DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGE ON MACRAME by Richard Bruce Simonds A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Industrial Arts and Technology California Stats University, Fresno April 1975 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my committee chairman, Dr. Chester Christison, and committee members, Dr. Ray Loyd and Ronald Blanton, for their invaluable assistance and encouragement throughout the design and construction of this project. A special word of thanks goes to my wife Darcy for her understanding and encouragement. A final word of thanks to my Aunt Beth Hegarty for her assistance in typing the preliminary copies of this proj ect. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv LIST OF FIGURES vii INTRODUCTION 1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM 1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM 2 ASSUMPTIONS 3 LIMITATIONS 3 SOURCE OF DATA 3 DEFINITIONS 3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 5 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 5 PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BASIC KNOTS 8 Overhand Knot 8 Lark's Head Knot 9 Half Hitch 9 Half Knot 9 Square Knot 10 Wrapping Cords 10 Josephine Knot 10 Turk's Head Knot 11 Oriental Matting 11 v vi Page REPORT OF THE PROJECT . 12 Background Information 12 Macrame Index File . 14 Synchronized Slide Tape Presentation 18 Overhead Transparency Set 23 IMPLEMENTATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MACRAME PACKAGE . 25 Macrame Index File 25 35 MM Synchronized Slide-Tape Presentation ... 27 Overhead Transparency Set 27 SUMMARY 28 CONCLUSIONS 28 RECOMMENDATIONS 29 BIBLIOGRAPHY 30 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Complete Instructional Package on Macrame, Which Includes, from Left to Right, Overhead Transparency Set, Macrame Index File, and the Synchronized Slide-Tape Program 13 2. Macrame Index File 15 3. Details of Typical Macrame Index File Drawer 17 4. Specific Components of Macrame Index File Drawers 17 5. Copystand and Camera Setup 19 6. Details of Copystand Construction 20 7. Floodlight Positioning for Taking Slide Sequence 20 8. Typical 35 MM Slide Closeup ........ 22 9. Synchronized Slide-Tape Program 22 10. Layout of Transparency Set 24 11. Typical Transparency Details 26 vii INTRODUCTION In recent years the industrial crafts field has been experiencing a "twentieth-century renaissance." With this revival, many of the old world crafts have come to life, one of which is the art of creative knot tying known as macrame. As in all crafts, macrame must be presented in a manner that can be easily understood. Due to the complexity of the various knots , verbal communication is not adequate in conveying the concepts for a complete learning experience. BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM With the increasing enrollment in the public schools, it is necessary for the crafts instructor to develop and utilize more efficient means of instruction. Programs in industrial crafts have been influenced in many ways and at all levels through the use of visual aids in conjunction with individualized instruction. The project, or learning by doing, method of instruction is used extensively in industrial arts. Unfortunately, the teaching of macrame has been largely neglected because teachers generally do not have an adequate background or proper teaching aids. 1 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The problem was to develop an instructional package dealing with the art of macrame consisting of four parts: (1) To design and construct a Macrame Knot Index File including a step-by-step progression of the actual knot accompanied by a written procedure for self- instruction; (2) to develop a complete set of 35 MM slides from the Macrame Knot Index for group instruction; (3) to develop a set of overhead transparencies; (4) to show how the package could be implemented into an industrial crafts program. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM A review of master's theses previously completed in the field of industrial crafts revealed that, as of this writing, there exists no thesis or project that deals specifically with the art of teaching macrame. It was believed that, through the development and use of this instructional package, this researcher would accomplish the following goals: (1) Give to the area of macrame a more efficient means of instruction, (2) promote both individualized and group instruction, (3) allow students to work at their own learning pace, (4) allow new students to adjust and fit into the crafts program, and (5) inspire and encourage teachers of industrial crafts to develop effective ways of teaching the art of macrame. 