Personal Scoring Tool

Objectives:

Students will design and create their own scoring tool for ceramic work.
Students will work with a new material, polymer clay.
Students will understand the purpose and importance of the "score and slip" technique in ceramics.
Students will demonstrate proper use of the scoring tool and apply the "score and slip" technique.
Students will evaluate the effectiveness of their custom scoring tool in clay attachment.

TEKS:

Visual Literacy and Vocabulary (TEKS 3.B); Students develop and apply appropriate art vocabulary related to ceramics techniques and tools, enhancing their visual literacy.
Artistic Decision Making (TEKS 4.A); By designing their own scoring tools and evaluating their effectiveness, students practice making and justifying artistic decisions.
Original Artwork Creation (TEKS 1.C); The project encourages students to create original artworks through the design of unique scoring tools and their application in ceramic pieces.
Effective Use of Art Tools (TEKS 2.F); This lesson directly addresses the TEKS requirement for demonstrating effective use of tools in ceramics, a key component of the art curriculum.
Technical Skill Development (TEKS 2.F); Learning the "score and slip" technique contributes to students' technical proficiency in ceramics, aligning with the standards' focus on skill development.

Clay Attachment Method:

A major part of working with clay is attaching one piece of clay to another, such as

Decorative Elements
Handles or Feet
Main Structure seams (walls of a box)
and the list goes on and on...

To keep your clay attached to your other clay, we follow the following process.

Scoring Tool:

People use all kinds of tools to help them make "score marks" while using the "scoring and slipping" attachment process. Today you are going to create your own personal tool that you can use when attaching 2 pieces of clay together.

We will be making this tool with;

Polymer Clay &
Dress pins/needles

Unfortunately, we can't make them with ceramic clay, because the metal needles would melt at the temperature we fire ceramic clay at (1945 degrees), so we will use polymer instead.

So, What is Polymer Clay?

Polymer clay is an oven hardening plastic-based clay. It is highly workable and perfect for a variety of ages and skill levels, from younger students all the way up to professional artists.

The clay can be manipulated by hand or with inexpensive tools, it does not dry out in the air, and is baked to firmness at a low temperature of approximately 250 degrees.

Project Instructions:

If you would like to make your scoring tool look like something in particular, draw it out to scale (the size it will be) in your sketchbook.
1. - Consider - you want it comfortable in your hand, or you wont want to use it!
  - Add TEXTURE or FINGER GROOVES, to make it ergonomic (fit your hand) because you will be using this with slippery clay
Choose the polymer clay colors you need
Polymer clay attaches easier than ceramic clay, but scoring helps with polymer clay too! You don't have to use slip though.
When adding your pins;
1. - Add 3-6 pins in 1or 2 rows (if they are far apart, they won't be helpful)
  - Add them to the polymer clay and then layer more clay onto the pins, rather than pushing the pins into the clay. You don't want them to fall out!
  - Firmly squeeze together the clay around the pinheads, to make sure they will stay inside the tool.
When your scoring tool is ready, add your initials and class period somewhere
Take a picture of 2 sides of your tool (at least 2 photos) and turn them in on Google Classroom.
Place your scoring tool on the tray marked with your period - Mrs. Lusk will bake them for you
ALL DONE!

Student Examples:

Last Thought..... THIS is what it will look like 99% of the time.

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