Curated OER
Soil Testing
Earth science learners experiment with the water-holding properties of sand, pebbles, and clay. They apply their findings to the building of a well. This activity is engaging and tactile, and it demonstrates the importance of considering...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Soil
Seven superb slides sharpen science students' scoop on soil. In viewing them and reading the accompanying captions, your class will uncover the importance, different types, horizons, and protection of soil. They can then assess their new...
Curated OER
Learning from the past: Ancient Mosaics
Budding artists study the history and significance behind ancient mosaics and mosaic murals. They study multiple examples of ancient mosaics, sketch a design, and use clay tiles to create thoughtful mosaics of their own.
Curated OER
Sand Shakes & Mud Pies: Investigating Sediment
Take a field trip to a location where water and land meet to study patterns of sediment organization in wet habitats: river or ocean beaches, sand dunes, tidal marshes, the edge of a pond, or a woodland stream. Small groups collect pairs...
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
Mini Meals
Learners discuss what makes a healthy and balanced meal, and then they make them out of clay. They use hand building techniques, radial design, and their knowledge of healthy foods to create unique mini-sized meals for a wall display.
Curated OER
Coil Pots
Children learn by doing. Here, they discuss cultural uses of containers, coil and slab techniques, functional aesthetics, and the principles of art and design. The entire process for making a coil pot is fully described here to make the...
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.
Curated OER
Clay Heads
Sculpting can be a rewarding way to accent a lesson plan in any subject. This project requires learners to design and sculpt a head out of clay. The entire process is outlined in this resource; including photos and suggested materials....
Curated OER
Clay Wipe Away: Ceramics
Discuss Pre-Colombian South American art with your class, then get out the clay and create some. Pupils practice using the wipe-away technique to create a ceramic tile similar to those made by the Maya. Great web links and a...
Curated OER
Cast Handmade Paper
Upper graders make cast handmade paper. This is another beautifully-designed art lesson from this source which will produce fabulous results. The process behind the paper making is relatively simple. The challenge is securing all of the...
Curated OER
Mosaic Tiles
Elementary schoolers create a mosaic project. This simple art lesson produces big results! The tile mosaics are beautiful, and will be cherished by the young artists who create them, and their parents. These are the kind of projects that...
Curated OER
Figuratively Speaking
Students create 8 inch, or bigger, clay sculptures of the human form in this Art lesson introducing clay sculpting techniques. The works of artists studied in preparation include Henry Moore, Michelangelo, Degas, Rodin and John Quincy...
Curated OER
Paper Clay Leaves
Using real leaves to imprint clay, your class will see a natural effect on their individual projects. This is a fabulous way to study leaf anatomy in science. Or, you can focus on mixing colors to recreate the original. These leaves can...
Curated OER
Environmental Requirements
All aspects of soil and its components are reviewed here. Your class will learn how certain organisms help the quality of the earth and support growth. Different ways to enhance the chemical make-up are described and will be valuable...
Curated OER
Texture Tiles
Students explore teh use of texture. After compiling a list of descriptive words for various textures, students use modeling clay and tools to create a tile to demonstrate one of the textures from their list.
Curated OER
Talk With the Presidents
Students create a model of a president. After choosing a president they would like to learn more about, students research their president's life and work. Students use modeling clay to create finger puppet of their president and use...
Curated OER
Pretend Porcelain
Young scholars research the invention and decoration of Chinese porcelain. They strengthen their fine-motor skills by working with clay. Students sculpt and decorate replicas of Chinese porcelain shapes and patterns. They are asked what...
Curated OER
Musical Role Models
Students identify instruments and their sounds and use them to model their own orchestra. After choosing an instrument to investigate further, they research to become familiar with the sound of the instrument, how the sound is created,...
Curated OER
Impressive Impressions
Students in a special education classroom examine the various types of molds made by natives. As a class, they brainstorm a list of the types of molds that are made today by different processes. They are given an amount of clay in which...
Curated OER
Diversity Tiles
Students examine various cultures and create a classroom quilt. They discuss family traditions and their heritage. Using Crayola Model Magic, students create a tile and decorate it with their favorite family traditions. Class tiles are...
Curated OER
Chapter 3 ~ Physical Properties of Soil
Though information-packed, this presentation on soil is drab if it stands alone. As you journey through slides about soil texture, make sure to pass around samples of each type. Perform demonstrations as you lecture on soil density and...
Curated OER
Clay Gargoyles and Grotesques
Grotesques or gargoyles are wonderful subjects for stories or art projects. Here is a simple "how to" for creating a lesson about sculpting clay gargoyles. Tip: Have learners research gargoyles throughout history.
Curated OER
Crazy Clay
Students complete an Internet scavenger hunt to observe some background information on clay animation. They read the question on the web site and then click on the link to discover the answer. Then they create their own clay animation...