ART for 1170

Just out of the kiln, this years first batch of clay owls...stay tuned for more!

All three schools are finished with their owls. Seems like they go on forever but three schools and 200 4th graders takes a lot of time. For some crazy reason I had three grade levels in clay at the same time. The kilns were running non stop! Ha, I know better but I just love working with clay and it is a favorite of every student. I think it's because they get so much paper and pencil in class that they crave 3D stuff.

Our district has embraced a new approach in learning based on the Project Zero studies. There are several routines that are strongly connected to Visual Literacy.  My classes are 30 minutes long so it is very rare for me to have a chance to spend one of my entire class times on a routine so I held my breath hoping I wouldn't hear as the students left, "Hey we didn't make anything today" The owls were finished so I set them out, four on a table with a sheet of paper in front of each labeled, See, Think, Wonder. I started the class by having the students observe a mask on the projector and we practiced the routine in small groups, forming questions about the art work. Next, we discussed critique and what that means to critique or LOOK at another person's artwork. We talked about what words are helpful to an artists, what words are hurtful and what are vague.  The students then freely rotated among the tables to write on each piece of paper. The students were ver...

This lesson is a 4th grade favorite.  Since my classes are only 30 minutes we spend one week practicing with modeling clay then the next week we create the eyes, beak, wings,  and feet.  The third week I give each student a slab of clay and a PVC pipe. They cut an oval shape and then roll the top of one end over the PVC and attach their parts. I think you could use wooden dowels but the PVC makes it easier to slip the pipe out as the last step.  I also have clay stamps and pinecones for them to add texture.  Once we glaze I will add more pictures but I wanted to show the before steps now.

Thanks to Linda D. for this lesson. A few summers ago I scored dozens of PVC tubes at a garage sale that work perfectly for clay projects.  I give every student a small slab of clay. They place the PVC pipe about 3" from the top and roll the clay over the pipe.  Then they add eyes, beak, wings and feet.  When they are finished forming the students carefully pull out the pipe leaving a nice tube to feed yarn through for hanging.