Altered Toad House

Meet The Teacher: Samantha Frey

I am a teacher at The Potter's Shop and love teaching altered forms. I want to be more involved in my community and teaching pottery at my daughters School, St. Peter's in Helenville, by bringing pottery to them.

Project Description

Create a home for toads or other critters in your garden. Shape a bowl on the pottery wheel or hand building (pinch pot, coil, or slump), then carefully cut out an entrance for your amphibian guests, and adding decorative details to personalize your piece. Then vola, you created a homemade home for your critter friends.

Materials

  • Standard #112 clay or groggy mid fire clay
  • Needle tool
  • Knife
  • Colored Slip
  • Sponge
Download Material List

Grade Level

Elementary School

Difficulty

Easy

Student Hands-On Time

3 hours

Teacher Prep Time

30 min

Project Cost / Cost Per Student

5

National Core Arts Standards - Visual Arts

  • Creating - Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas.
  • Creating - Organize and develop artistic work.
  • Creating - Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work.

21st Century Skills

  • Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
  • Creativity & Innovation
  • Collaboration
  • Flexibility & Adaptability
  • Initiative & Self-Direction

STEAM Education

  • Engineering
  • Arts

Differentiations and Accommodations

Differentiation

IEP

Accommodation

This can have some sensory issues, having gloves on hand can be helpful. Having the bowl made for them or they watch the bowl being made and they get to decorate it

Differentiation

Advanced Learners

Accommodation

Create the "house" using different methods with either slabs and slum forms or wheel throwing.

Differentiation

Struggling Learners

Accommodation

This is a great way to explore clay and different techniques for kids. If a pinch pot doesn't work maybe try coiling or if they have the ability to make a slab.

Learning Objectives: Knowledge

What an altered form is, developing skills necessary to make a beautiful creation, using their imagination

Learning Objectives: Skills

Slipping and scoring, slab making, knowing what colored slip is

Learning Objectives: Attitudes/Values

Clay doesn't have to be scary. It can be manipulated into beautiful pieces.

Lesson Activities

Toad House

Prep: Gathering materials for class, setting up individual spots.Step one: Make bowl on wheel or hand built via coils or pinch pot. Step two: Carve toad door with pottery knife. Step Three: Add Chimney to top of bowl. Step three: Decorate with slab pieces, stamps, carving, etc. Step four: Apply colored slip to finished toad house.reflection: Have each child tell the class a little bit about their house... Why they added pieces where they did? What kind of house is it? What/who they want to live in the house?