Clay Castles: Janis' 6th Grade Class

For this lesson, students learned about the construction of castles in the Middle Ages and why they were made. We looked at different parts of the castle and what they were used for. Students were inspired by these designs, especially the castle tower.

To make their castle towers, students rolled out a large slab of clay, about the width of a pinky. Then, they used a template to cut out a triangular shape and notches on the top. This piece of clay was then rolled around a cardboard paper towel roll. After that, pieces could be added on like a door, window slits, a balcony, and anything else that the students wanted. To add color, students painted glaze onto their castles which also made the castles shiny after being fired. Some of the students also added on flags they made.

Animal Effigy Bowl: Krueger's 5th Grade Class

For this project, students experimented with clay and made an animal effigy bowl.

Before starting the project, students learned about different ancient cultures that made animal effigies. An animal effigy is an object that is made to look like an animal. The art in these ancient cultures was not only interesting to look at, but also functional. Some cultures made ceramic animal effigy bowls and used them for different purposes. Ancient cultures in Central America used their animal effigies for spiritual purposes and had a deep connection to nature and the animals that lived in their area. In ancient Egypt, they made animal effigies to resemble animal gods and goddesses, and they stored organs of dead people in them as part of the burial process.

Students could make their clay effigy look like any animal they wanted, and drew a sketch of their animal before making their pinch pot. To get some ideas before starting, students looked at pictures of animals, looked up animals and character traits associated with them, and brainstormed animals they thought were similar to themselves. 

They learned how to make a pinch pot out of clay, how to sculpt clay in different ways, and how to add texture to clay. They also learned about different properties of clay and important processes you need to do in order to have a successful clay sculpture. After firing the animal effigies in a kiln, the students painted them with watercolor paints and a layer of Mod Podge.

Book of Kells-Inspired Illuminated Letters: Krueger's 5th Grade Class

Around St. Patrick's Day in March, I wanted to teach students about the beautiful decorative lettering in the famous Book of Kells. In this ancient book, some of the letters are beautifully decorated, and today we call them "Illuminated Letters". The illuminated letters in the Book of Kells include figures of humans, animals, and mythical beasts together with Celtic knots and patterns in bright colors.

Students created their own illuminated letter, and use the first letter of their first name. I encouraged students to illustrate their letters with things that they like and with complex patterns too. Some students had a hard time thinking of a theme to use, and when that happened I encouraged them to think of things that start with that same letter. For example, my name is "Christina", so I made a design that had cats on it. Some students also just liked the complex designs in the old illuminated letters and wanted to make their own patterns.