Clay!

Well we finally made it! My school just had its first full five day week since before winter break! As promised I wanted to show a bit of the clay work that has been happening among all these shortened weeks. My fifth graders have been making Face Jugs. Here is a link to a PBS video we watched before we got started.  This art form originated with the slaves being brought over from Africa and really sparked some interesting discussions in my room. For the remainder of the hour I had the students sketch out his/her idea.

The following week we dove in. I demonstrated how we would be making the jugs by combining two pinch pots together and cutting a hole in the top for the jug opening. From there students could use any combination of methods to make the face for the jug; coils, slabs. . .

Now we have finally reached a point where all the jugs are complete and drying on the shelves, for which my hands are thankful. Being allergic to the clay and working with it for days on end are no fun for my dry, incredibly itchy hands! Anyways I hope to have them all fired and ready to glaze when we return from mid-winter break. That's right in another week my school has another break! Craziness. Here are a few jugs waiting to be fired.

Kindergarten has also been working on making clay fish which they just got to paint this week. I simply used liquid watercolors, much cheaper and much easier. The kids loved them and they always have such personality.