In Mrs. Bajt's Intermediate School art room, the fourth and fifth graders are in their clay era!
The fourth graders learned all about Japanese tea cups and the ceremonies associated with Japan's tea culture. They learned there are two kinds of tea cups; wa-nari and tsutsu-gata, and they had to decide which one to make. After the fourth graders made their sketches, they got started on making their pinch pots with a clay called Earthenware clay.
The fifth graders recalled how to make a pinch pot from last year to make their Monster Pinch Pots. Mrs. Bajt notes they always get excited for this project! The fifth graders are building their skill levels by adding what she likes to call "add-ons". These add-ons can include attaching horns, eyes, arms, wings, mustaches, etc... to their pinch pot that forms their monster creation. To attach the add-ons, they learned that you have to score (make a rough surface on the clay), slip (liquid clay that acts as a glue), and smooth (pressing the pieces together and smoothing the seams closed).
“I can't wait for these clay creations to come to life,” Mrs. Bajt said.