Clay at Wilson Elementary School

 This spring I visited Wilson Elementary School and led various "spring themed" clay projects with every class. Each grade worked on a different clay project listed and pictured below. The students had a blast and learned some fun clay building techniques and skills.

Kindergarten: We talked about things that make up think of spring and learned how to make some bugs, butterflies and worms out of clay. Students made a platform and attached their critters to it. The clay was painted with glaze and students got to decorate a background for their "spring scenes" with oil pastels and watercolor paint.

First Grade: Students decorated clay slabs with flowers, butterflies, trees and more to create wall hanging plaques. Once glazed and fired, students strung string and beads on the wall plaques. 

2nd Grade: Students took the hanging plaques one step further by creating wall pockets/ vases. They also made tissue paper flowers to put in their wall pockets. 

3rd Grade: Students learned the technique of making pinch pots, then transformed them into fairy/ bug houses for the garden. There were some very elaborate designs with windows, chimneys, stepping stones and bridges! 

4th grade: Students made coil and pebble bowls, mugs and clay baskets of their own design. 

5th Grade: Students learned coil building and made water tight vases, bowls, mugs and more! 

It was such a joy teaching at Wilson!  The projects turned out wonderfully diverse and students really put a lot of thought and skill into creating them. They were also very patient during the long wait for finished work as work was transported and fired off site at the Corvallis Arts Center. Many thanks to teachers and parent volunteers for the help loading and unloading work and help in the classrooms during the project! Have a wonderful summer everyone!