As part of their American Indian Expedition, our 4th grade students had the opportunity to learn about, then make, natural dyes. Through a collaboration with Pratt Institute, students examined the relationships between the environment, its pollinators, and its diverse plants. They studied the science of color and the history of local textiles before learning to weave themselves.

Pratt’s Ana Codorean gave students a guided tour of the Textile Dye Garden, home to a wide variety of plants from goldenrod to yarrow. Students took notes and made sketches of what they saw. They learned about the responsible harvesting of flowers that respects the needs of pollinators. They explored the benefits of natural dyes to people and to the planet compared to the toxic ecological impacts of synthetic dyes.

Students made detailed drawings of their favorite flowers. Here, students are drawing the Hopi sunflower. The shells of its seeds are black and produce a beautiful purple dye. Several color variations of dye concentrate can be made from just three plants—marigold, black walnut, and the Hopi sunflower—by understanding the pH scale.

After observing the plants and pollinators, students participated in a hands-on bundle dye process in the garden during which flowers and leaves are applied directly to yarn, then hammered and steamed to release their pigments. Each student composed their own plant and color combinations. Pratt held additional sessions at PS 270 to delve deeper into the science and history of textile dying.

Using wool yarn and this dying process, students created a beautiful palette of colors to use in their weavings. They were able to see how the dyes they made corresponded to the colors on objects and art created by Indigenous people of New York, including the Lenape, Canarsee, Mohawk, and Seneca people.

Then came the weaving! Students wove fabric using the naturally dyed wool and a hand loom. Later, everyone’s individual weaving was sewn together to create a wonderful class tapestry exhibited at Pratt during the culminating event, attended by students and all partners. Students helped to plant new seeds in the garden beds that day, which will flourish there during the upcoming spring.