ceramic lesson plans: "an all american berry pie"

Student versions of ceramic berry pies

Title: “An All American Berry Pie” ceramic version

Topic: learning to work with clay, sculpture

Grade: 3^rd grade

Length of Class Period: 55 min.

Frequency of Class Period: once a week

Time Needed: two class periods 
Goals & Objectives: 

• Students will model clay with control.  
• Students will build upon past knowledge in order to craft an original, three-dimensional artwork. 
• Through observation, investigation and discipline, students will create an art object demonstrating the use of the elements and principles of design.  
• Students will use ceramic vocabulary when referring to the processes of shaping clay objects. 

GLEs:

Strand I: Product/Performance for Sculpture, Ceramics, Other Media

A.2. Select and apply three-dimensional media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas and solve challenging visual art  problems.

Grade 2 - Manipulate paper to create low relief (e.g., curling, folding, tearing, and cutting), Modeling with clay or a similar material:, Roll coils: flatten material into a slab

Grade 3 - Manipulate paper to create forms (in-the- round), Cut a symmetrical shape from a folded piece of paper, Modeling with clay or a similar material:, Create applied and impressed textures

Strand II: Elements and Principles – Form

C. 1. Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork.

Grade 2 - Identify and use geometric forms: sphere, cube, cylinder, and cone

Grade 3 - Identify and demonstrate sculpture-in-the-round

Strand II: Elements and Principles – Texture

D. 1. Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork.

Grade 2 - Identify and use actual texture

Grade 3 - Identify and use invented textures 

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• One computer lap top
• Room with good lighting
• Large tables, approximately ten, each seating four students
• Two sinks
• Dry erase board
• Drying racks
• Cabinets for storage
• Projector for viewing computer video, CDs and DVDs
• Kiln for firing ceramic masks

Resources Needed:

• Sample for the chalkboard or interactive whiteboard. (I will attach below)
• Pattern for ceramic pie shell. ( I will attach below)
• Tips for beginning potters by Murry's Pottery. This video collection is appropriate for very young students. Murry shows basic techniques, child appropriate language, kind voice, secular presentations, excellent visuals and explanations. (15 videos)  
• The History of Pie by Laura Mayer 
•  "Blueberries For Sal" by Robert McClosky. If you don't own the book, you may view the story on youtube here.

Materials Per Student:

• A paper towel
• Amount of clay approximating the size of tow tennis balls per student is used for the modeling of this object. The first ball is rolled out into a slab by the instructor in advance of the actual project, and the second ball is used by the students to create berries for the pies.
• A variety of clay printing and modeling tools (wood chips, shells, pencils, clay stamps, etc...)
• Each student will need one burlap place mat to keep his/her working space clean and also to prevent clay from sticking to their counter space while he/she works
• A bowl or cup to keep berries in while students work.
• A shallow dish filled with very little water should be put in the middle of each table for students to dip their fingers into and drip small amount of water onto their clay pieces while they are attaching berries to their pie “shells” and to other berries.

Activity Prior To The Lesson? Teachers may read aloud “Blueberries For Sal” by Robert McCloskey or they may also choose to share an interesting article about pies from the internet, a letter, or childhood memory with the students.

      This ceramic project is also a wonderful addition to a homeroom literacy activity that is planned around “Blueberries For Sal.” The ceramic versions of the following project can be accomplished with salt clay just as effectively. Because salt clay is normally baked in a regular oven; art projects made with it may be taught by those teachers whom do not have access to a fancy kiln.

