1st Grade: Strawberry Pinch Pots

I found shallow paper strawberry containers at a reduce/reuse art materials place.  I thought they might be the perfect thing to inspire small strawberry clay pinch pots.  I had the students break their clay in half, and then break each of those halves in half (bringing in the idea of fractions Whole,  1/2, and 1/4).  We did not write names on them, but created them "factory" style...where everyone was making strawberry pinch pots, and you knew you would get four back to paint & take home.  We started by creating small pinch pots, and then pinched the outside to make it into a strawberry shape(I had picture references up on the board).  After firing, students painted them with tempera & took them home the same day!  The kids loved the project, and I heard from many teachers & parents that they too loved the project. 

Clay With Large Class Sizes

 Class sizes have been an issue this year.  I know that others have it worse, but a large class size is a large class size.  Students do better in smaller classes...FACT!  We have four 2nd grade classes all at 25 students each.  We have four 4th grade classes now(as of a week ago), but my special area team voted to keep the old schedule to avoid having a split planning time(I did not vote to keep the old schedule), and have the three 4th grade classes at 31, 31, and 29 come to specials.  It is a struggle to restructure lessons and manage supplies when classes are large.  Just 5 to 10 more students than "normal" can really through the balance of a class off.  I have managed to do the coil pot lesson with 2nd grade, but there is more of a "rush" on my end of things in prepping for before class & firing.  I also feel like my flying through clay!!! How do you all handle large class sizes?  What are your biggest classes?(I'm coming at this from an elementary perspective.) 

Coil Pot Hack

If you don't follow me on Tik Tok...find me at @ArtWithMrE !

I use terracotta flower pots for my students to create their coil pots in.  It gives structure to the sides as they are building upwards.  I was having so many students not able to control the amount of pressure they were using.  This would cause their pots to become more like plates.  This prevents that!! Plus, it speeds up the drying process. 

The students will build their pot up toward the top (depending on how much clay you provide them. You may have some students make "cookies" and stack them.  

You can tape the bottom of the terracotta pot to keep this from happening, but if you catch it the next day...it is super easy to cut off with a clay tool!

POOF! GONE! ha ha  This is also a great time to knock down any sharp edges the pot might have around the lip.

Carve the student's name into the bottom while the clay is still leather hard(next morning). 

You could use a sharpened pencil, but I love this handy dandy nut picker thingie(I have no idea what it is actually called. I just know we used it to get the nut out of the shell growing up! ha ha).

 

Dollar Tree Find!!!

 

MIddle TN Region TAEA PD

‪(This is not in conjunction with the Art With Mr.E Workshop at the end of the month....but I like to promote our professional organization's events!!)

Looking for a fun workshop?! June 18th at the Clay Lady's Campus!!  This is put on by the Middle TN Region of TAEA, but you don't have to be a member to join in on the PD(but it is cheaper!). #middletnarted #arted #nashvilleart #tnarted ‬

Clay Project: 4th Grade

II tried something different with my 4th grade clay project this year.  I left it very open ended.  I gave them a lid to work on (which gave them a basic size requirement), and asked them to use addition, subtraction, coil, and texture.  This gave them an opportunity to apply the skills we've worked on K-3rd.  I loved seeing the variety in their work. 

They used tempera cakes to paint their clay after it was fired. 

BRAIN BOWLS

This year I've changed how I'm doing 2nd grade's Coil Pots.  We are still learning how to create coils.  We are still learning how to join clay properly.  However, we're creating clay coil spirals, and then joining them side by side inside a bowl (PLEASE NOTE: If you are using plastic bowls..place a paper towel in the bowl so that the clay does not stick and ruin a whole class worth of bowls!  Not that I would know from experience or anything!??!?!)  

I sat one of my 2nd grade examples on top of one of my 4th grade examples....and the "BRAIN BOWL" was born!  The kids named it...I just was trying to make room on my demo table! ha ha

LINE THE BOWL WITH PAPER TOWEL!!!!!!!

 LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!!!!

The inside of the bowl is smooth, and the coily goodness can be seen beautifully on the outside!

At the end of class students brought me their unused clay.  However, some was too dry to put back in with the "good" clay.  I don't have an area to wedge and such...so usually too dry clay goes in the trash.  I decided to use their too dry clay to make this little turtle! 

CLAY IS IN THE AIR...

