4th Grade- Coil Bowls

4th graders created coil bowl. I like to call these brain bowl because the outside of the bowl as raised edges and spiraling lines much like how a brain looks.

We started by creating coils- about 10 each. It didn't matter the length- if one broke they kept it.

Each student then received a glass bowl lined with plastic wrap (this allows the clay to be removed from the bowl without sticking). Students placed the coils inside the bowl. They could do different patterns such as spirals, zigzag, or even parallel lines. Once the bowl was filled with coils, we put little clay balls in the openings to "plug up" and spot where liquid might leak through. Lastly, we smoothed out the inside of the bowl by smearing the coils. 

I allowed the clay to dry for a few hours before removing it from the glass bowl and added students names to the bottom using a needle tool.

Students then glazed their bowls the rolling class. 

5th Grade- Oaxacan Sculptures

5th graders learned about abstract sculptures while focusing on Wooden Oaxacan Sculptures. We glued pieces of wood together and painted them using bright colors with details and designs 

4th Grade Plaster Masks

This is honestly one of the toughest projects of the year but it is so much fun and they turn out great. 4th graders learn about masks from many different cultures and creat their own using plaster. 

Day 1- we watch a video about masks from many different cultures and then plan out what our masks will look like.

Day 2- we cover our mask mold in plaster. 2-3 layers. We need to think about the openings on our masks and make sure not to cover them because the plaster cannot be removed later.

Day 3- additives. We add things to our masks such as horns, ears, muzzles, spikes, etc. using tin foil and covering it with plaster.

Day 4- paint

Day 5- finish painting and hot glue any extra details.

3rd grade- 3-D Dragons

3rd graders made three dimensional dragons. They really enjoyed his project. It took 3 classes total. One to color he head and tail, one for the body, and day 3 to assemble everything. 

3rd Grade-Public Sculpture

3rd graders learned about Public Sculpture and created their own models of a public sculpture that they would like to produce. Students created the sculptures based on a theme: to honor a person or event, to share an idea, or to entertain. Students made sure to create a background that corresponds to their sculpture.

1st Grade- Clay Owls

1st graders made clay owls. We. Constructed these from a circle slab of clay. We added texture to the belly, folded in the wings, folded the head down over a pencil to create a passage for the pipe cleaner, added the eyes using the bottom of a marker, and lastly, pinch the clay for the ears.

After the clay was fired we painted them with watercolors and added the pipe cleaner. 

Kindergarten- Pinch Pots with Lids

I always do pinch pots with kindergarten bit it seems like a short lesson. This year, we created pinch pots with lids and used stamps to create designs on the lids. After the pinch pots were fired we painted them using watercolors.

5th Grade- Color Theory Guitar

5th graders created awesome guitars using their knowledge of color theory. The body of the guitar represents the color wheel and complementary colors, the neck shows the value scale in paint, and the head shows monochromatic colors using tints and shades.