Ceramics/Lesson plans

Lesson plan for ceramics-slab construction

Unit: ceramics-slab construction Lesson: personalized clay bank-tennis ball-shaped banks Grade level: middle school

Lesson objective:
 * Student search internet images for inspiring themes for their claywork
 * Students learn how to personalize their claywork
 * Student will learn sculpting techniques
 * Student will learn how to assemble and glaze a recognizable figure from a slab of clay
 * Student will learn how to roll out clay to then be formed around a tennis ball to create a clay sphere for the base shape of the clay bank
 * Student will learn how their creativity can be used to create a functional sculptural object

Materials
 * Clay
 * Clay tools
 * Practice paper
 * Rolling pins
 * Guide sticks
 * Tennis balls
 * Glazes/under glazes

Motivation
 * 1) Show student examples of contempary ceramic slab construction
 * 2) Review forming techniques. Demonstrate slab construction and use of the tennis ball
 * 3) Show students how to draw up their design plans for clay bank construction

Construction
 * 1) Make thumbnail sketches of the ideas for bank. Select one to use for construction. Make template for base actual size.
 * 2) Decide the size the bank is going to be.
 * 3) Assemble slab. Wrap clay around a dry tennis ball and roll it on a smooth surface until it is as smooth.
 * 4) Cut tennis ball out of rolled slab and remove. Stuff two halves of clay with crinkled news print and seal halves together and blend until smooth.
 * 5) Using the designed pattern sheet, form the various parts of the themed bank. Using scoring techniques and slip to join appendages. Add clay features to resemble the sketched model.
 * 6) Use an xacto knife to cut out a coin slot for the bank to have functionality.
 * 7) When bank is completed, set out to dry for atleast a week.
 * 8) Biske fire
 * 9) Glaze with desired colors, remebering to use three coats of glaze to insure uniform coverage

Vocabulary needed:
 * Modeling: to plan or form after a pattern
 * Slab Construction: A build term referring to construction placed on a slab as its foundation.
 * Slip: potter's clay that is thinned and used for coating or decorating ceramics
 * Score: a slight surface cut used to join clay