Inside the colorful and inviting Lower School art room, each Class 3 student slipped a dark blue smock over their uniform, took a seat at one of the square tables and turned their attention to the front of the room.
“Today, we’re going to create usable and functional dishes for our art party!” announced LS art teacher Lauren McCarty to the half-group of students. Behind her, a video titled “How to Make a Slab Cup” was queued up on the screen. As they watched this brief demonstration, Ms. McCarty distributed long rectangular pieces of clay to each seat.
“Roll up your sleeves, folks!” she said once the video ended, prompting students to prep their workstations and gather the necessary materials.
Each equipped with a rolling pin, sculpture stand and a plastic cup, the third graders dove into this hands-on activity. Standing at the edge of the table, the artists began to roll out their clay. “Make sure to roll away from you, that way you’ll have more power,” advised Ms. McCarty.
Once their slab reached the desired thickness and length, the students began to wrap the clay around their plastic cup (which would act as their mold) with gentle precision.
As they cautiously cut away excess clay using a needle tool, Ms. McCarty reminded, “Leave a little bit of room because part of clay is water and, when it dries, it will shrink –like how a raisin is smaller than a grape!”
From there, the third graders utilized Ms. McCarty’s “scratch and attach” method to connect each side of the clay. Using a toothbrush, they lightly brushed along one side before fusing the opposite side on top. “This part is super important,” said Ms. McCarty, noting that the seam must be closed to ensure that the cup doesn’t leak.
Next, with tender hands, the artists placed their cylinder onto a smaller piece of clay to create the base. After repeating the “scratch and attach” method, their cups were almost complete!
Once the pieces were properly connected, the students slowly removed the plastic cup inside the clay. Using the toothbrush, they refined and reinforced the edges to ensure a strong and sturdy dish.
The room, which sparkled in the light of the disco ball hanging overhead, was quiet as the students worked diligently on their creations. However, when a student had a question, friends were quick to help troubleshoot.
“If you have time, you can even make a handle!” Ms. McCarty said, offering a brief demonstration at one of the tables.
As the period wound down, the students wrote their name on a slip of paper and dropped it into their respective cup. Ms. McCarty gathered the students’ creations and placed them on a rack to be fired in the kiln. (In later classes, students will add a colorful glaze their dish.)
As the artists headed out, Ms. McCarty praised, “Great work today, friends! See you soon.”
