When I teach students about texture I usually get them to make rubbings on paper using the patterns and textures on the bottom of their shoes. Some time ago I saw a similar lesson somewhere(?) where kids used their shoes to make patterns in clay. Since then I've been wanting to try something like it. My grade 2 and 3 students created these awesome pendants, but I think this would work with kids of all ages.
We began by rolling a small ball of clay flat (to a thickness of around 1/4 of an inch thick). We then used empty baby food jars as cookie cutters to cut a circle from the clay.
Each student then put their clay circle on the floor and stepped on it with the sole of their shoe until an imprint was created. We used a kebab/satay stick to poke a small hole through the top of the pendant. These were then fired and glazed in colours of their choice and threaded onto black cord with a colored bead.
I'm a big fan of these! No one can believe the kids made them....using their sneakers!
I did this project with my 2nd grade students last year. It was a big hit.
ReplyDeleteWe rolled the clay into a ball and then flattened it with our hands...then stepped on it. Some just stepped on the ball of clay to flatten it and imprint. Great way to teach texture!! None were completely round and that was the neat thing. Like your cut out with the lid idea though.
We used a cord and bead also. Some of my students wore the necklaces during their end of year graduation. I use construction paper crayons a great deal so we colored our texture disks with crayons...great colors and texture.
Fun, fun project that teaches so much!
Cool! I'd love to see what yours looked like. Do you have them on your blog? I couldn't find them.
ReplyDeleteWow this is an AWESoME idea! I Have to do this!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a Kiln! I love these pendants...they're awesome! Anna:)
ReplyDeleteI started teaching this project, after one of our teachers brought in ones made by each of her children. She still wears the necklaces, so I am hoping this is a keepsake project. I know most of the clay projects are. We made the colors pop by glazing them rubbing the glaze off the raised pattern then clear glaze over the top.
ReplyDeleteI have taught a very similar lesson to Kindergarten for several years. Variations: I have them press it to their shoes instead of stepping on them. I also have them paint the with gold acrylic craft paint. This allows the textures to really show with the metallic, and the students LOVE the gold.
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