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Ceramic Effigy Vessels
Submitted by: Linda Wood, St. John's Lower School, Houston, Texas
GRADE LEVEL: 3rd thru 6th (examples are 3rd grade)
UNIT: Ceramics
PROJECT: Effigy Vessels
School Web Site: St. John's Lower School (click Art Stories until you see Linda Woods)
Alternate Project: ceramic animals
 
Objectives:
The learner will
- Understand
a little about Pueblo native culture - respect for the land and nature. Develop
appreciation for Native American Pottery
- Exhibit problem solving skills- plan and
execute plan for effigy vessel with minimal assistance
- Understand ceramic vocabulary
- Construct a clay effigy vessel using a variety of hand building
techniques
- Demonstrate skill and craftsmanship in working with clay and
glazing
Materials:
Clay
canvas cloth
rolling pins
guide sticks (for slab rolling)
clay tools
slip dishes
glazes - brushe
Instructional
Resources:
Images
of Southwest Pottery, images of effigy vessels from other cultures,
examples of lidded vessels.
Vocabulary:
Slip, score, slab, pinch, coil, bisque, green-ware, bone
dry, glaze
Instruction/Motivation:
-
Present
examples of effigy vessels from the Pueblo culture and other
cultures. show a variety of vessels with lids
-
Demonstrate/review
wedging clay and forming techniques (student in Linda's classes made
pinch pot bird nests in 2nd grade). Review pinch and demonstrate
coil method.
-
Demonstrate
various ways to make an animal face, legs, ears etc. - Demonstrate
how to attach using slip.
-
Demonstrate
how to make a lid fit the vessel (add a ring to inside of lid)
-
Demonstrate
glazing technique.
Procedures:
Linda
allowed a lot of freedom in this project. A wide variety of
responses followed: menorahs, angels, lidded jars with animals on the
lids, animal bowls, etc.
- Make some sketches of ideas for vessel -
select one to construct. Plan methods of construction.
- Wedge
clay to remove air bubbles
- Make
base of bowl using pinch pot method - Add coils to make larger by
scoring and applying slip.
- Make
slab for lid (if desired) - make animal head, legs, ears using pinch
method. Use coil and pinch method to make animal to sit on lid.
Attach all pieces by scoring and applying slip. If head is a hollow
ball - be sure to put a hole in the body of the vessel to allow air
to escape.
- Make
a ring for the underside of the lid that will fit inside the bowl of
the vessel. Score and slip to underside of lid.
- Make
face for animal: to make a mouth and nose for animals like cats,
bears, lions, dogs, rabbits, etc . Pinch and roll four little balls
of clay. One goes where the nose will go, the two biggest ones
go directly below the nose, side by side, all three balls touching,
and the ball for the chin goes on the bottom, touching the two balls
for the cheeks. Just rub
the edges of the balls into the clay face, thereby only leaving the
line under the nose and down into an anchor shape to form the mouth.
- Sculpt eyes by placing a small ball on the face where you want the
eye to be, and then use a small coil above and below the eye for the
lids. Rub the outer edge of the coil into the head and cheek,
thereby only leaving the line next to the eye as the eyelid, while puffing up the lid a bit.
- Reinforce the legs by adding a small coil
underneath them where they join the body. Rub the little coil into
the leg and the body to make the legs stronger.
Alternate
Project: Ceramic Animals
-
Make
two pinch pots for body- Score and slip together - smooth seams.
Make small hole on bottom for air to escape
-
Make
pinch pot head - make hole in body where head is to attach. Score
and slip
-
Use
thick coils for legs - pinch slabs for ears. Score and slip into
place
-
Add
details for face - follow steps listed above.

Evaluation:
-
Did
student show an awareness of Pueblo Native American culture?
-
Did
student show initiative in planning an executing an original design?
-
Did
student demonstrate knowledge of forming techniques?
-
Did student demonstrate skill and craftsmanship in handling clay?
-
Did
student demonstrate skill in glazing
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