Repeating-pattern studio
English-language edition | October 2026 | bernard.ink
Repeating-pattern studio
This is a pattern-making extension, not a scene from Esi's story. Look at a verified photograph of woven Kente with an adult. Notice repeating shapes and colour.
Choose two shapes. Draw a small repeating unit in the first row. Continue it across the grid; then colour your own design.
Printable design grid: 8 rows by 12 columns. Use squared paper as an alternative.
Download the PDF for this printable template.
My repeating unit is ...
This is my own paper pattern, not a traditional Kente design.
Teacher notes
Purpose and preparation
20 minutes. Explore repetition and explain a design choice.
Read the book aloud first. Have one copy available to revisit words and pictures. Pupil pages are suitable for black-and-white printing.
Suggested responses
A repeating unit might be triangle, square, triangle, square. Accept any repeat the child can explain. Do not assign a universal traditional meaning to a colour or shape.
Support and stretch
Support: Start with an AB repeat or use stamp shapes.
Stretch: Try an AAB or ABC unit and explain how to continue it.
Teaching links
England KS1 art: explore drawing, colour, pattern and texture. US Grade 1 SL.1.5: use a drawing to explain an idea. The art task is not itself an ELA standard.
These are suggested links, not an accredited lesson or a complete curriculum. Grade 1 links do not apply automatically to younger children.
Use a museum or UNESCO source when introducing Kente. Ghana's weaving traditions are varied. The worksheet is a contemporary classroom design, not a reproduction of a named cloth.