Clay Chickens: A Fun and Creative Pinch Pot Project for Young Artists

Students will learn the basics of working with clay by creating whimsical pinch pot chickens. This lesson plan is designed for all students just depends on the detail and information you want them to learn in this hands-on lesson. We have a guest artist coming to our school in the spring and I wanted to introduce her book and talk about her style of art. This was a great way to let them learn about Mavis Stevens and her book Last Chance Trailer Park. We created clay chickens that could be Lucy's friends from the book. I like to introduce them to fundamental ceramic techniques and foster their creativity through the lesson and the vocabulary.

National Visual Arts Standards:

1. Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work.
2. Presenting: Interpreting and sharing artistic work.
3. Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning.
4. Connecting: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

Lesson Outline:

Introduction (15 minutes): Begin by discussing the basic properties of clay and its use in art. Introduce the concept of pinch pots and explain how they are a simple yet versatile form of working with clay. Show images or examples of pinch pot chickens to inspire the students. I usually find a clip or too from online to share with the class as a reference point for them.

Vocabulary:

• Clay: A natural material composed of minerals, decomposed plant material, and other organic substances.
• Pinch Pot: A hand-built pottery technique that involves shaping clay by pinching it with fingers, forming a hollow container.

Demonstration: I demonstrate the step-by-step process of creating a pinch pot chicken. Emphasize the importance of starting with a ball of clay, pinching the sides to create the pot shape, and adding details like a beak, wings, and tail. We talk about slipping and scoring…all the clay “things”.

Vocabulary:

• Review Coil: A long, snake-like piece of clay used to create cylindrical forms in pottery. (this was done in a previous lesson)
• Score and Slip: A method of attaching pieces of clay together by scoring (scratching the surface) and slipping (applying water or clay slip).

Hands-On Activity: Allow students to work individually on their pinch pot chickens. Circulate around the classroom to aid and encouragement. Encourage creativity in the design of their chickens, such as experimenting with different facial expressions, feathers, and textures.

Vocabulary:

• Texture: The surface quality of an object, often sensed through touch.
• Bisque Firing: The initial firing of clay to a low temperature, which makes it more durable and ready for glazing.

Clean-up and Reflection: Instruct students on proper clay cleanup procedures. Discuss the creative process and ask students to share their thoughts on what they enjoyed and found challenging during the activity.

Vocabulary:

• Kiln: A high-temperature oven used to fire clay and transform it into ceramic.
• Glaze: A liquid mixture containing minerals that, when applied to bisque-fired pottery, creates a glossy, colorful finish.

Celebrating the students' unique clay chickens was easy! We emphasized the importance of creativity in the arts. Displayed the finished projects in the classroom and put them on our social media platforms to showcase the students' achievements.

Scroll down to see how they came out. We made the pinch pot and then we flipped it upside down to create the chicken. Fun….1969