Classroom Clay Overview

1. Welcome and intro 2. Why use clay?

a. The most popular art material amongst students b. Hands-on, tactile, engaging c. Versatile, useful in all academic subjects

3. Types of clay a. Modeling clay

i. Pros - reusable (doesn’t dry out), lasts all year, lots of different colors, more cost effective because it can be reused.

ii. Cons - doesn’t dry out, can be sticky, not as easy to create details

b. Oven bake (polymer) clay i. Pros - create permanent works, more detailed works, can

come in a wide range of colors, or can be painted ii. Cons - will dry out more quickly, more costly, limited time

use c. Kiln-fired clay

i. Pros - more durable, much more detailed, can be fired and glazed (and become food safe)

ii. more expensive because it is one-time use, if firing you must have a kiln and know how to use it, if glazing you have to buy glazes and know how to use them

d. Why play-doh (or homemade salt dough) is not optimal i. Dries out very fast ii. Can react with wheat allergies iii. Can ruin the carpet (note... any non-soluble clay will ruin

the carpet.) 4. Management of Clay

a. https://www.theartofed.com/2017/02/10/open-tab-clay-center/

b. Mats i. Newspaper (least effective as clay may stick) ii. Canvas fabrics (cut up old jeans may work) iii. Cut up a tarp into individual mats. Easy to shake out over

the garbage and store in a bin. c. Clean up

i. Baby wipes for student hands (more effective for modeling clay)

ii. Soap and water at the sink (more effective for water soluble clays)

iii. NEVER PUT CLAY INTO THE SINK! It will clog the pipes. d. Let kids play and explore before trying to involve them in a

specific lesson e. Storage of individual student clay

i. Plastic wrap ii. Ziploc bags iii. Plastic tubs with airtight lids (ie. collect old playdoh

containers from students’ families and print out student name labels using this FREE TpT download.)

5. Tips and tricks a. Techniques

i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYw4OzhlLc&feature=share

ii.

iii.

iv. 6. The difference between art integration and using art materials as a

manipulative. a. Art integration - the lesson contains art curriculum in addition to

the core standard to be learned. Ie… art techniques, creativity, exploration, individuality.

b. Art manipulatives - the art materials are being used to reinforce core standards without a thought for artistic growth.

Classroom Clay resources

Theory Arts Integration: The Authentic Context for 21st Century Learning

Management

Working with Clay (referring to kiln-fired clay) http://www.artwithmrsnguyen.com/2016/01/working-with-clay.html Art Integration on a Budget https://educationtothecore.com/2015/09/art-integration-on-a-budget/

Books

https://smile.amazon.com/Fun-Modeling-Clay-Kids-Can/dp/1550745107/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528734784&sr=8-1&keywords=fun+with+modeling+clay

https://smile.amazon.com/Modeling-Clay-Animals-Easy-Follow/dp/0764145797/ref=pd_sbs_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0764145797&pd_rd_r=XAVGWJNGWS9Q2E0EC7GJ&pd_rd_w=eHdwd&pd_rd_wg=G5Jn2&psc=1&refRID=XAVGWJNGWS9Q2E0EC7GJ

https://smile.amazon.com/Clay-Common-galleries-libraries-everywhere/dp/1911193422/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528735074&sr=1-2&keywords=clay+in+school

Modeling clay - These are just suggestions and the prices you might expect. Don’t forget to check out art supply companies such as DickBlick, Triarco, and Sax!

Classpacks

https://smile.amazon.com/Jovi-Plastilina-Reusable-Non-Drying-Modeling/dp/B0025Z71IM/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1528735371&sr=8-3-spons&keywords=modeling+clay+classpack&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/Crayola-23-0288-Modeling-Clay-Classpack/dp/B077SCQCPZ/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1528735612&sr=1-4&keywords=modeling+clay+classpack

Skin tones

https://smile.amazon.com/Sargent-Art-22-4044-1-Pound-Friends/dp/B000VUI7RC/ref=sr_1_41?ie=UTF8&qid=1528735257&sr=8-41&keywords=modeling+clay

Oven Bake Clay

https://smile.amazon.com/Original-Sculpey-Sculpturing-Compound-Oven-Bake/dp/B00LH1TV56/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1528735914&sr=8-4-spons&keywords=oven+bake+clay&psc=1&smid=AR8XJJ19SNPNX

https://smile.amazon.com/Polymer-Starter-Oven-Bake-Sculpting-Accessories/dp/B07B9ZXK6C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1528735914&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=oven+bake+clay&psc=1

Kiln-Fired clay - your district may carry kiln-fired clay at the district warehouse. Look for cone 5 clay. I recommend white rather than terra cotta (or red) due to the potentially staining nature of the red clay in children’s clothing. Expect a cost of approximately $15-$20 per 50 lb. box. The box will have two 25 lb. bags of clay which should be enough for several projects for one class, or one project for two to three classes of students.

WARNING - do not attempt to run a kiln without proper training or supervision! Firing at incorrect cone temperatures can have disastrous results.