Step-by-Step Studio Activity Specifics:

1. Prior to class the teacher will need to roll out clay ceramic slabs. I’ve included a pattern for students to use for cutting out their pie pieces with a plastic knife.
2. Students will need to roll out approximately 30 to 40 blueberry-sized balls or approximately 30 cherry sized balls each per one clay pie slice. The teacher should give each student a bowl or cup to keep their clay berries in while they work. This will eliminate some confusion over “rolling” berries during this exercise.
3. The teacher will then pass out to students the supplies they need to begin the assembling of their ceramic pies.
4. The teacher will demonstrate to the students how to cut out the paper patterns, place these on top of the rolled slabs and cut around each pattern.
5. Students will then observe the teacher first before assembling their own pie.
6. Stack berries along the edges of the larger triangle slab, leaving approximately one inch at the flat end of the triangle free from berries. This end will be shaped upward and pinched together with the shorter triangle after the berries have been secured in the first step.
7. The berries should always be stacked using the methods I have discussed in previous ceramic projects. Poke holes or slashes into the clay, add little drops of water and then press each berry firmly into place. This allows the ceramic clay to properly “bond” itself to the clay you are sculpting.
8. Students only need to stack berries on the outer edges of pie slices that will be visible. Add a moist towel to the inside of the pie so that when the top of the slice (smaller triangle) is attached, it will not collapse inward. This towel will burn up during the firing of the pie in the kiln.
9. The students may then slash the outer edges of the top triangle, moisten and press down the top onto the berries. Then lift the back edge of the lower triangle up and pinch it into place with the top triangle. Create this seal with a fork or a nice pinched edge.
10. Students may add fork pricks into the top of their ceramic pies to “mimic” the steam holes of an actual pie.
11. Some students may add whipped cream or additional berries to their pies to make their pies look fancier!
12. After the ceramic pies have been fired, give each student a small set of watercolors to paint their creation.
13. Add touches of clear glossy sealer to the berries to make them look real if you’d like. I even let students paint on white glitter glue on the top of their pies. This looks like sugar.

Clay Vocabulary:

• pinch - to form clay between the fingers and the palm
• coil - a rope-like formation of clay
• slab - a evenly rolled or pressed layer of clay
• bisque - is clay that has been fired but not yet glazed
• ceramics - are objects created from stoneware, porcelain or terra cotta
• clay - soil, water and sand
• fire - is the name for the heat that is used in a kiln
• glaze - a glass paint used on pottery
• kiln - a special oven used for hardening clay
• greenware - pottery that is not yet fired in a kiln
• leather hard - the hard condition of clay when it is almost air-dry
• score - roughen the clay's surface so that a bond may be formed between two surfaces
• sculpture - a three-dimensional art work
• slip - a liquid clay used to glue two pieces together
• texture - press into the clay surface with objects to create a pattern, design or rough surface

Special Needs Adaptations:

Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student:

• Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
• Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
• The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents

Modifications for the student with limited vision or blindness:

• Students will be allowed to observe samples of art projects with their hands and for extended periods of time
• Students will be provided with safe tools and one-on-one guidance during a demonstration of the project
• The project may be slightly adjusted to accommodate the student’s limitations or for safety reasons
• Student will be given ample time to exist classroom before large crowds gather outside of the classroom.

Modifications for students with mild brain injury:

• Students will be provided with duplicate instructions for home and school. Student will not need to remember to carry home materials to review.
• Students will be given ample time to exist classroom with a pre-determined aid or peer before the official end of a class.
• Instructor will provide for parent e-mail communication concerning the progress and needs of their student.
• Student may be given special seat assignment in order to enable his participation in class appropriately. Specific peers may be better equipped to articulate projects visually for this student.

Health & Safety Concerns: There are no health and safety concerns for this project.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Students will be instructed to put away art materials neatly in their containers, clean off their tables, and recycle their trash two minutes prior to dismissal.

Assessment: The teacher will grade the studio assignment and worksheet according to a rubric included with the standard grading charts of the district.

Student samples of ceramic pies

Side view of ceramic pies

Grimm's pie pattern for ceramic pie project

All articles and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm

a "galimoto" art lesson plan

Front, side and back views of my galimoto.

