Ceramics I Final Project: Sculptural Bank or Soap Bottle

Teacher: Kate Toensmeyer Location: Mason High School

Central Focus

Objectives

Ohio Academic Content

Standards
(High School
Intermediate)

Materials

Skills/Knowledge Prerequisites of the Lesson

Vocabulary Prerequisites of the Lesson

Planning:
Students will plan and execute designs for functional ceramic works
incorporating a sculptural component, evidencing excellent craft and a
cumulative understanding of the hand-building methods they have learned
throughout the semester.
- Students will apply the pinch, slab, and/or coil construction methods to
creating functional works with a major sculptural component.
- Students will voice their inspiration behind art-making.
- Students will evaluate low-fire glaze relationships in order to select at least
three different glazes for their piece.
- Students will design and construct works demonstrating excellent craft.
2PE Describe sources visual artists use to generate ideas for artworks.
2PR Make informed choices in the selection of materials and techniques as
they relate to solving a visual problem.
4PR Establish and apply appropriate levels of craftsmanship to complete
artworks.
2RE Apply assessment practices to revise and improve their artworks and to
document their learning.
3RE Expand the use of arts-specific vocabulary to define and describe
techniques and materials used to create works of art.
Sculptural Project Introductory Handout
Sculptural Project Introductory PowerPoint (See Instructional Materials)
Pinch Pot PowerPoint (See Instructional Materials)
Sculptural Project Reflection Sheet (See Assessment)
Red Earthenware
Class Tool Selection (knives, loop tools, ribbon tools, ribs, etc.)
Class Low-Fire Glaze Selection
Class kilns
Construction Paper/Scissors/Tar Paper (If incorporating slab construction)
As students final project, this lesson requires cumulative knowledge of the
pinch, coil, and slab construction methods. Students have also gained basic
understanding of ceramics craft throughout the semester, such as ribbing
uneven surfaces, blending cracks, applying glaze, etc.
Pinch Construction: Pressing, squeezing and pushing a ball of clay with
ones fingers to render a form.
Slab Construction: Creating a form through thin clay sheets, which are
then scored-and-slipped and attached.
Coil Construction: Creating a form through attached rolled snakes of
clay.
Score-and-Slip: To scratch hatch marks onto a clay forms, apply a clay
slurry, and attach the pieces together.
Texture: Surface treatment. Can be rendered through glaze or carving.
Appliqus: Pieces added to the body of a clay work through scoring-andslipping.

New Key Vocabulary

- Functional Ceramics: Designed to have a practical use.

- Sculptural Ceramics: Designed around an aesthetic or conceptual
intention rather than a practical use.
Potential Student
- Readdress all three hand-building methods to target potential problems in
the construction process.
Misunderstandings
- Students may use pinch, coil, and/or slab methods of construction. They do
not need to use all three.
- Students are using low-fire red earthenware clay, as opposed to the highfire brown stoneware they used for their last project.
- Low-fire glazes must be cone 05. These glazes are labeled and in a
separate area of the classroom.
- Functional and sculptural works are typically thought of as separate.
For this project, however, students will be creating a functional object that
looks like a sculpture.
- Go over the Sculptural Bank or Soap Bottle project introductory hand-out
to address project requirements as a class.
Differentiation and Learning Supports:
Gifted: Throughout the lesson, encourage students to explain their reasoning behind processes and
creative decisions. Encourage trying new methods, asking, What havent you done before? Ask students
about areas of improvement from previous projects and how they could incorporate those aspects in this
new work.
English-Language Learners: Visual supports for all written and/or spoken instruction; visual modeling
Speakers of English as a Second Language: Clarify or restate instruction; visual modeling and supports
Learning Disability: Visual supports; visual modeling; direct instruction when appropriate; clarify or
restate directions and instructions; break assignments down into smaller steps
Instructional Delivery Opening of Lesson:
Opening
Review pre-requisite
skills and
vocabulary
Articulate central
focus of lesson

Discuss relevance of
learning target with
students

Introduce the Sculptural Bank or Soap Bottle project through a PowerPoint.