3 ASSUMPTIONS The following assumptions were considered: (1) That individualized instruction is significantly more successful than the lecture-discussion method and (2) that the knots used in the project are those generally accepted as basic knots in beginning macrame. LIMITATIONS This project was limited to the construction of the Instructional Package. It was not the intent of this project to test the effectiveness of the package. The content of the package is directed for the junior high school level of instruction. SOURCE OF DATA Reference material for this project was obtained from books, professional publications, and periodicals located in the Diablo Valley College Library and the California State University, Fresno, Library. Material from the researcher's personal library was also used. DEFINITIONS1 Alternate Square Knots (also called alternating squareTuiots). Squire knots tied in horizontal rows 1Susan S. Lampton, Macrame, Creative Knot-Tying, Techniques and Projects (Menlo Park, Ca. : Lane Book Company, 1972). 4 alternating so as to form a row of knots below and between the knots of the previous row. Double Half Hitch (also called clove hitch). Two loops over a stationary cord or support. Double Half Hitch Bars (also called cording). Several double half hitches tied in horizontal rows. Half Hitch (also called buttonhole knot, tatting knot, simple knot, blanket stitch). A single loop over a stationary cord or support. Half-Hitch Chains (also called sennits, see-saw knots). Half hitches or dotible half hitches tied vertically in succession. Half Knot (also called macrame knot). The first or last part of a square knot. Half-Knot Chain (also called half-knot sennit, spiral). Several half knots tied in succession vertically. Josephine Knot (also called carrick bend, Chinese knotj"! A flat oval-shaped knot formed by cords woven over and under each other. Mounting Knot (also called Lark's head, reverse Lark's head). A-method of securing cords onto a cord or support from which a knotted piece is begun. Oriental Matting (also called Chinese matting). A form of Josephine knot using two loops and weaving the ends of each through the knot. Overhand Knot (also called thumb knot, shell knot). A simple looped knot using one or more tying cords. Reverse Double Half Hitch (also called Lark's head, mounting knot on its side). The mounting knot just tied vertically. Square Knot (also called flat knot, reef knot, Solomon's knot). Two or more cords tied over many- cords or none. Square-Knot Chain (also called square-knot sennit, Solomon' s bar, flats)". Several square knots tied in succession vertically. Turk's Head. A further developed knot stemming from Josephine knot but using one end to weave continuously over and under throughout the knot. Vertical Double Half Hitch. A double half hitch using what is normally the tying cords as holding cords and the one holding cord as a tying cord. Wrapping. A method of securing many cords into one unit by binding them with one cord. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Since this project dealt primarily with the • development of an Instructional Package on macrame, set rules and procedures were not easily applied. Information gained from a review of literature served two important functions by providing: a factual historical background on macrame that could be implemented into lectures; and a basic knowledge of the knots that would enable each knot to be broken down into a simple step-by- step progression that could be utilized throughout the entire macrame package. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Macrame,- which is pronounced mak-re'-ma, comes from the Arabic word migramah, which means oriental fringe O and braid. Macrame is an international art that has been O found to exist from Europe to Asia. It dates back to the 2Mary Walker Phillips, Step-by-Step Macrame (New York: Western Publishing Company, 1970), p. 6. ^Lampton, p. 5. 6 13th century, when the Arabic culture developed one of the earliest forms of the square knot. The Spaniards in the 4 14th century acquired the art from the Moors. During the 15th century knots were used by the Incas of Peru to aid in recording and conveying informa­ tion. This device was called a quipu, which was made of a series of overhand knots. In the time of classical Greece, knots were employed in medicine to serve as slings for broken bones. The "Hercules" knot (square knot) was believed to possess magical or religious connotations by both the early Egyptians and Greeks, who utilized it in their clothing, g jewelry, and pottery. Knotting techniques in most cases were spread to the different continents of the world by sailors. These sailors on ancient sailing vessels sometimes carried a knotted cord which legend claims witches had tied. The cord mystically bound the winds and therefore controlled the destiny of their sailing ships.7 On long voyages the sailors found themselves with much spare time; thus many took to tying various knots. The rigging on the ships was changed periodically due to weather damage. This damaged ^Phillips, p. 6. "'Lampton, p. 5. ^Lampton, p. 5. Lampton, p. 5. 7 rigging provided the sailor with plenty of cord for tying g his knots. Macrame is believed to have been introduced to England by Queen Mary, who learned the art while living in g Holland in 1600.