John Post on fri 23 mar 12
This week when my fifth grade students were glazing bowls, I talked =3D20
about the nature of what a real experiment is. I told them that in a =3D20=
=3D
real experiment, no one knows the outcome before hand. (unlike most =3D20
elementary school science experiments where the outcome is known.)
I had three buckets of glaze at the glazing station in my room. Ron =3D20
Roy=3D92s cone 6 black licorice, a variegated white and a variegated =3D20
blue. I told them that I know that the white and blue glazes will mix =3D2=
0=3D
well together because they are the same base glaze and that the blue =3D20
simply has some cobalt added to it. I also told them that I have =3D20
never tried RR=3D92s black with either the white or the blue.
Then I presented the kids with a choice. They could play it safe and =3D20=
=3D
dip their bowls in one color using glaze tongs, or they could dip =3D20
their bowls in more than one color overlapping glazes.
I warned them that with experimentation there is the risk of failure =3D20
and they could get a really ugly bowl out out of the deal, or they =3D20
could get magic.
Naturally most kids opted for magic. As a group they tried every =3D20
combination - blue over black, black over blue, white over black, =3D20
black over white etc.
Today I unloaded the kiln and every glaze worked out. Some have =3D20
wonderful variegation and pools of glaze in them. I am sure the kids =3D20=
=3D
will be thrilled, and we=3D92ll have a lot to look at next week.
Since the kids were making bowls, I had them use the bowl as a vessel =3D20=
=3D
to hold a bunch of game board pieces. The kids had to create two sets =3D2=
0=3D
of 5 objects that are connected thematically. They are going to use =3D20
these pieces on a tic-tac-toe board that they are decorating to go =3D20
along with their theme.
They had fun ideas.. strawberries and bananas, motorcycles and cars, =3D20
pig heads and bacon, high heels and flip-flops, peanuts and elephant =3D20
heads, the list goes on and on. Next week when they get their bowls =3D20
back we are having a bracket style tic-tac-toe tournament in class. =3D20
Kids don=3D92t know that his game should always end up as tie so there =3D2=
0
will end up being a champion.
There is a school board meeting at my school in a month or so and my =3D20
principal asked me if I could have the kids make some gifts for the 9 =3D20=
=3D
or so members on the board. He mentioned that when the board visited =3D20=
=3D
the junior high, the shop teacher had the kids make the school board =3D20
wood pens.
My students are making clay bulldogs, a bulldog is our school's =3D20
mascot. Of course I had no idea if kids could make clay bulldogs, so =3D20=
=3D
I gathered up some of the most proficient sculptor kids I had and we =3D20
met at lunch. The first week the kids didn=3D92t make very many dogs that =
=3D
=3D20
looked like dogs, let alone bulldogs. On our second week two kids in =3D20=
=3D
fourth grade who happened to own bulldogs made some gems. Even though =3D2=
0=3D
I showed the kids images of clay dogs and bulldogs on the TV the first =3D2=
0=3D
time we met, the group had a breakthrough when they saw what two of =3D20
their peers did to create the essence of a bulldog. I had these two =3D20
kids teach the others how to make bulldogs and now I have a bin of =3D20
twenty nice ones. I am making lidded jars and am going to attach the =3D20=
=3D
kids=3D92 bulldogs to the tops as handles. I talked to the kids about how =
=3D
=3D20
a potter always makes more items than they need when they get an order =3D2=
0=3D
in case of breakage of glaze accidents etc. The kids will each give =3D20
one of their jars to the board and get to keep one of the extras.
These creative sculptor kids like working with each other so much that =3D2=
0=3D
even though I already have all the bulldogs we need, they feel like we =3D2=
0=3D
should meet one more week. I have a feeling I just inadvertently =3D20
created an art club. I like being around these young artists so I=3D92ll =
=3D20=3D
toss that idea out to them next week.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
John Post on sat 24 mar 12
Hi Gail,
I will take some pics on Monday when I am at the school where we made
the clay bowls. I'll send a link to clayart that evening.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
On Mar 24, 2012, at 7:00 AM, Gail Laughlin wrote:
> John...What a wonderful way to open young minds. So often they are
> fearful of the unknown. Is there some place that you can post the
> results? I would love see their bowls.
> Gail
>
Gail Laughlin on sat 24 mar 12
John...What a wonderful way to open young minds. So often they are=3D20
fearful of the unknown. Is there some place that you can post the=3D20
results? I would love see their bowls.=3D20=3D20=3D20
Gail
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