Grade Levels: 4^th-6^th graders

Topic: Recycling, Environmental Themes in Art, Contemporary African Culture

Goals & Objectives:

1. Students will learn about the nature of recycling through the telling of a story about a small African boy who builds his own toys from the materials he asks his relatives for in the village where he lives.
2. The goal of this project is to introduce 4-6 graders to environmental themes and contemporary African culture. Through the classroom discussions stimulated by “Galimoto’s Game,” students will make comparisons between what they are capable of manufacturing themselves to what children in Africa produce from similar reusable materials.
3. This unit is designed to serve as a precursor to many future activities in the classroom. It is a playful introductory exercise. Students should not be expected to craft excellent studio projects. They should explore, cut, paste, and tear apart the supplies. During this session they are learning to manipulate materials that they will use with greater aptitude in future art projects.
4. Manipulating 3-dimensional objects takes a host of experiences in order to establish confidence in young students. This exercise will also prepare students to think about how they may proceed to develop sculpture in future classroom experiences.
5. It is important for American students to draw analogies between themselves and students of different countries and communities of different ethnic/cultural diversity. This helps them to comprehend that they live in a global community where they must adapt to the differences between themselves and others in order to peacefully occupy the same planet and indeed the very same neighborhoods. This simple lesson in culture teaches students that they have similar interests to children of their own age in a country far away. It develops in students a greater understanding of a common identity and purpose. 

National Arts Standards: Visual Arts (5-8 grade) - Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.

Achievement Standard -

• Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures
• Students describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
• Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art

Show-Me Standards for Missouri Schools: In Fine Arts, students in Missouri public schools will acquire a solid foundation which includes knowledge of

1. process and techniques for the production, exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
2. the principles and elements of different art forms 

3. the vocabulary to explain perceptions about and evaluations of works in dance, music, theater and visual arts

GLEs - Strand I: Product/Performance – Select and apply three-dimensional media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas and solve challenging visual art problems for Sculpture, Ceramics or other media.

Sculpture, Ceramics, Other Media

·      Combine simple forms to create a complex object/form (in-the-round)

Strand I: Product/Performance - Communicate ideas about subject matter and themes in artworks created for various purposes.

Theme

Create an original artwork that communicates ideas about

• The Environment
• Functions of Art in Culture
• Personal Identity

Strand III : Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks

Aesthetics

Discuss and develop answers to questions about art, such as: Who decides what makes an artwork special, valuable or good?

Length of Class Period: 55 min.

Frequency of Class Period: once a week

Time Needed: three class periods

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• One computer lap top
• Room with good lighting
• Large tables, approximately ten, each seating four students
• Two sinks
• Dry erase board
• Drying racks
• Cabinets for storage
• Projector for viewing computer video, CDs and DVDs

"Galimoto" by Karen Lynn Williams.

Education Resources Needed:

• “Galimoto” by Karen Williams
• 5-6 Question Sheets for village captains
• “Toys and Tales with Everyday Materials” (Spiralbound) by Sudarshan Khanna and Gita Wolf by Tara Publishing. This book is not necessary for this particular assignment. It compliments the unit. In it teachers will find a host of simpler toys that younger students can make for this unit instead of manipulating a more elaborate toy from the materials that we have suggested. In other words, the toys described in this volume will work for K-3.

Materials Needed:

1. Masking tapes (one role for every two students)
2. Elmer’s school glue (one bottle for every two students)
3. Variety of bright tissue papers (many colors, two or three sheets per student)
4. Newsprint/Newspaper (approximately four Sunday papers)
5. Scissors (one pair per student)
6. wire/pipe-cleaners (wire for much older students, pipe-cleaners for younger students – ten or twelve stems)
7. plastic mesh (Children use chicken wire in Africa but I have chosen to use plastic mesh from Home Depot to eliminate some cuts and pricks!)
8. foil (two roles of aluminum foil per class of 30 students)
9. cardstock or old cardboard (one to two cereal or cracker boxes per student)

Vocabulary Words & Definitions:

1. cooperation – the practice of working with someone else peacefully
2. environmental – relating to the surroundings
3. recycle – the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products
4. “Galimoto” – means "car" in Chichewa
5. persistence- continuance of an effect
6. sculpture- the art or practice of shaping figures or designs
7. resourceful-  able to act effectively or imaginatively especially in difficult situations
8. compromise- a settlement of differences
9. found materials- scraps found and used in unconventional ways
10. design- organization or structure of formal elements in a work of art

Motivation – Looking and Talking Activity: The students will be introduced to the projects unique object through the reading of the book “Galimoto” During this reading they will be seated to the front of the classroom so that every student may see the pictures and hear the instructor’s voice properly. This particular book describes “how” a galimoto is made by a small boy named Kondi. Then the class will play the Galimoto Game. This game helps them gather their art supplies in such a way as to reinforce the actions of Kondi in the storybook.

Class Discussion: “A Galimoto Game” This game combines topically relevant questions with the acquisition of supplies. Create around your art classroom five small stations (village homes) where each child must visit in order to acquire a different recyclable for this art project. We have chosen the five items listed below for our project. Teachers may choose different items according to whatever supplies they may have at their disposal.

      Assign five students (village captains or relatives) from your class to be in charge of each station. Each of these five students must ask a question(s) from the list below of every student remaining in the classroom. Encourage the students to be thoughtful in their answers. When the visiting student has answered the question he may then collect his or her alloted portion of the recycled material from each station. Students should answer a total of five questions at five different stations in order to accumulate the resources needed to construct their toys. After the students have collected their supplies, each person may then return to his or her desk and begin the studio project. Tools such as: scissors, markers, rulers etc.. will already be made available at each table in the art classroom.

      Questions for constructed response assessment should be printed and distributed to every student in charge of supply stations. Teachers may wish to give only one or two of these to each game captain/relative. Print the list or parts of it prior to the discussion and bring it with you to class. Teachers will need to hand out as many lists as there are team captains.

1. Why did Kondi need to go to so many different people in order to find the supplies he needed to make his toy with?
2. If you were going to make a toy at home, what kinds of recyclable supplies would you collect in order to make it?
3. What is more valuable, a toy that you purchase at a store, or a toy you build yourself?
4. Can you list three different materials that Kondi collected to construct his car with?
5. What types of tools would you use to make and shape a recycled toy of your own?
6. Which one of your family members would know the most about where you could find throw away materials to build a toy with?
7. Did Kondi’s family have confidence in his ability to make a car from recycled parts?
8. What surprised you the most about Kondi’s handmade toy?
9. How long do you think it would take you to build a handmade toy car?
10. What was the most important ingredient used to by Kondi to construct his toy car?
11. Do you think that there are people who would value a handmade toy over a store bought toy? why?
12. What kind of toy would you make if you lived in Kondi's village?
13. What are some other kinds of objects that you have seen people make out of recyclable materials?
14. What kinds of smaller parts will you need to build first before combining them altogether to craft the final toy project?

Step by Step Activities:

1. After playing “Galimotos Game,” students will then return to their assigned seating to manipulate their materials into a toy of their own design. The teacher will need to observe the class to predetermine whether or not to continue the project for another class period.
2. The teacher will then demonstrate the different stages of building a galimoto similar to the examples she has shown to the class.
3. Students will wrap their wire human figures then set these aside.
4. Students will then wrap wire pipe cleaners around paper tubes to create wheels.
5. Students will attach these wheel shapes to either pre-constructed bike forms or they may choose to design a different galimoto of their own.

Modifications for Students With Special Needs -

Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student:

• Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
• Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
• The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents

Modifications for the student with limited vision or blindness:

• Students will be allowed to observe samples of art projects with their hands and for extended periods of time
• Students will be provided with safe tools and one-on-one guidance during a demonstration of the project
• The project may be slightly adjusted to accommodate the student’s limitations or for safety reasons
• Student will be given ample time to exist classroom before large crowds gather outside of the classroom.

