Lesson/Project Description
This week students are taking on the role of a potter. Potters take material from the earth, like clay, and turn it into objects that can be used in everyday life. This week as potters, students will be working to build something from clay that explores function! Using clay, students will build a functional piece such as a bowl, plate, cup, mug, etc. that incorporates clay building techniques, as well as any techniques from past classes or that they want to experiment with, that is inspired by their favorite food or drink.
Essential Understandings
Key Concepts
Inspiration, Techniques, Transformation, Function
Skills
Pinching, Rolling, Slipping, Scoring
Art Focus
Creating a functional piece of pottery
Literary Focus
New Vocab: coil building, pinching, slab building, scoring, slipping, rolling, functional, nonfunctional
Literacy will be integrated with: discussion about clay and clay techniques, written discovery for the discovery board.
Documentation
At the very beginning of the entire class, the students joined around the circle at the center of the room. While in the circle, Joel and Lauren explained to them about the ideas of functional and non-functional art pieces. Asking the students questions such as "what function can we use clay to serve?" "Have you ever used a piece of art that serves a purpose?" and so on, we were able to get the students thinking about how everyday objects such as ceramic plates, bowls, and cups can actually be considered art. We also explained how someone has to design and build these objects which was going to be their job as a pottery artist on this day.
Before we could let the students dive into building cups, bowls, plates, mugs, etc. it was important to discuss the food that will go in them and how it can influence the piece itself. Using examples such as pig shaped plates for bacon or ham, avocado shaped bowls for guacamole, Tony the Tiger bowls for Frosted Flakes, and such, the students were able to see first hand how the food itself can have a big influence on the shape, size, and surface design of a clay piece. Once this was presented to the students it was time to explore the different clay building techniques. With all of the students gathered around the table at the back of the room, Lauren demonstrated how to coil build, pinch build, and slab build, while stressing the importance of scoring and slipping.
This week students are taking on the role of a potter. Potters take material from the earth, like clay, and turn it into objects that can be used in everyday life. This week as potters, students will be working to build something from clay that explores function! Using clay, students will build a functional piece such as a bowl, plate, cup, mug, etc. that incorporates clay building techniques, as well as any techniques from past classes or that they want to experiment with, that is inspired by their favorite food or drink.
Essential Understandings
- Artists use their inspiration and art techniques to transform materials
"I can use my inspirations and art techniques to change materials" - Artists transform materials to explore functional and nonfunctional art
"I can use materials to explore functional and nonfunctional art"
- Using their sketchbooks, SWBAT compose ideas for a clay eating/drinking object, that is inspired by their favorite food/drink, in detail (Blooms: Creating, Standard: Comprehend, GLE: Artists make choices that communicate ideas in works of art, Art Learning: Conceptual/Ideation/Personal Grounding)
- I can use my sketchbook to explore ideas for what I want my clay project to look like
- Using clay, SWBAT construct a functional 3-Dimensional clay object, used for eating/drinking and inspired by their favorite food/drink, with confidence (Blooms: Creating, Standard: Create, GLE: Use familiar symbols and basic media to identify and demonstrate characteristics and expressive ideas of art and design, Art Learning: Expressive Features and Characteristics of Art)
- I can create a 3-D clay object that is inspired by my favorite food/drink
Key Concepts
Inspiration, Techniques, Transformation, Function
Skills
Pinching, Rolling, Slipping, Scoring
Art Focus
Creating a functional piece of pottery
Literary Focus
New Vocab: coil building, pinching, slab building, scoring, slipping, rolling, functional, nonfunctional
Literacy will be integrated with: discussion about clay and clay techniques, written discovery for the discovery board.
Documentation
At the very beginning of the entire class, the students joined around the circle at the center of the room. While in the circle, Joel and Lauren explained to them about the ideas of functional and non-functional art pieces. Asking the students questions such as "what function can we use clay to serve?" "Have you ever used a piece of art that serves a purpose?" and so on, we were able to get the students thinking about how everyday objects such as ceramic plates, bowls, and cups can actually be considered art. We also explained how someone has to design and build these objects which was going to be their job as a pottery artist on this day.
Before we could let the students dive into building cups, bowls, plates, mugs, etc. it was important to discuss the food that will go in them and how it can influence the piece itself. Using examples such as pig shaped plates for bacon or ham, avocado shaped bowls for guacamole, Tony the Tiger bowls for Frosted Flakes, and such, the students were able to see first hand how the food itself can have a big influence on the shape, size, and surface design of a clay piece. Once this was presented to the students it was time to explore the different clay building techniques. With all of the students gathered around the table at the back of the room, Lauren demonstrated how to coil build, pinch build, and slab build, while stressing the importance of scoring and slipping.
Once the students understood the basic skills needed to build a functional clay piece, it was time to get to work, starting with the planning of their piece.
Each student began the process by writing out a list of their favorite foods and drinks. Once they had this list completed, each student narrowed their list down to one favorite food and one favorite drink. Some students kept their favorite foods/drinks broad such as fruits, vegetables, soda, etc. and some students were really detailed with it choosing foods/drinks such as chips and salsa, cream soda, rootbeer, bacon, and spider blood.
After the students had completed the list, and narrowed it down, they drew out multiple sketches for each item exploring the different shapes, designs, sizes, and pieces that could be made for each one. Then, they narrowed that down to one ultimately perfect idea and were ready to start building their bowl, cup, plate, or mug. Examples can be seen below:
Each student began the process by writing out a list of their favorite foods and drinks. Once they had this list completed, each student narrowed their list down to one favorite food and one favorite drink. Some students kept their favorite foods/drinks broad such as fruits, vegetables, soda, etc. and some students were really detailed with it choosing foods/drinks such as chips and salsa, cream soda, rootbeer, bacon, and spider blood.
After the students had completed the list, and narrowed it down, they drew out multiple sketches for each item exploring the different shapes, designs, sizes, and pieces that could be made for each one. Then, they narrowed that down to one ultimately perfect idea and were ready to start building their bowl, cup, plate, or mug. Examples can be seen below: