In sixth grade children are now in their pre-adolescence. They have a stronger sense of self, and this is the year they learn to make a doll in the human image. The process we follow for doll making is reflective of how a human develops and is a completely individual process. No doll is the same as another. Doll making is a long process with many steps and a project in which many of the skills the children have developed since first grade all come together — sewing, stuffing, a variety of hand stitches, crochet, embroidery, even knitting. The sixth grade child is experiencing a new depth of feeling and doll making helps them connect to these feelings and their changing bodies. Each child creates the pattern for their own doll using measurements and math to make a pattern that is proportionately correct for a child around the ages of 11/12. When the doll is completed the children then design and create clothes and even accessories if time allows. This project typically takes the whole school year to complete.