Celebratory Clay Rattles

Meet The Teacher: Jerri Todd

My name is Jerri Todd. I teach visual arts at M. D. Roberts School of the Arts. I have the best job and students who truly love to make art and explore materials!

Project Description

Students create a clay rattle with clay beads. They choose an object for their rattle to resemble, something that is meaningful and worth celebrating. The finished rattle is then painted with acrylic paint.

Materials

  • Small paper cup for beads
  • Clay
  • Acrylic paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Scoring tools
  • Water/slip cup
  • Paddles to flatten out surfaces
  • Kiln to fire clay rattles
  • Plastic bag for overnight storage
  • Masking tape to label bags
  • Marker to write on tape
  • Needle tool
  • Clay tools for smoothing
  • Scoring and making patterns
Download Material List

Grade Level

Middle School

Difficulty

Intermediate

Student Hands-On Time

5 class periods for the lay rattle, 2-3 class periods for painting

Teacher Prep Time

1 hour

Project Cost / Cost Per Student

6

National Core Arts Standards - Visual Arts

  • Creating - Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas.
  • Creating - Organize and develop artistic work.
  • Connecting - Relate artistic ideas to historical, cultural, and social contexts.
  • Connecting - Connect personal experiences with artmaking and meaning.

21st Century Skills

  • Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
  • Creativity & Innovation
  • Initiative & Self-Direction
  • Social & Cross-Cultural Skills
  • Productivity & Accountability

STEAM Education

  • Science
  • Arts

Differentiations and Accommodations

Differentiation

IEP

Accommodation

The teacher may use the demonstration pinch pot for the student structure. Students with sensory issues may use plastic gloves. The teacher may provide stamps to make designs in the clay rather than adding pieces to the chamber. The teacher may pre-make the pinch pots depending on skill level.

Learning Objectives: Knowledge

Clay can be used to make functional and decorative objects. Clay has been used in a variety of cultures for traditional items. When clay is fired, the sound of the clay beads will vary depending on chamber thickness and bead sizes and shapes. The sculptural properties of clay allow for a wide variety of expressive ideas.

Learning Objectives: Skills

Students will understand how thickness of the walls of a clay chamber can affect the pitch of sound that comes from a clay rattle. Students will understand how the shape of the clay bead (round, angular, flat) affects the sound that comes from a clay rattle. Students will learn the importance of wedging the clay before starting a pinch pot. Students will learn how to form two even pinch pots. Students will learn how to join clay by scoring and using slip. Students will learn how to attach smaller pieces of clay to the outside of their pinch pot formed chamber by scoring and using slip.

Learning Objectives: Attitudes/Values

The teacher will emphasize problem-solving to create the student's clay rattle. The teacher will emphasize perseverance to see the project through to the end. Students will be creative with their clay rattle design and what object they wish to form that represents something to them.

Formative Assessment

The teacher will check for 1. Formation of beads 2. Pinch pots similar in size 3. Use of scoring to attach pinch pots and additional pieces 4. Attention to craftsmanship - smoothness of surface for later painting 5. The ability of the clay for to rattle after firing.

Summative Assessment

1. Craftsmanship of the finished product - a neatly painted rattle that is held together by clay techniques. 2. Clay form that rattles. 3. Item depicted in clay relates to a meaningful event for the student.

Reflection and Discussion

How does your finished rattle reveal something important to you? What story does your clay rattle tell about you? How does your use of color (paint) add to the story your rattle tells? What were some steps that you found helpful when creating your clay rattle? What do you like about your finished rattle? What differences in the rattle sounds do you notice? What might be the reason for the different sounds? How is your rattle functional? How is your rattle decorative?

Lesson Activities

Introduction to the reason for rattles in all cultures

Students will brainstorm why different cultures around the world use rattles. The teacher will lead the students through picture examples of different cultures using a variety of rattles. Examples may include dried seeds, leather covered turtle shells, dried gourds with woven beads on the outside. The teacher will show students examples of clay rattles that have different clay bead shapes on the inside. If time allows, students may sketch objects that are meaningful to them in which they would like to make the rattle. Example may be of a pet's head, a piece of cake, a favorite animal. Students will work to make a minimum of 10-20 clay beads depending on the size and put them in the small paper cup to dry overnight.

Making the clay chamber

The teacher will demonstrate how to form a pinch pot. The students will make two pinch pots of similar size. This might take a whole class period (45 minutes). Students will store clay pinch pots in a plastic bag as a class or individually. Students may brainstorm in their sketchbook what shapes they wish to add to the outside of the rattle so that it resembles their intended celebratory item.

Finishing clay rattle structure

For this lesson, the teacher will demonstrate how to attach clay using scoring and slip. Students will put their air dried clay beads inside a pinch pot and attach the other pinch pot using scoring and slip. Students will also attach pieces of clay to personalize their clay chamber. The teacher will use a needle tool to poke a hole in the clay chamber to release air as it is fired. Students will set their clay rattle out to air dry. When it is bone dry, the teacher will fire the clay to bisque ware.

Painting the fired clay rattle

Students will use acrylic paint to add colors and details to their rattle. The teacher will instruct students to be creative with the details they add. Examples may include a blue frog, a purple turtle or anything other than the color the item usually appears in nature.

Additional Documents

Document 1