Unit One : Introduction

Unit Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

Identify Ceramics Tools, their names and uses.
Identify the stages of clay and know what to do at each stage.
Utilize some beginning techniques with clay.
Properly and safely handle your clay at home.

< ----- Consider adding a video of yourself giving an overview of this unit and "hooking" students in.

Questions we will explore together...

Over the next two weeks, I'd like you to consider this COMPELLING QUESTION:

What is Clay and how do you work with it?

To help you form an opinion about the compelling question, we will explore these SUPPORTING QUESTIONS:

Where does clay come from?

How long have people been making things with clay?

What can you do with clay?

How do you work with clay?

Important vocabulary you'll need to know...

Content Vocabulary

Cheese Hard Clay - Clay that is soft and pliable. This is the best stage for building. Also called Plastic.

Leather Hard Clay - Clay that has about 15% water left in it. Flexibility is gone and it's best to carve the clay at this stage.

Bone Dry Clay - No water left in the clay. It's very fragile at this point, but it's ready to be fired.

Greenware - Clay that has never been fired, but is ready to be.

Bisqueware - Clay that has been fired at least once. It has now been changed into ceramics! It will not hold any liquid yet nor is it food safe yet.

Glazeware - Clay that has had glaze applied and been fired. It can now hold liquids and is food safe if the right glaze is used.

Earthenware - Low fire type of clay that we use in class. We have two types - White Talc and Terra Cotta.

Kiln - The device we use to fire clay. Think of it as the ceramic version of an oven that can reach 2500 degrees.

Cone - How temperatures in the kiln are measured. Goes from 022 - 13

Wedging - What we do to prepare our clay to work with it. It removes air pockets, unifies the clay, and can dry it up some if it's too wet. You will learn 3 types -Bull Nose, Spiral, and Drop.

Reclaiming - The process of recycling clay so that it is Cheese Hard again and ready to make more art work.

Academic Vocabulary

Create - to bring into existence.

Function - what something is used for.

Process - a particular course of action intended to achieve a result.

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