Second grade students at CRES have been studying Japan. To go along with their unit we have been exploring pinch pot tea cups and origami.
Here was our schedule for making these beautiful works of art.
Week 1: Build Pinch Pots.
When students were finished they had a choice of working with blocks or working in their sketchbooks.
Week 2: Decorating Their Greenware
The greenware pinch pots were able to dry slightly durning the week so students were able to decorate them with engobes. When students were finished they had a choice of working with blocks or working in their sketchbooks.
Week 3: Origami and Bisque Fire.
Once the pots were no longer cool to the touch they were bisque fired. During this week we took a little time to learn about origami. I started off the class by reading them a Japanese folktale about two frogs and then we worked together as a class to create this simple origami jumping frog. When students finished they were able to embellish their frogs, play with blocks, or work in their sketchbooks.
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- Mrs. Harrod’s Frogs
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- Best Frog Faces
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- Adding some finishing touches to the frogs.
Week 4 (A): Glazing
Students put three coats of clear glaze onto their tea cups. We did each layer as a group. When students had time in between layers they had a choice of working with blocks or working in their sketchbooks.
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- Glazing their pinch pot tea cups.
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- Audrey working on a pattern.
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- Cheyenne creating a gazebo.
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- Collaborating together on a sculpture.
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- Lexi
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- Working in their sketchbooks.
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- After I complemented Lexi on her awesome design she decided she wanted to make one for me.
Week 4(B): Glaze Fire
All the pots made it!!!
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- Before
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- After
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- Anticipating their tea cups!
Week 5: Tea Ceremony
To celebrate the end of their unit we had a mini tea ceremony. Students gathered in the second grade pod, where they were given their finished tea cups with a little lemonade. We then watched a 6 minute tea ceremony video and had a group “cheers” to their hard work.
Here is a link to the tea ceremony video on Vimeo.
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- Pouring the lemonade into their new tea cups.
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- Students watching the tea ceremony video.
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- A cheers to their hard work.
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- Enjoying their hard work.
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- Dr. Dunn our superintendent joined us for this special event. Thanks Dr. Dunn!
A special thank you to Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Harrod, Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Buckless, Ms. Harris, Mrs. Donnell, Mrs. Rose, and Dr. Dunn for joining us.