Adirondack Curriculum
Project -  Arts Forever Wild
NYS Content Area Standard
The Arts 1. Create, perform, participate in the arts; 2. Using arts
materials & resources
CDOS
ELA
Health, PE, Home & Careers
LOTE
MST
Social Studies
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Title: Adirondack Slab Bowls
Grade Level: Elementary Art
Author: Kathleen Neal, Ballston Spa CSD
Email: kabn@att.net
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Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X__ Natural History
___ Human History
_X__ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation & Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: How can natural
materials found during our nature walk at Adirondack Camp Chingachook
be used to create a clay bowl that reflects the "Adirondack
Experience"?
Challenge:
A.)Third
grade students visiting Camp Chingachook, Lake George were asked to
observe and collect natural elements that displayed interesting
textures and shapes. These would be used later in their art class to
create a clay slab project. Found elements included dried weeds,
pebbles, bark, pine needles, dried leaves, vines, and moss. These were
gathered during the "Mountain Nature Walk" and "Wetland and Stream
Observation."
B.) Art Class #1: Is clay a natural material? How can collected
materials be used to create a slab bowl? How does one create a clay
slab and form it into a bowl? How can we create decorative textures
using our found materials?
1.) Materials Needed:
- baseball size lump of clay
- clay board and clay tools
- water cups
- rolling pin
- river rocks and found nature textures
2.) Discussion and Demonstration:
A.) What are organic shapes and natural
materials?
B.) What is texture and how can you use
natural materials to texture clay?
C.) What are the methods used to hand form
clay (pinch, coil, slab)? What is a slab and how is it
created?
D.) How can we use a river rock to mold a slab
into a bowl? What is a coil?
3.) A.) Students hand form a ball of clay into a slab about 1/4 in.
Thick, finishing lightly with a rolling
pin.
B.) Clay is lightly draped over a rock to form
a bowl shape.
C.) Students roll a coil of clay to form a
"foot." The slab is "scored" and the coil foot is then joined
to the base
using a clay tool.
D.) When the form of the bowl is complete, the
students will use "natural materials" to
experiment
on scraps of
clay then decorate their bowls with textures and patterns.
E.) Bowls are gently lifted off of the rocks
and any rough edges are smoothed with a damp
sponge (allowing
the bowls to sit on rocks for 15 min. will keep the edges from
drooping). The
weight of the
bowl will level the foot of the pot as it dries.
F.) The completed bowl is fired.
C.) ART CLASS #2: What is glaze and what colors of glaze best represent
the colors of natural found elements?
1.) Materials:
- brushes
- water cups
- glazes in
natural colors
- paper towels
and sponges
2.) Students glaze all surfaces of the bowl
except the base. Water is used to brush the glaze
into
crevices. The
bowl is fired again.
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Quality Standards:
-
Clay slab should be uniform in thickness.
- The foot should be centered at the base of the bowl and be securely
joined.
- The textures from the natural materials should be aesthetic pleasing.
- The textures should not cut through the bowl.
- Glaze should be evenly applied so that all surface area is covered.
- The glaze color should reflect the colors of the natural materials.
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Adapted for the Adirondack
Curriculum Project from
the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC
©ACP 2002
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