Sacred Images - Pueblo Pottery

Summary

Students will create a clay piece that represents Pueblo pottery and shows a contrast of two colors with repeating patterns in black and white.

Materials

• Modeling clay
• White Play-doh
• Fine black permanent marker
• Pueblo Pottery Example (pdf)

Background for Teachers

• Meaning of pottery
• Refer to Native Americans: Primary, The Education Center, The Best of The Mailbox Theme Series (ISBN 1-56234-500-1)

"Making fine pottery has always been important to the Pueblo. The clay pots made by Pueblo ancestors were used for cooking, serving, and storing food. Today Pueblo artists still hand-form their clay pots. Because Pueblo pottery is prized by collectors from around the world, it is an excellent source of income for many Pueblo Native Americans."

Share books of Pueblo pottery designs for the children to explore.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate responsible, emotion al and cognitive behaviors.
2. Communicate clearly in oral artistic, written, and nonverbal form

• Students will use fine motor skills as they learn the process of pinching the clay. They will decorate the pot or turtle by using repeating patterns in black and white. They will gain an understanding of making Pueblo pottery.

Instructional Procedures

1. Show and discuss repeating patterns in black and white Pueblo pottery.
2. Demonstrate how to shape a pinch pot or a pinch turtle from a ball of clay and explain that Pueblo children used these shapes when they learned to make clay pottery.
3. Have class practice this with modeling clay.
4. The student will decide which shape they want to create with the Play-doh.
5. When the students' pottery pieces have dried (perhaps a day or two later), have the students use fine black permanent marker to embellish the pottery pieces with repeating patterns.

Extensions