Pottery with 2nd Graders

I had the pleasure of teaching 2nd graders at Westside Elementary about clay.  I chose two projects to have the students complete in 5 one hour sessions.

During the first session I read the book The Pottery Place by Gail Gibbons which gave the students a great background on pottery.

We discussed vocabulary while I demonstrated how to use the clay.  The students spent this first session trying out the techniques they learned.

Vocabulary words:

slab

coil

pinch pot

impression

score

slip

stick

smooth

During our second session together the students created flower impressions tiles using pasta, ends of marker containers, screws, caps, and any other items I could find that made an interesting impression.

Our third session together the students learned about stages of pottery and began making coil pots.

I copied this poster from a post I found on Pinterest.  

Greenware

Bisqueware ready to glaze

Duncan Concepts glaze

During our 4th and 5th sessions, the students glazed their finished pieces.

Aprons

I was looking for apron ideas for the Made in Mosier fundraiser for the Mosier School.  I settled on two techniques: ZenTangle and faux batik.

The Zantangle aprons were designed with ultra fine tip Sharpies and colored in with colored Sharpies and fabric markers.

I used Elmers Gel Glue to create the image for a faux batik look.  Once the glue dried overnight, I used acrylic paint to add color.

To remove the gel glue, soak the aprons in a sink full of water.  You may need to agitate the fabric in order to remove all the remaining glue.