experience by learning about Celtic knots and some other aspects of Irish culture. Irish folk music will be played during class.

Of course, everyone knows about St. Patrick's Day, but did you know about some other Celtic holidays?

• Shrove Tuesday-When Ireland goes crazy for pancakes,
• Little Women’s Christmas. A special day when men do all the housework! (Mr. Wales hopes that this doesn't catch on in the U.S.!)

Directions:

1. Fold paper across to make a triangle and cut off the access. (makes a square paper)
2. Fold in half.
3. Fold in half again.
4. Draw first line about a half inch long. The path of your knot will start at the side with one fold and end at the other side with multiple folds.
5. Extend your line to the side with fold any way you want. Then make a the other line parallel about ¼ inch apart.
Don’t go to open side.
6. Draw two parallel diagonal lines. Then two more diagonal lines branching in the opposite direction. This is one of the harder parts, teacher will demonstrate specifically.
7. Extend these lines down making sure they intersect with at least one other line.
8. Cut out the negative space. Teacher demonstrates what the negative space is by filling in the positive.
9. Make the under over. Start with an over and the next line will be an over… always… We will do it in pencil first so we can try to fix mistakes. No one is perfect!

The finished knot will be mounted on colored construction paper and we'll add some Celtic lettering to the designs next week.

A neat website resource for this kind of art is found here: Molly's Magic Method.