Review the years construction methods and processes. Ask students to explain
the coil, pinch, and slab construction methods, reviewing any issues they faced
in earlier projects.
As one option for your final project, you will design functional ceramic works
that appear to be sculptural. You will be assessed for demonstrating excellent
craft and a cumulative understanding of the hand-building methods you have
learned throughout the semester.
Ceramic artists build upon these methods for all hand-built work.
Understanding these principles is imperative to creating ceramic art at a higher
level. To create higher-level ceramic work, it is also important that you can
voice your creative decisions to others.
Lesson Narrative:

Part 1 Planning
- Opening Introduce the Sculptural Bank or Soap Bottle project through a PowerPoint (See
Instructional Materials.)
- Review pre-requisite skills and vocabulary Review the years construction methods and processes.
Ask students to explain the coil, pinch, and slab construction methods, reviewing any issues they faced in
earlier projects.
- Articulate central focus of lesson Explain, As one option for your final project, you will design

functional ceramic works that appear to be sculptural. You will be assessed for demonstrating excellent
craft and a cumulative understanding of the hand-building methods you have learned throughout the
semester.
- Discuss relevance of learning target with students Ceramic artists build upon these methods for
all hand-built work. Understanding these principles is imperative to creating ceramic art at a higher
level. To create higher-level ceramic work, it is also important that you can voice your creative decisions
to others.
- Direct students to complete their planning worksheets, checking with Miss T. before they begin
construction.
- To complete their worksheets, students must sketch several different designs on paper. From those ten,
they will choose one to enlarge.
Part 2 Handbuilding
Briefly review the pinch, slab, and coil construction methods, directing students to Mrs. W.s online
videos as needed. Provide assistance as students work.
As students complete the construction of their main form, they will cover it with plastic until it reaches
the leather-hard state. They may then clean the form, add applications, and/or carve.
Part 3 Bisque Firing
When students finished pieces have dried to a bone-dry state, they will place their pieces on the cart to be
fired for the first time.
Part 4 Glazing and Glaze-Firing
Students will select at least three low-fire glazes to apply to their bisque pieces. They will then place their
work on the cart with a kiln ticket, indicating the clay type, the glazes used, and the appropriate cone
number.
Part 5 Reflection and Self-Assessment
Students will evaluate their finished work to complete the Sculptural Bank or Soap Bottle Reflection
Sheet (See Instructional Materials.)
Modeling
Review the pinch, coil, and slab construction methods, directing students to the
demonstration videos, as needed.
Model how to select cone 05 glazes and glaze a large piece.

Evaluative Criteria:
Craftsmanship
Design/ Originality
Minimum
Requirements
Glazing
Reflection

Assessment:
Performance Tasks:
Craftsmanship:
-Neat blending of seams, very stable.
-Stays together, attention to small details.
-Precision in construction, not lumpy.
-No dents, rough spots, cracks, or fingerprints.
Design/Originality:
-Pleasing design, bold idea or approach and has a sculptural component.
-Evident sense of balance Top/Bottom, Front/Back
-Design stands apart from others favorably
- Design considers slot and stopper hole.
Minimum Requirements:
- The bank stopper fits well, or overall form is functional.
- Stopper is recessed It does not protrude.
-Design elements utilized.
- Slot for coin is appropriate size or pump dispenser hole is proper size and
height (6 height on bottle) top flat for collar.

- Maximum size does not exceed 8 in any direction.

-Name or initials are clearly identified.
Glazing
-Glazing is even in appearance, not too thick or thin.
-Glaze is cleanly applied, not drippy on the sides or messy on the bottom of the
piece.
Reflection
-The reflection and self-assessment worksheet accompany the finished piece.
The reflection clearly states the inspiration and logic behind the piece. The selfevaluation is thorough and thoughtful.