Clay!

I make the kids wait until the spring to do clay. Right after April vacation I turn my whole room over into a ceramic studio and do clay with the entire school. We all start out with a rules and play day where guidelines and rule are gone over and they get to play with the clay and get all the "ooohhs, aaahhhs, and icks" out. The following week we have a practice week with their project where I give a demo and they practice making their person, animal or pot.  I do this because I don't have time or space to keep work wet enough to be workable over a week's time. I tell them they have to be able to create their piece in 1 class time. Of course if they are stuggling they can try again the following week.

The 5th graders make clay portaits where they have to show themselves doing something they like. The other requirement is that the figure has to be standing or sitting independentely without supports. The starting construction method is the same.

The 4th graders create animals. These animals can be real or imaginary but have to have 4 legs. Again,they all start again with the same construction method and have to be standing or sitting independently of supports.

3rd graders create coil pots. This is their first big clay project. They learn the coil method of constuction along with the glazing process.