Modifications for students with mild brain injury:

• Students will be provided with duplicate instructions for home and school. Student will not need to remember to carry home materials to review.
• Students will be given ample time to exist classroom with a pre-determined aid or peer before the official end of a class.
• Instructor will provide for parent e-mail communication concerning the progress and needs of their student.
• Student may be given special seat assignment in order to enable his participation in class appropriately. Specific peers may be better equipped to articulate projects visually for this student.

Health & Safety Concerns: We suggest that pipe cleaners or coated electrical wire be used with this project. Plastic mesh may also be used as a safer substitute for wire mesh to prevent cuts.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Cleanup time for this project will take approximately two to five minutes. Have a number of bins or paper bags set up at the front or back of the room that are clearly labeled according to the recyclable you wish the students to return to that particular bin. Tools, tape and glue may be returned to the shelves and drawers the teacher has assigned them to.

Internet Bibliography: African Innovations In Recycled Toys and General Information About Recycling in African Countries

1. More African Toy Vehicles by Street Use - http://www.kk.org/streetuse/archives/toys/
2. Toy exhibition highlights African ingenuity - http://www.germanyandafrica.diplo.de/Vertretung/pretoria__dz/en/__PR/2009__PR/10/10__Global__Players,archiveCtx=2004826.html
3. Trickle Up celebrates 25 years of micro-entrepreneurs - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/11/trickle_up_cele.php
4. The Art of Play: Recycled Toys from Around the World - http://www.streetplay.com/playfulworld/recycledtoys.shtml
5. Recycling and the Law in Africa - http://socialenterprising.indegoafrica.org/2009/06/recycling-and-law-in-africa.html
6. Recycled and Improvised Materials at Design Indaba - http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/recycled-and-improvised-materials-at-design-indaba.html
7. Real-World Recycling Puts U.S. to Shame - http://www.livescience.com/culture/080822-hn-recycle.html
8. From Trash to Treasure: Reusing Industrial Materials for School Art Projects - http://www.edutopia.org/recycle-trash-art-projects

Video Online About Recycling Materials:

• Watch “Sandals That Save” - http://current.com/items/76352342_sandals-that-save.htm
• Anthony Hansen makes art from metal recycle found car parts - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ4q7cVWlwY
• 20^th Annual Hawaii Artists Recycle Trash Art Show in 2008 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7QOYwYrfLU&feature=related
• See to Believe: Can Man, very cute! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg5SaVARh4A&feature=related

All articles, photos and lesson plans are copyrighted by grimm 2011

Teacher sample of a galimoto made from wire and newspaper, full length.

An authentic "galimoto" from Kenya, this one is a helicopter.

Helicopter from above

Ten Thousand Villages Video

a recycled landscape "don't pave paradise!" lesson plan

Collage made from magazine clippings helps students learn
 about color, perspective and recycled materials. Also an excellent
 exercise for learning about Impressionism. Note. the
 original photo is at the top left corner.

Title: A Recycled Landscape: “Don’t Pave Paradise!”

Topic: How Artists Relate To The Land, environmentally friendly artworks

Goals & Objectives:

• Students appreciate understand connections between art and nature.
• Students create an original artwork that communicates the both the theme of nature and environmental preservation.
• Students understand how cultural beliefs are connected to nature.
• Students represent color theory and depth perception in an original artwork.

GLEs:

PP.1.A.HS Level 4 Select and apply drawing media and techniques that demonstrate sensitivity and subtlety in use of the media, engagement with experimentation and/or risk taking, and informed decision making.

PP.1.B.HS Level 4 Communicate ideas about subject matter and themes in artworks created for various purposes. Create a series of original, related, functional artworks that communicate a personal idea.

EP.2.B.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use shapes expressively to communicate ideas

EP.2.D.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use textures expressively to communicate ideas.

