The Ratner Montessori School Art Program

Forgive the lack of a blog post last week, we only had 2 days of art, so I felt the information would be a bit sparse. Now that the weather is not so fierce and the temperature is better for firing the kiln, I have started all the first round of greenware firings. This will take a couple of weeks as the kiln is small and the students worked on some larger pieces this year. We will begin glazing all the ceramic work after all the pieces are fired, so please be patient with the final stages of the clay unit. 

Greenware waiting to be fired

Kindergarten Art

The students created a medium sized bowl using the terracotta clay. They rolled several balls of clay and then flatted them on the clay table. The students learned how to score or scratch the clay, apply slip, which is like clay "glue" and attached all the discs together by overlapping them inside a bowl form. This is a great project to teach them several basic clay skills while creating a functional clay piece. After the greenware has been fired in the kiln, the students will glaze their bowls. The glaze I use is food and dishwasher safe, so the students are very excited to use their creations. 

We began our Chinese New Year Zodiac and will continue with the unit this week. I am also going to present paper making to the students so they will each make a sheet of paper and learn some about the history of China and the invention of paper. 

1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade Art

The clay work that was completed is dried and currently being fired in the kiln. The 1st and 2nd grade class finished their projects in two classes, the 3rd grade class needed one more class to build the Porifera for the lids to their vessels. There is always a push and pull with ceramics as to how much clean-up I do on the students work. It is difficult to not go through the functional cups or bowls and sponge out all the spots they missed on their final craftsmanship check. For a few years, I would smooth out the rough edges on cup rims or straighten out the shape of the bowl. I have stopped doing that so the students understand the importance of taking the time with the details of clay. It is difficult to have a crooked bowl shape or a rim that is too sharp to drink out of, but the next time the students create in clay, they remember to take care with the final boring steps of sponging and clean up! I will begin the glazing unit after all the greenware has been fired.

4th, 5th and 6th Grade Art

All the clay work has been completed in our unit and the students were very successful with each of the final stages of the clay build. The 4th and 5th grade students learned how to roll out an even slab of clay, add a texture to the surface, created a template to construct a cone and added elements to the cone base for their bobble head. The cone had to be even on the base so the bobble head could balance and had to have a smooth tip so the head could move. The students showed patience and a willingness to rework areas that needed more attention. I hope that all the heads for the sculptures will balance correctly so the heads move carefully on the cone bases. The smaller 6th grade class finished up their independent projects including personal totem poles and a large and hopefully functional teapot.

7th and 8th Grade Art 

The clay projects have all been completed and I am excited to see the end result of their work. The students showed a strong ability to try a new and unknown technique and were willing to experiment with different processes. The final forms, pouring pictures or lanterns show a strong level of craftsmanship and attention to the surface. Students that were not as successful with the rolling of the slabs and cutting out the templates seemed to understand why their sculptures were not working and adapted their work to complete a basic form. Other students had a clear understanding and were able to complete more complicated work. I appreciate the ability to adjust to all the various levels of skill (and sometimes interest) with each project at this age level and am glad that the majority of the art students are willing participants in each new process. 

The Ratner Montessori School Art Program

We are now two weeks into our clay unit and the students are all learning so much. I wanted to give every grade level the opportunity to just experience working with clay without having a set project to begin with. Honestly, in the past I just wanted the clay unit to pass as quickly as possible, so I jumped right into each project. I am trying a different approach this year and it seems to help the students understand the material more. I figured an extra week of mess and chaos in the art room would be tolerable if the students were able to understand the properties of clay better. I still do not love working with clay, but I am getting better with the level of maintenance and have a clearer system after 15 years of presenting clay. Wish me luck!

A Missouri  clay mine