More Clay Treasure Chests

Here's another project that I returned to recently after first completing with grade twos 6 years ago. You can see my post about the original project HERE. This time I gave the project to my grade three group and made a few changes to the final decorations. 

Over several lessons, students used slab construction techniques to create a rectangular box with a curved lid. They added details of their choice such as locks, keys, handles and used clay tools to engrave texture into the clay. This is a great project for exploring texture as students are challenged to get that 'centuries old wood grain look' 

Once fired, I had students rub over their treasure chest with crayons in shades of brown or green, in order to pick up and enhance the texture. We then painted the clay with brown edicol dye (for those non-Australians - this is a type of strong dye made from food colouring). Alternatively, you could use a watered down brown ink or brown watercolour paint. Students were then given metallic paints to paint the details they wanted to look like metal. 

Fill with small sequins, rhinestones and seashells for display!!

Paper Pirate Ships

These pirate ships were created by one of my grade 3 classes. Students used plastic scrapers and wooden skewers to scratch patterns into wet painted paper. The aim was to create a wood grain texture in the brown and something to suggest the ocean on the blue papers. Once dry, we used the brown paper to fold an origami boat base. A piece of wooden skewer was added for the mast and paper sails and flags were cut from a template I made (students decorated them with Jolly Rogers etc).

We used one piece of blue patterned paper to cover a piece of cardboard for the base. Students then had to sculpt the rest of the blue paper into waves. I just love the way they have cut, twisted and curled the paper to suggest the movement of the ocean.

I must apologize for the quality of some of my photos recently. My camera seems to be on the way out - I'd better start saving some pennies for a new one!

Treasure Chest Drawings

My example.

These pirate treasure chests were drawn by some of my grade 3 students. The aim of this lesson was to teach them a little about drawing 3D shape, using line to imply texture and shading to describe tone. I went through some simple step by step drawing with them for the chest and then left it to them to finish them off.

Their line work and shading needs work but I like the overall effect of these.