Ocarina Tools follow-up

The tools work great!  I actually had some students succeed in making a whistle on their first try.   If you make clay whistles, definitely take the time to sand down some craft sticks for these easy to make tools.  They are real timesavers!  (my orginal post was 1/7/2013)

Can't

Found this on pinterest and had to share it.   I always tell my students that "Can't" is a bad word in the Art Room!

The march of the clay owls

 

Completed 2nd grade owls, drying in preparation for the kiln.

Wrapping your clay piece

Here is the poster I created to remind my students the steps to wrapping their clay projects for storage from week to week.

I'm making tools to create Ocarinas

My fifth grade students are beginning the making of ocarinas today.  I discovered a post on Ceramic Art that I will share with you here.  How to make an ocarina.  The tools are made with a simple craft stick with the end sanded to an angle.  Two sticks are used to create the blow hole for the whistle.  I gave it a try and the tools are very fast and efficient.  I'll let you know in a few weeks how it goes with the 5 th graders!

A project that impresses

            Sol LeWitt inspired 3D sculptures

This is one of my favorite projects and it morphed out of a project on color theory.  Each year I have my fourth grade students demonstrate an understanding of Primary, Secondary, Complementary and Analogous color schemes by creating pattern papers.   After visiting a Sol LeWitt exhibit at Mass MOCA a few summers ago, I integrated the works of Sol LeWitt into the lesson, sharing with the students LeWitts's ability to create amazing works of art with very

basic color combinations.  We study his transitional styles and talk about his integration of math into his work.  Lastly, we share the fact that LeWitt creates the ideas for his works but the process is actually completed by other people.  The students find that to be a very fascinating fact.  

Last year I decided to take the papers and use them to extend the lesson and the sculptures are the end produce.   The papers are cut into triangular shapes, I created tracers that are used by my students.  The triangles are traced on the back of their paper and then cut apart.   Using a wood stylist, the triangles are then rolled into paper beads or tubes.   The tubes are then   glued to form angles.  So we have transgressed back to a math connection with the project. Taking two of the tubes at a time, students glue them to form right angles, acute angles and isolates triangles.  Every connection must form an angle.   The angles are glued to a poster board base about

4 1/2 x 6".  The sculpture is built both up and out with the focus on angle.   Anything is acceptable as long as it forms an angle.  Here are a variety of the completed projects.

Let the Clay Projects Begin!

We've been back to school for three days and they have been so hectic!   Setting up to begin clay work takes a tremendous amount of prep time but I am finally ready to go.   Fourth and Fifth grades have begun to sketch their project ideas and break down their work into the shapes they will need to construct their clay projects.   Third graders are creating with slabs in a variety of ways.  In one school we are making big mouth fish that will demonstrate the food chain.   In the other school we are talking about Adobe houses. After our research, we will create the walls of our houses and begin construction next week.  Our second grade unit will focus on owls and will incorporate the use of pinch pots to create owls.  We reviewed visuals of the different types of owls this week and began pinch pots for the body.  First grade students listened to the story of "Dave the Potter" by Laban Carrick Hill.   Here is a website about Dave.  They also learned the history of Southern Ugly Jugs.   They will use pinch pots and coils to create a personal ugly cup.  Kinders are experiencing clay for the first time through pinching, coiling and compressing clay.   Here are photos of a few of their beginning pinch pot.  Very good for a first experience!  I especially was impressed by the one in the left photo, bottom right.



Wrapping up the clay for week to week storage

Holding the clay from week to week is most definitely the most challenging step in working with clay in elementary school.   Wrapping the clay to keep the moisture in must be efficient or a student's piece will be dry by week two.   I'm planning to create a step-by-step poster for my students to remind them of the process for wrapping and will post it here when completed.   We wrap in plastic bags, making sure to remove as much air as possible, twist the top of the bag closed and secure with a clothes pin.  The pins are labeled with the student's name, grade and day of the week they are in art class.  Here is a photo of my storage method, my interpretation of a holding box.  It works fairly well.

My Elmo Set-up
I recycled an old projector cart that was ready for the trash heap

I am also enjoying the availability of my Elmo Document Camera this year.   I purchased it last Spring after the clay unit so this is my first opportunity to demonstate with the camera.  I am already seeing students exhibiting a better understanding of processes due to the increase visability of demonstrations.  I purchased my unit myself and naturally could not invest in two units so I only have Elmo in one school.   I feel like an on-going test study of the effectiveness of the camera and without the camera by comparing the successes of the two schools where I work.   Elmo definitely increases my effectiveness.