Curated OER
The Properties of Clay
Sixth graders determine the physical properties of clay by examining ceramic works of art. They evaluate local soil samples for suitability for sculpting and compare clay taken from soil to manufactured clay.
Curated OER
Lesson: Animal Journeys
Here is a great way to get the brain going. Children look at an image of the sculpture, Jar and then imagine what an animal would look like as it moved inside the sculpture. They then use clay and cookie cutters to create a...
Curated OER
Japanese Tea and Teacups
Upper graders use the potter's wheel to make Japanese style tea cups, which they will use in a Japanese style tea ceremony. They hone their sculpting techniques while exploring Japanese cultural and the history of tea. There are two...
Curated OER
Ceramic Wall Tile Murals
Grab your class and start brainstorming an image you'd like to see as a mural. Included here are all the steps needed to design and create a ceramic wall mural. The kids come up with the drawings, then they each make a tile that will...
Curated OER
Dig This: A Relief Sculpture of Dinosaur Bones
This is a truly amazing project. Perfect to use during your next dinosaur unit. Second and fifth graders work together to draw and make a relief sculpture of a nine foot-long stegosaurus. They discuss what paleontologists do and then...
Smithsonian Institution
Ceramica de los Ancestros
Scholars join a field expedition team to unearth a plethora of treasures from Central America. Artifacts listed in alphabetical order come with an informational blurb and a picture designed for participants to color. Activity pages...
Concord Consortium
Ceramic Forces
Why are bricks more likely to break than bend? Young science scholars peer inside a ceramic block and examine the effects of downward force at the molecular level. Learners can apply three different levels of force before observing their...
Teach Engineering
Fun Look at Material Science
Introduce materials science with a class demonstration. After showing a PowerPoint presentation on materials and their properties, instructors provide a ceramic tile, a Popsicle stick, a paper clip, and a plastic bag as examples of...
AMCO
Whimsical Figures
Clay is a wonderful and expressive medium for learners of any age. Kids get creative as they make whimsical figures out of clay. A hyperlinked materials list, images of each step in the process, and helpful tips makes this a great art...
Curated OER
Pottery Quest
Students see that the production of ceramic pottery requires detailed knowledge of the physical properties of different clays and tempering materials, as well as knowledge about how these combine and react under specific firing conditions.
Curated OER
Daily Life in Spanish St. Augustine 1565-1763
How do we know so much about the past? A student-crafted presentation provides viewers with images of artifacts from St. Augustine, Florida that give historians and archaeologists clues into lives already lived.
Curated OER
Coil Vessels with Symbols
Eighth graders explore symbolism in Renaissance art, use ceramics vocabulary, and demonstrate craftsmanship in working with clay.
Curated OER
Pottery with Artist Kerry Moosman
After watching a video of Native American artist Maria Martinez create art out of clay, learners will create burnished coil pots similar to those made by artist, Kerry Moosman. This lesson includes a supply list, web links, historical...
Curated OER
Clowing Around: Ceramics
Clowns are a big hit with kids! Explore a few circus related websites to get an idea of how clowns look and what they do. They then build sculpting skills by creating expressive clown faces out of clay. Web links, materials list, and...
Curated OER
Gargoyles: Ceramics
Study the symbolism and significance of Gargoyles throughout the Gothic era, and then make one. Kids visit three different websites to learn about these goolish protectors, then hone their sculpting skills while making one. They make...
Curated OER
This Ain't No Tea Party!
Create food-safe bowls with your class, then organize a meal for the community using the class's bowls to serve. This lesson is based on the Empty Bowels Project, where school kids gain an understanding of global hunger through community...
Curated OER
Making a Chiminea
A chiminea is an outdoor fireplace usually made from terracotta. Your class will make miniature versions of this useful heating device to practice specific sculpting techniques. This instructional activity spans four days. It includes...
Curated OER
Mini Masks: Ceramics
Masks have been used for many reasons throughout human history. They are also great subjects for art projects! Included here are instructions, background information, and all the supplies needed to create mini masks in your class.
Curated OER
What Is Clay?
This resource could come in handy the next time you feel like teaching about clay. Basic sculpting techniques, vocabulary, and history of clay are outlined in this informative resource. Use prior to teaching an art project involving...
Curated OER
Who am I Mobile: Ceramics
A getting-to-know-you activity that is perfect for the beginning of the year! Kids craft their portrait out of clay, then make a mobile by dangling ceramic representations of things they love. This project builds self-awareness, motor...
Curated OER
Animal Self-portrait Mosaics: A Visual Arts Elective
Out-lined here is a two-week procedure that has the class creating ceramic animal tiles that are metaphorical representations of their own personalities. They discuss animal images found throughout history, what they mean, metaphor, and...
Curated OER
Pocket Full of Posies: Ceramics
After studying the plant or flower life cycle, have the class create a basket of flowers out of clay. They hone their ceramics skills while they push, pull, then paint clay to look like flowers they've seen in nature. There are several...
Curated OER
Lascaux Cave Art on Ceramic Stones
Here is a great way to incorporate art into your next unit on prehistoric people. The class makes stones out of ceramic clay and then creates paintings like those found in the Lascaux Caves in France. A video link, full day-by-day...
Curated OER
Camel Container: Ceramics
Play with clay while building finger dexterity and important sculpting techniques. Learners make camel containers while they practice throwing and molding clay. Fun camel facts make this an interdisciplinary art lesson.