Clay Flower

Description: Students learned about the different methods of how to use clay as an art medium. They learned about the wedging process, score and slip, coils, slabs, and how to cut out shapes. Make sure that with wedging you use canvas or a surface that absorbs a lot of water otherwise it will stick to the table. There are lots and lots of videos that you can find on YouTube for a visual demonstration of clay techniques. With this new knowledge of how to use clay, the students made flowers using a bowl to let it dry into a 3D shape as opposed to a flat one. Make sure to tap the bottom of the bowl so that the clay flower sinks to the bottom of the bowl. After they dry overnight, they students had the option to paint their flowers with acrylic paint. Note: this is NOT food safe, make sure you let students (and parents) know. 

Extension Activity: This would be a great activity to go along with teaching students about bees and pollination. Painting the flowers bright colors to attract bees just like real flowers do. You can even teach the different parts that make up a flower and their function so students can make those details as opposed to a generic flower shape.