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Submitted by: Marcia
Lavery - Lincoln Junior High, Skokie, Illinois
Unit: Ceramics - using ancient animal sculptures as inspiration
Lesson Plan: Clay Animal Sculptures
Grade Level: 6th-7th (adaptable for grades 3 thru 8)
See high school example below
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| Objectives:
1. Students will create a clay sculpture with realistic or imaginary
animal features.
2. Students will draw at least three preparatory sketches of ideas for
their sculpture and complete an "animal sculpture brainstorming"
worksheet.
3. Students will be able to identify at least two functions of Pre
Columbian animal sculptures and at least two symbolic reasons for the
animals depicted. Students will complete a "Pre Columbian Art
Criticism" worksheet.
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Materials:
Effigy images, clay, clay tools, plastic bags, boards, canvas cloth,
colored pencils, sketchbook paper,
Teacher Planning and Preparation:
Gather art postcards and images from the internet (at least five for each
table),
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| Vocabulary:
symbolize: stand for or represents something else
functional: can be used
slip: muddy, liquid clay used to attach two pieces
score: to make marks on the clay to attach two pieces
slab: a flat, rolled out piece of clay
coil: a rope of clay, rolled out with your fingers
kiln: used to heat the clay to make it permanent. It is over 2000
degrees hot!
firing: heating the clay to make it permanent.
sculpture: a three-dimensional work of art
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Resources:
Postcard book from the Art Institute of Chicago, images from the
Internet
Pre-Columbian
Ceramic Effigy
Cloth and
Clay
Pre-Columbian Worksheet
Brainstorming Worksheet
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| Instruction/Motivation:
Motivation: images of Pre Columbian animal sculptures. Students are
very interested in animal images. They love their pets, they love to see
wild, ferocious animals in zoos, and they like to create imaginary
creatures.
Student Pre-requisite: some prior experience working with clay is
recommended, but not necessary.
Instructional Methods: discussion, group discussion of the animal
images at their tables, demonstration, individual practice
Set Induction: When students come into the class, images of the
Pre-Columbian animal sculptures will be on their tables. Observe the
students casual discussions and encourage them to talk about the pictures
with the people at their table. Some of the remarks I have heard include:
"Wow! Look at this funny pig!" "It looks like a Chia
pet!" "What animal is this?" When the bell rings, tell
students "The pictures at your table are ancient sculptures, made in
Latin America. They used animals in their art, because animals were
important to them in their daily life, and they symbolized different
things. Today we will talk about these sculptures and later this week we
will make our own animal sculptures of animals that are important to
us."
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| Procedures:
Day One:
Read the paragraph about Pre Columbian art on the Animal Sculpture
worksheet. Tell students to look at the pictures on their table to answer
the questions on the sheet (See Student
Worksheet). After they finish this page, they can go on to the brainstorming
and planning worksheet. This is to help them get ideas for their own
animal sculpture. These two activities should take about 30 minutes. When
they finish, I have them draw a few more ideas for an animal sculpture in
their sketchbooks. Emphasize to the students that they can choose to
create a functional animal sculpture: an animal that is also a container.
Day Two:
Demonstrate two different methods for creating an animal sculpture. One
of these methods is to create two round bowl forms, using the pinch
method. Then, score the edges and apply slip to the rims of the bowls.
Attach the two bowls together. This creates a round body. Don't forget to
poke a hole with a paperclip or pin to allow air to escape. Then, add
animal features! The second method is to use coils to build the body. This
method works best for creating a vessel or container with animal parts.
Since I teach this project at the 7th grade level, the students already
have some experience working with hand building techniques. The
demonstration will last about 30 minutes. For the remaining 20 minutes,
the students had the opportunity to catch up on their assigned sketchbook
drawings. I also use the remaining time to talk with each student to
determine what animal they will be making, and what hand building
technique would work best to make their sculpture.
Day Three:
Explain clean up procedures and remind students how to wrap up their
"in-progress" clay sculptures. Student begin their clay
sculptures.
Day Four-Six:
Students continue working on their clay sculptures. Review construction
procedures - thick coils for legs etc. - Score and apply slip to attach.
Depending on how fast the students work, an additional day might be
needed to finish.
(Allow at least one week for drying and firing)
Day Seven and Eight:
Demonstrate glazing techniques. Allow students to decide if they want
to paint their sculptures with tempera paint or if they want to glaze
them. Allow two days for painting and glazing.
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Submitted by: Linda Erling-Baker, Archbishop Walsh Middle School
Ceramic Effigy - Lidded Vessels
Students make two pinch pots. A slab ring is fused to either the inside
of lid or the bowl shape to keep the lid from sliding.
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| Assessment/Evaluation:
Rubric: based on creativity, concept, work ethic, craftsmanship, and
glazing/painting
Quiz: include vocabulary words on final quiz
Worksheets and Sketches
Extensions:
Series: allow students to make more than one. For students who chose to
make something simple, like a tiny mouse, I required that they make a
series of these animals.
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Submitted by Linda Erling-Baker
Archbishop Walsh High School
High School Animal Effigy (for Story Pot Lesson)
This elephant vessel brings a smile - done by a non-art major (Art
Survey course). Linda doesn't remember the story the student
used. This could be a functional vessel with removable head - to be a
container of sorts. If this were to be made a sculpture, a hole would
need to be made in the belly and a hole between head and body. Forming
techniques could be two large pinch pots - or two molded bowl shapes
fused together. Head is a pinch pot. For a removable head (as a lid) a
slab ring would be added to fit inside opening. Thick coils form the
legs - slab ears.
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