Use your hands to visually demonstrate the importance of scratching and slipping two pieces of clay together.

1. Start with 2 fists. Explain how each hand represents a piece of clay. Position both of your fists together. Ask two students to volunteer to pull your fists apart from each other. Students should be able to do this with great ease. Explain that this is how easy it is for 2 pieces of clay to fall apart if they are just pressed together.

2. Open your fists and spread your fingers out wide. Explain to students that your hands represent pieces of clay that have been scratched. Also, explain that in between your fingers, over the scratches on the clay, slip which is the glue for clay will be put to fill in the holes and empty spaces. Then, intertwine your fingers and explain how your hands, the scratched pieces of clay, fit together like puzzle pieces. Next, bend your fingers slightly to really lock your hands together (one hand's fingers bending up and the fingers on the other hand bending slightly downward). Explain to students that your hands are now representing two pieces of clay that have been scratched and slipped together. Ask two students to volunteer to pull your hands (with interlocked fingers) apart from each other. Students should NOT be able to do pull your hands apart this time. Explain that scratching and slipping two pieces of clay help prevent clay pieces from falling apart or pulling away from each other.