Making the Clay Project
You will need 1 hour of time at the beginning of the month for your class to make the “green ware” project. The Spring clay classes may have mid-month to mid month due to testing and room schedules.
If this is a new project for you, make a sample so you can better understand the process of the project. You can usually make a sample in 5 – 15 minutes on your own! This can help you understand the project and how you can best teach and explain it to the students. It is also a good idea to have a few extra pots or clay pieces (depending on the grades’ project) in case of breakage or some other problem with one of the kids’ projects.
During Class time, do a demonstration in front of the kids. Some grade levels you will demonstrate the entire project, other grades you can demonstrate part of the project. There are often different steps they will be learning each year with the project that you will specifically have to teach them. Sometimes it is as basic as cutting the clay and going over how thick or thin you should roll the clay. Other grades will need to learn to score the clay and use slip as a means to attach one part to another. Even if a clay project has a technique the kids have previously used, it is best to review it. For some of your demonstrations you can have phases of the project completed in advance to show them. If you complete these phases of the project soon before the class comes in the clay will be moist enough to use as a sample.
First “Green Ware” Firing (Clay & Grade Level Coordinators ONLY)
When the clay “green ware” project has completely dried (about 7-10 days ), fire them in the kiln on cone 4. For this first “green ware” firing, the clay forms can touch each other in the kiln and even be stacked gently to fit the entire class. Kiln directions are on the wall near the kiln. Remove pieces from the kiln and place in kiln room until ready to glaze. Take special care to make sure each class stays together and organized.
Glazing
- Grade Level Coordinators will schedule all classes to glaze on the same date. Each class will come in for 30 minutes with a 15 minute turnover time between classes. Have each teacher request extra volunteers on this day.
- Cover tables with plastic.
- Put a small amount of glaze in a plastic bowl. Have colors available on each table for the students to choose from. Have 2 or 3 brushes at each color. The brushes should stay with only one color. Switch to the next color’s brush if adding another color. Apply 2 layers of glaze.
- Glaze over the name and date
- if a clay piece is cracked, use extra glaze in that location to strengthen it.
- Please return any extra glaze to its container.
- After the students complete their glazing, the adults will coat the leaves with a clear glaze before the final firing.
Kids who miss the clay or glazing date:
Try to get absent kids to come with another class to make their project, or to glaze it. You can hold a make up session to have students make their green ware or to glaze. Make up sessions can be time consuming, so the sample or the demonstration piece(s) can be given to students who did not make their own green ware. If your samples are not needed, feel free to glaze them and bring them home with you.
Second Fire (Clay & Grade Level Coordinators ONLY)
- Any clay pieces that have glaze on the bottom will need a 3 prong stilt to prop them up so they are not touching the shelves of the kiln. Make sure NO clay pieces are touching each other, or the kiln shelf, during this final firing or they will stick together permanently. Fire at Cone 06. Directions on the wall by the kiln.
- Remove clay pieces from the kiln when the pots are still warm. It is easier to remove the triangular 3 pronged support pieces if they are warm. A pliers can be used to remove prongs that are stuck to the bottom.
- Remove the pieces from the kiln and place on racks until pieces are distributed to the classrooms.
