LESSON PLAN – Lesson 2 (January 22, 2019, January 25, 2019)
Title: Clay Creatures
Grade Level: 2
Date Taught: January 22, 2019, January 25, 2019
Aim/Goal of the Lesson/Unit:
What is the purpose of the lesson/unit?
o Develop basic skills necessary to create clay artwork
o Create physical manifestations of emotions through imaginary figures
Fine Arts Goals Met by the Objectives:
VA:Cr2.1.2a – Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of
art or design
VA:Cr2.2.2a – Demonstrate safe procedures for using and cleaning art tools, equipment, and studio
spaces
VA:Re8.1.2a – Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant
subject matter and characteristics of form
Objectives: Students will…
Students will….
o Demonstrate a clear understanding of the basic skills and procedures necessary in clay-building
o Make one pinch pot monster with an emotion
o Use the score and slip technique to add facial features to their pinch pot
Vocabulary/language:
Wedging: To push and press on clay to expel all air bubbles trapped in the clay
Score: To scratch hatch marks on the clay as part of joining clay pieces together
Slip: Clay particles broken down in water
Pinching: Manually pinching and manipulating a mass of clay into a desired shape
Pinch Pot: A ceramic pot created by pinching the clay into a desired shape
Kiln: A device used in ceramics to fire ceramic artwork
Students will learn and use this vocabulary through the teacher demonstration. The teacher will go through a
step-by-step demonstration. Students will use this vocabulary when reviewing the demonstration and
throughout the work session.
Teacher Materials:
Demo materials:
o 1 (1/4 lb.) ball of clay
o 1 bowl of slip
o 1 plastic fork
o 1 canvas placemat
o 1 toothbrush
o 1 clay shaper tool
o Projector
Teacher made exemplar
Presentation materials
o PowerPoint
Learner Materials:
23 canvas placemats
23 (1/4 lb.) balls of clay
6 bowls of slip (one bowl per group of 4 students)
6 bowls for toothbrushes, forks, and clay shaper tools (one bowl per group of 4 students)
Page 1 of 4 Lesson Plan Template
LESSON PLAN – Lesson 2 (January 22, 2019, January 25, 2019)
Title: Clay Creatures
6 toothbrushes (one toothbrush per group of 4 students)
6 forks (one fork per group of 4 students)
23 clay shaper tools
12 damp washcloths (2 per group of 4 students)
Sketchbooks (if needed)
Motivation/Activities and Prompts:
Visual examples of student and artist work will be presented at the beginning of class through a
PowerPoint on the projector
Prompt for the class period will be displayed on the board
Procedures:
DAY 1:
DISCUSSION: (3 minutes)
o Introduce what students will be working on during the class period:
Learn clay-building techniques/process
Experiment and practice working with clay
DEMONSTRATIONS: (7 minutes)
o Remind students that their clay should stay either on their canvas placemat or in their hands
o These are the techniques we will be using on this projects:
Wedge clay
Have students imitate hand motions of wedging
Pinch the ball of clay to make a pinch pot
Have students imitate hand motions of pinching
Use a fork to score pinch pot
Use toothbrush to apply slip
Attach small piece of clay to pinch pot
o Show teacher made exemplar
DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (20 minutes)
o Students will be called by table to each receive ball of clay and return to their seats
o Students will practice techniques and process discussed
Wedge clay
Make pinch pot
Use score and slip method to attach small piece of clay to pinch pot
o Directions will be projected on the screen for students to refer to if they do not remember what
to do next
o If students have completed this exercise they may:
Practice again
Experiment with the clay to explore other techniques (e.g. adding texture, attaching
pieces of different shapes, manipulating the form of the pinch pot, etc.)
o The teacher will give a 5 minute warning for the end of the work session
o The teacher will give a 1 minute warning for the end of the work session
CLEAN UP: (8 minutes)
o All students will put their clay-shaping tools, toothbrushes, and forks back in the bowl at their
table
o Cleaning jobs will be split into different tasks for each person at their table:
One person from each table will collect all of the clay at their table and put it in the
scrap bucket
One person from each table will stack the canvas placemats in one pile at their table
One person from each table will grab 2 damp washcloths
The student will use one washcloth to wipe any clay off their table
Page 2 of 4 Lesson Plan Template
LESSON PLAN – Lesson 2 (January 22, 2019, January 25, 2019)
Title: Clay Creatures
One person will take the other damp washcloth, wipe their hands clean, and pass the
washcloth to the next person at their table until everyone has cleaned their hands
o
CLOSURE: (2 minutes)
o Remind students that the next time they come to art, they will make their clay monsters. Explain
that they will review this process next time; however, at this point, they should have a general
sense of the process of how to make their monster out of clay
DAY 2:
DISCUSSION: (4 minutes)
o Review the different steps with the students
Examples:
Can anyone remind me of what I need to do first with my ball of clay before
making my pinch pot?
What motion does our hand make to wedge clay?
How do you attach a piece of clay to your pinch pot?
o Remind students to look at the board if they are not sure what to do next. If they are still stuck,
they can their peers and the teacher.
DEMONSTRATIONS: (2 minutes)
o Show teacher made exemplar
o Show student examples
o The prompt and directions will be on the board for students if they need help
DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (25 minutes)
o For the rest of class until clean up, students will make their clay monsters
o Students may refer to their sketchbooks if desired
o Students will be called by table to each receive ball of clay and return to their seats
o I will tell students that in the middle of class, I will go around and label each student’s piece
o Teacher will walk around and answer questions
o Teacher will walk around the classroom to help students who may need extra guidance
o After 12 minutes of work time, I will announce that I am labeling work
I will go around each table and label each student’s project
o Students may continue working until clean up
CLEAN UP: (8 minutes)
o Teacher will come around and collect all clay monsters
o All students will put their clay-shaping tools, toothbrushes, and forks back in the bowl at their
table
o Cleaning jobs will be split into different tasks for each person at their table:
One person from each table will collect all of the scrap clay at their table and put it in
the scrap bucket
One person from each table will stack the canvas placemats in one pile at their table
One person from each table will grab 2 damp washcloths
The student will use one washcloth to wipe any clay off their table
One person will take the other damp washcloth, wipe their hands clean, and pass the
washcloth to the next person at their table until everyone has cleaned their hands
CLOSURE: (1 minute)
o Your clay monsters will be set out to dry and will be placed in the kiln to be fired
o When we come back together as a class, you will paint your monsters
o If there were details you did not get a chance to add today, you may paint those details on next
time
Assessment:
Page 3 of 4 Lesson Plan Template
LESSON PLAN – Lesson 2 (January 22, 2019, January 25, 2019)
Title: Clay Creatures
DAY 1 – Informal Assessment:
Students will be assessed using the following criteria. Students must fulfill these requirements in order to
receive the full points for the activity.
____ Followed directions
____ Gave full attention to teacher during instruction
____ Showed respect for materials and workspace
____ Created one pinch pot
____ Followed clean up instructions
DAY 2
The rubric for this activity can be found in assessments.
Timetables:
Time allotted for lesson (80 minutes total):
Activity Minutes
DAY 1
Discussion 3 mins.
Demonstrations 7 mins.
Design/Work Session 20 mins.
Clean-up 8 mins.
Closure 2 mins.
DAY 2
Discussion 4 mins.
Demonstrations 2 mins.
Design/Work Session 25 mins.
Clean-up 8 mins.
Closure 1 min.
Page 4 of 4 Lesson Plan Template
