5th graders got the chance to work with clay this week! We don’t have the ability to fire clay in a kiln, so we are using air dry clay, but I think the results will still be great and the kids will get to experience some different 3D techniques than what we have done in the past. I started the lesson by showing kids some Egyptian pottery. I like the Egyptian work because of the history behind how they obtained their clay… from the banks of the Nile River! Ancient Egyptians used to line woven baskets in the clay mud from the river so that baskets could hold water for transport. Then the water was poured out, the clay would dry, separate from the basket, and retain it’s shape after laying out in the hot Egyptian sun. We also watched a video about some of the various tools ancient Egyptians might have used – click here! Lastly, we talked about some methods for forming the pottery, such as the coil method or the pinch pot method, and ways in which the Egyptians would decorate their pottery with lines, patterns and geometric designs. Here are a few examples:
To get started with their own pottery, students first chose which method to use – pinch pot or coil. After they formed their pots, they were able to decorate them with designs and patters. They used toothpicks to draw lines and shapes, and also stamped their pots with legos which created interesting geometric patterns. I showed the kids how to use a little water on their fingers to smooth out the clay, and they also used pop sickle sticks for this. Here are a few of the works in progress… as we get further along in the project I will upload more images!
Visual Arts 