EP.2.E.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use color expressively to communicate ideas.

EP.2.F.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use value expressively to communicate ideas.

AP.3.A.HS Level 4 Analyze and evaluate art using art vocabulary to interpret the meaning of the work. (subject, theme, symbolism, message communicated)

Missouri Show-Me Standards:

                  • (VA1) FA1 – Artists communicate ideas through artworks by selecting and applying media techniques and processes, subject matter, and themes.

                  • (VA2) FA2 - Artists communicate ideas through artworks by selecting and applying art elements and principles.

Grade: 9^th – 12^th

Length of Class Period: 55 min.

Frequency of Class Period: 5 days a week

Time Needed: 5 class periods

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• One computer lap top
• Room with good lighting
• Large tables, approximately ten, each seating four students
• Two sinks
• Dry erase board
• Drying racks
• Cabinets for storage
• Projector for viewing computer video, CDs and DVDs

Resources Needed:

• Power Point about landscape artists
• Music about environmental issues. I will play these selections during studio time.
• Youtube video about recycled art works
• Paper shredder 

Materials Per Student:

• A selection of magazines, any type (4-5 magazines per student, provided by art dept.
• Scissors
• A photograph, drawing, printed image from the internet or magazine photo of a landscape that the student has selected for personal preferences
• One 22” x 28” poster board
• MOD PODGE or watered down glue
• Old paint foam brushes
• Large zip lock bag for shredded paper

Vocabulary/Terminology:

1. Background – the ground or parts, as of a scene, situated in the rear
2. Center of Interest – an emphasized area of the composition
3. Collage – technique of creating a work of art by adhering flat articles, such as paper, fabrics, string or other materials to a flat surface such as canvas whereby a three-dimensional result is achieved
4. Depth of field – the area in front of and behind the focused point that is sharp
5. Foreground – the ground of parts of a scene nearest to the viewer
6. Foreshortening – a form of perspective where the nearest parts of an object or form are enlarged so that the rest of the form appears to go back in space
7. Horizon line – a level line where the land or water ends and the sky begins. A horizon line is used to attain the perspective of depth. (Vanishing points are typically located on this line.)
8. Landscape – a painting, drawing or photograph which depicts outdoor scenery
9. Middle ground – represented space between the foreground and background
10. Mosaic – an art medium in which small pieces of colored glass, stone, or ceramic tile are embedded in a background material such as plaster or mortar.
11. Movement – the path that our eyes follow when we look at a work of art
12. Seascape – a painting or work of pictorial art that depicts the sea or a scene that includes the sea
13. Vanishing point – the point on the horizon in the distance where two lines seem to converge and visibility ends
14. Recycling - the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products
15. Environment - relating to the surroundings

Motivation- Looking and Talking Activity:

1. Hand out to the students cut and scored parts of a larger landscape poster (choose a famous landscape painting)
2. Ask them questions about the cards like: What do you think of this image?, Do you like it or dislike it?, What stands out about it to you?
3. Does it have a good design or sense of balance?
4. Then ask the students to flip their card over to read the number.
5. Have the students match their numbered pieces to the larger graph on the board so that the original image is reconstructed again on the board.
6. Give them some masking tape so that they can recreate the poster successfully.
7. Ask more questions like: Now what do you think of the whole picture?
8. Are there any new elements apparent in the reconstructed landscape?
9. Present the Power Point and talk about the perspectives each artist represented might have had about nature.
10. At the end of the presentation talk about the importance of preserving nature by keeping it clean. Also talk about the importance of recycling and how this ultimately protects the environment. Relate these concepts to our contemporary lifestyles and philosophy.

Step-by-Step Studio Activity Specifics:

• Students will be encouraged to use all types of paper recyclables in their collages.
• Students will shred and paste papers according to color schemes.
• Students will be encouraged to invent textures and shapes that communicate the elements of a landscape.
• After cutting and pasting for several days. Students will then be allowed to finish their work properly with MOD PODGE or watered down glue

Health & Safety Concerns: There are no health and safety concerns for this project.

