World Crafts

Grade Level: 9-12

American Coil Vessels

Unit: Native

Desired Outcomes
Standards/ Established Goals:
G1. Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles, and expressive qualities of the arts. (25A)
G2. Understand processes, traditional tools, and modern technologies used in the arts. (26A)
G3. Apply skills and knowledge necessary to create and perform in one or more of the arts. (26B)
G4. Analyze how the arts function in history, society, and everyday life. (27A)
G5. Understand how the arts shape and reflect history, society, and everyday life. (27B)
Source: ISBE Visual Art Learning Standards

Catholic Identity (NSBECS) Standards:

Standard 7: An excellent Catholic school has a clearly articulated rigorous curriculum aligned with relevant standards, 21st
century skills, and Gospel values, implemented through effective instruction.
Standard 8: An excellent Catholic school uses school-wide assessment methods and practices to document student learning and
program effectiveness, to make student performances transparent, and to inform the continuous review of curriculum and the
improvement of instructional practices.

Prerequisite
Skills/Concepts:
P1. Understand that crafts are utilitarian
and aesthetic. Crafts are traditions and
skills passed on from one generation to
the next.
P2. Understand the score and slip
technique and how to keep clay from
drying out while working on a project for
several weeks.

Knowledge: Students will

know
K1. Native Americans used natural
materials from their surroundings to
make coiled vessels for practical

Advanced Skills/Concepts:
A1. Understand the arts and crafts movement.
A2. Create designs in the coil basket using wrap and lace techniques.

Skills: Students will be able to do

S1.Create a coil basket using rope and yarn, with wrapping and lacing techniques.
S2. Label the parts of a vessel.
S3. Create a ceramic coil pot and paint it with geometric patterns and designs.

purposes.
K2. Native Americans materials, styles,
and purposes for these vessels differ from
region to region.
K3. Changes in society caused changes in
the purpose and creation of these
vessels.
K4. Modern artisans have revived ancient
styles and traditions.
K5. Coiled vessels can be made from clay,
plants, bone, and fibers using different
tools and techniques.

Understandings: Students will understand

U1. That elements and principles can be used to create objects that are not only useful, but beautiful as well.
U2. The processes and tools for creating coiled baskets and pots.
U3. How Native American crafts function in, shape, and reflect American history.

Catholic Identity Understandings:

God is the Potter; we are the clay. Before making our clay pots, we will read various Bible verses and discuss this metaphor.
God designed us and made us for His purpose. We are like jars of clay, vessels for Gods Spirit. As we make pottery, hopefully
these metaphors will resonate with the students and lead them to a deeper understanding of God and themselves.
Is 45:9-10, Is 64:8, Jer 18:1-6, Rom 9:21, 2 Cor 4:7

Essential Questions:

Q1. Why did Native Americans make baskets and pottery? How did this change as
society evolved?

Q2. In what ways have the processes and tools for making these containers stayed the
same? In what ways have they changed?

Q3. How does the use of the elements and principles of art make an object not only
functional, but a work of art?

Q4. How is God like a Potter and how are we like clay?

Assessment Evidence

1. Coiled Basket (Criteria)

Form
Craftsmanship
Color Scheme
Time/Effort
Advanced Skill/Effort:
Double Lacing
Woven Pattern
Adding to the rope to make a bigger basket
2. Ceramic Coil Pot (Criteria)
Form
Craftsmanship
Decoration
Time/Effort
3. Quiz: Multiple Choice and Short Answer on Native American Basketry and Pottery, tools, techniques, terms, and essential
questions

Pre-Assessment
Verbal survey: Have you made
baskets or coil pots before? What
techniques have you used to
attach pieces of clay? What type
of baskets or pottery do you have
in your house? How were they
made?
Pottery: Draw and label the parts of
a vase.

Formative Assessment
Discussion of essential questions in
class
Monitoring student work
Coiled Basket Rubric with Native
American Basketry Questions
Ceramic Coil Pot Rubric with
Southwest Pottery Questions

Summative Assessment
Quiz

Learning Activities:
1. Introduce Coiled Basket Project. Show and discuss examples. Have students sketch a
design for their own basket, planning out the form and color scheme. Demonstrate how
to start a Coiled Basket, how to hold and wrap the coils, how to position the coils to make
a base and then curve up the walls, and how to switch colors.
2. Analyze Native American Pottery and Baskets. Locate tribal regions on a map. Learn
about 3 woven basket examples from the northwest, arctic, and southeast.
3. Continue Coiled Baskets. Review switching colors, demonstrate how to add onto your coil
if you want to make a bigger basket, watch video on tapering in and creating patterns,
and then demonstrate how to finish the basket.
4. Research more examples of coiled baskets and watch some instructional videos. If you
were going to make a bigger, better basket, what would it look like, what materials would
you use, and what techniques would you try? Draw your idea.
5. View and discuss Southwest Coil Pots. Fill a page with designs found on SW pottery. Plan
the form and decoration of a coil pot you will make.
6. Demonstrate coil pottery techniques: rolling coils, spiraling, score and slip, and blending.
Students make a coil pot. Burnish and let dry.
7. Paint the coil pot white and let dry. Paint on geometric designs and patterns using thinned
black paint. Varnish.
8. Review essential questions, tools, techniques, and terms. Take a short quiz on Native
American Coiled Containers.

Catholic Identity Learning Activities:

Devotion God as the Potter and His people as the clay. Reflective Written Response.

Instructional Resources:
Picturing America Visual and Teachers Resource Book
You Tube Instructional Videos
Pinterest Examples
Teachers Examples
Bible

Critical Terms:
Coil
Base
Parts of a Vase: Foot, Belly, Shoulder, Neck, Lip, Mouth
Score
Slip
Burnish
Varnish
Geometric
Form
Decoration
Craftsmanship