This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Mothers and Grannies are the welcoming recipients of pottery artwork that my students produce. I teach the various types of clay construction, physical change due to the introduction of heat, chemical changes with glaze use, and color theory in the selection of glazes for decorating.
Our school is inner city, with a student population of 95% free or reduced lunch.
Their home lives are, for many, of minimal enrichment, as parents cannot afford to buy anything but the bare necessities. If these children don't get enrichment in school, they don't get any at all.
Having clay for my students to use enthuses the learning process. They love to use clay and they love the hard, tangible product they get from their efforts. Students who are absent on a clay day get very upset unless they can make up the missing lesson.
My Project
This year with the clay I had to use, my students made gingerbread men Christmas gift ornaments, shamrocks for St. Patrick's, imitation pysanki eggs for Easter gifts, and hearts for Valentines and Mother's Day. We use these projects to practice patterning, color theory, decorative elements and those science properties that involve heat treatment such as physical and chemical change. We even made beads in geometric shapes with which to make necklaces.
I have used up all the clay I had rationed for this year and now I need to find a way to acquire some for next year. I am teaching art and crafts in June as well, so I really need to have clay for a successful program. Your generosity can help make our program a success. Please consider donating to our clay play.
There is more to art than making marks on paper and highly motivating clay lessons enable the art standards to be learned in a three dimensional way.
I can reinforce physical science lessons on physical and chemical change. I can even reinforce the value of recycling when a project does not come out right and we recycle the clay so we can start over. I have not met a child yet who does not like to have that hard, tangible outcome to an art lesson that they can gift to their loved ones at home.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Schlotterbeck and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.