Special Needs Adaptations:

Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student:

• Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
• Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
• The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Students will be instructed to put away art materials neatly in their containers, clean off their tables, and recycle their trash two minutes prior to dismissal.

Assessment: I will be using an informal assessment for this project. I should discuss with students their projects daily and listen for their comprehension of the criteria and the appropriate use of the vocabulary.

All photos, articles and lesson plans are copyrighted by Grimm 2011 

"Things You Have to See to Believe: This unusual man makes a fashionably bold statement by recycling old materials into clothes!"

The Hot Seat Strategy

      The Hot Seat is a role-playing strategy that encourages students to build upon comprehension skills. It is a very popular way to promote literature and keep students pre-occupied with the story selections used most frequently in a drama or a literature classroom. Students may also learn to refine their oral language skills while pretending to be someone of an alternative time period/culture depending on the characters selected.

      The instructor chooses a story that his or her students must read over carefully and then selects one or two characters from it for his students to portray in the hot seat. Some teachers allow their students to freely select a character from their reading assignment that they find interesting. Students who are not assigned to the hot seat are required to compose thoughtful questions to ask the student who is assuming a new identity. This strategy requires more than convincing theatrics in order to portray their persona effectively. The student sitting in the “hot seat” must also research their character carefully so that he or she will also be able to answer questions accurately. Students are encouraged to ask questions that may not be based upon the story, but upon the opinions or habits of the character according to his or her history or culture as well.

How to prepare for this activity:

1.     Study the background history of the literature, author and character that you will be pretending to be.

2.     Create a costume or prompts that accurately reflect the time period in which your character lives.

3.     Think about and prepare to share important facts about your character before sitting in the hot seat.

4.     Answer questions and prepare a brief speech about the your character and present your answers and story in the first-person.

5.     Remain in your role during all of your presentation. Keep in character as long as you are in the hot seat.

6.     If another student is talking about your character, be sure to clarify any misunderstandings you may think he has concerning your role in the literature.

      When teachers are working with younger audiences, they may decide to take the “hot seat” themselves. Small children love to pretend and this activity livens up a story for them in a very unique fashion. Teachers may choose a historical character in order to review more than just the story their students have read. The ‘’hot seat’’ is an excellent way to introduce unique objects or concepts that represent are particular era. Even science may be introduced to a classroom through the portrayal of a famous scientist in the hot seat. It is by far a greater advantage to choose a persona who you are very familiar with. This will make the “acting out” of your character seem natural to your audience. Challenge your young readers to research their questions before interacting with a performer in a “hot seat.” If you find this strategy successful and educational, you may even consider making it an annual event and acquiring a formal costume to enhance your student’s experiences.

all articles, photographs and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm

Cluster Diagrams

      Above is an example of an unorganized cluster that I drew for either a Incan, Myan or Aztec cultural unit.  In order for students to develop this graph, they must first select a topic. In art class this topic could be about an art movement, an artist, a particular culture or even a collection at a museum. After labeling the topic in the center of the graph, students then draw “rays” and write attributes they associate with their topic on or below the lines representing the design elements of a sun or the web-like structure of a spider web.

      Below, I’ve included a sample of an organized cluster. Organized clusters include more topics and subcategories. Both types of clusters may be used by art students to brainstorm about how they will design a project, assess the information they have viewed in a Power Point, film or heard in a lecture. Clusters are also excellent tools to use with students learning a new language. With a combination of pictures and words students can remember unfamiliar vocabulary or record words they need to know for tests or papers.

      Clusters may be also used in small group discussions or may be used by the teacher while having a large group discussion. Teachers may call on students to give ideas about a topic and then write these on a cluster organizer posted on the board at the front of the classroom as the students vocalize their opinions and/or correct answers. 

all articles, photographs and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm