Pinch Pot Animals

Fourth Grade Pinch Pot Animals

 

Fourth graders used the pinch pot method to create the main body of these adorable sculptures.  Next, students learned about scoring (roughing up the clay areas to be attached) and slipping (using a “clay glue” made of watery clay) to connect pieces.

Because we don’t have a kiln, students needed to add and smooth a small coil to many of their appendages for additional strength.  Air dried clay breaks very easily, so students needed to be quite thoughtful about how to represent the animal of their choice, while also considering the limitations of working with such a fragile medium.  No appendages could stick out without being supported or they would certainly break. I love how well these artists adapted and found ways to make their sculptures work.  Check out the elephant's trunk, rabbits' ears, and giraffes' necks!

When the clay dried, students used acrylic paints to add color with a clear coat on top for shine.  Last, but certainly not least, wiggle eyes and other exciting embellishments were added with hot glue.  The glue gun also came in handy for repairs.