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Native American Pottery - Taking Shape!
The fifth-grade students in Mrs. Hoddick's and Mr. Black's classes are dedicating their efforts to the study and creation of Native American pottery. The unit is an extension of the social studies curriculum.
Students have examined pottery from various ancient and modern groups such as the Anasazi, Hohoham, Mogollon, Acoma, Navajo, and Hopi people, among others. The students chose a style of vessel to recreate.
The children are recreating these pieces in the traditional manner. They use hand- and coil-building techniques, stones to burnish (or polish) the unfired clay, and a lot of patience. Some students described a strong respect they now have for the early Americans' slow and painstaking work. Many students were surprised at how challenging it is to build a strong clay piece. Most children worked through the structural difficulties of the clay falling down, drooping, cracking, or hardening. The students are learning to "listen" to the clay, as it tells them what it needs, its limitations, and when to stop. Students found that they could only build the coils to a certain height before they started to droop, and the clay needed a time to rest before it could support any further weight.
Once all the pieces have been burnished, painted, carved, and fired (the modern way in an electric kiln), the pottery pieces require a final polishing. Some modern potters still use deer fat or the oil from deer fat to create a protective, shiny, and alluring surface. The fifth-grade students plan to use olive oil, vegetable oil, or lard to recreate the traditional look.
Students have examined pottery from various ancient and modern groups such as the Anasazi, Hohoham, Mogollon, Acoma, Navajo, and Hopi people, among others. The students chose a style of vessel to recreate.
The children are recreating these pieces in the traditional manner. They use hand- and coil-building techniques, stones to burnish (or polish) the unfired clay, and a lot of patience. Some students described a strong respect they now have for the early Americans' slow and painstaking work. Many students were surprised at how challenging it is to build a strong clay piece. Most children worked through the structural difficulties of the clay falling down, drooping, cracking, or hardening. The students are learning to "listen" to the clay, as it tells them what it needs, its limitations, and when to stop. Students found that they could only build the coils to a certain height before they started to droop, and the clay needed a time to rest before it could support any further weight.
Once all the pieces have been burnished, painted, carved, and fired (the modern way in an electric kiln), the pottery pieces require a final polishing. Some modern potters still use deer fat or the oil from deer fat to create a protective, shiny, and alluring surface. The fifth-grade students plan to use olive oil, vegetable oil, or lard to recreate the traditional look.
Posted on October 23, 2007 4:02 PM | Permalink