back in the saddle.

Zamorano was back in session today after 4 weeks of spring break.

It's good to be back:) I got the second graders dirty today making pinch pots and learning about symmetry. We looked at a few of the fantastic pinch pots that Lisa Farris made a couple years ago when she set off on her 365 days of pinch pots project. We identified symmetry and discussed how she went from a block of clay to the pot/bowl/cup form.

The kids were very excited to get started in each class. Students started with a little block of clay, turned it into a sphere, made a deep thumb hole, and then pinched the walls to create their shapes. They did a great job with this. I emphasized not to make the top thin right away, so it wouldn't get too floppy on them. As students worked I went around and helped everybody one by one. The biggest issue for kids was not making the hole/bottom deep enough. I helped them do this and it allowed them to make their forms a little wider and taller.

The nit was time to add details. Students got another piece of clay that was thin and flat. I showed them how to cut slab shapes, how to roll small spheres, and how to roll coils. I emphasized that the most important part of the add-on stage was using enough slip/glue to keep the parts together even after the form dried.

A whole lot of variety in the faces and one of the quietest work periods I have seen in a while (after slapping the clay into a sphere:). Kids were into it!

4 classes down. 6 to go. Next week the pieces should be fired and they will paint them using a family of analogous colors of their choice...