NO...LITERALLY!  CLAY IS IN THE AIR!
This week my 2nd & 4th graders are both creating clay projects. As much as we try to clean up after ourselves...clay is just one of those materials that sticks with ya(kind of like glitter...but with less hatred from the art ed community..ha ha ha). I've noticed my students "gliding" across the floor because the clay dust has made the tiles extra slippery.

I walked into my classroom today, and literally could "taste" the clay.  My mouth became dry....I could feel a film of sorts on my eyes(they are a large surface).  The clay is actually in the air!!!!  I've been drinking a ton of tea & water trying to quench my thirst and room that chalky taste from my mouth...but my guess is it will take a few weeks!!! 

Trying Something New: 4th Grade/Clay

I'm not a person that likes to do the same old projects the same old ways!  I love reinventing projects or trying something completely new.  After teaching for 20+ yrs....I would be so board if I didn't!!  

So I'm venturing into new territory.  After seeing several videos of ceramic artists that create expressive faces on their thrown vessels...I decided I'd try adapting it to the elementary art room.  

First off....we don't have wheels to throw on!  So I had to come up with an idea for a vessel.  I decided we'd do a slump pot/cup.  I also do not have a slap roller...so I'd have to get my students to make their slab to slump! ha ha  

I had the students place an open napkin over the bottom of an upside down water cup(I use short fat tumbler cups from the dollar store) for their surface to slump over.  After placing the slap over the bottom of the cup...they had to located the largest flat surface to create their face on. 

One of the fun challenges of this project is that they had to create the face upside down!! I've only had one student forget to do this so far.  They could make a person, monster, animal...whatever they wanted to create with an expressive face.  

We talked about addition, subtraction, texture, coil...and all the techniques we've covered since kindergarten.....and how they could apply them in this work!  

CAN'T WAIT TO FIRE THEM & HAVE THE STUDENTS PAINT THEM!!

EXTRA EXCITING CLAY DAY: 2nd Grade

With the number of classes I see & the budget I receive....I'm able to do one clay project per grade level a year.  So needless to say....clay projects are special & exciting! 

But today was a bit more exciting than a "normal" clay day.

I gathered my students back to the demo area where I have a brand new box of clay.  I wanted to show them the weight of it & how it comes to me.  So as I'm explaining how heavy it is & how they ship it....I'm opening the box.  As I lift the flap of the box...the BIGGEST, FATTEST, UGLIEST cockroach jumps out of the box!  The kids let out a collective high pitched scream & jump back from the table.  I didn't scream(really...I didn't)...but I did jump back!  The cockroach must have been scared because it scurried back into the box.  I flipped the box over to get him out...and found another one squeeshed to the side of one of the bags of clay.  I did gag a little at the site of legs and guts everywhere!  Oh my. What a way to kick off clay!! 

Pinch Pots: Going Buggy

I'm doing a bug unit with my first graders...so we turned our pinch pots into crazy little bugs.  What kind of bug...I'm not really sure, but they sure are cute!!!  

I'm really focusing on the kids attaching well with their clay. I want to build a good clay foundation so when they get to middle/high school and have art...they will have a working knowledge of terminology and techniques.  

Takin' a Dip...

Here is a quick video to show you how we handle the "finishing" of the clay faces.  Years ago I went to a conference....and a professional clay artist gave us "permission" not to feel bad about not glazing in our elementary art rooms.  He said there are other options that are more time & cost effective.  The reality that when we do a clay project there will be over a hundred of that project makes glazing a bit daunting. This is just one way we finish our pieces in my art room.  The kids love it & it looks great.

More Clay Faces...

I'm loving the clay faces my 3rd graders created.  I hope you all don't mind me posting more of them(and I probably will do yet another post of them in a couple days as we finish them all up!!).

For those who didn't see my earlier post.....

My students used construction paper crayons on bisque fired clay.  We then dipped them in a bath of water downed black tempera & black acrylic. I don't have a ratio...sorry.  I just used a test piece to make sure it wasn't too grey.  

2nd Grade Coil Pots: Completed

My 2nd Grade students are completing their coil pots this week.  I'm really loving how they look this year.   I do not glaze(no hood/vent & kiln in my room)...so I'm having them use watercolor on bisque clay.  Then I put a coat of tempera varnish on top to give it some shine & to protect the paint.  Some years I use acrylic or metallic acrylic.