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Chadwick, B. (1970, January 01). Barbara Chadwick. Retrieved from http://chadwickdesign.blogspot.com/

By: Ella Robinson

December 2018
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Introductory information:
• Title: Beginning Ceramics: Designing your own teapot
• Grades: High School, grades 9-11
• Class size: 18-22 students
• Length of class period: 80 minutes four times a week
• Lesson Topic/ Description: In this lesson, students will design their own teapot. The
teapot must be personal, thinking about family, stories, power, symbols, design, etc. The students have to design
a teapot thinking about function, texture, patterns, design, shape, and color.

STAGE 1: DESIRED RESULTS

A. ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
• Art making can communicate the commonalities among cultures.
• Celebrating similarities and differences among cultures affirm identities and create a sense of
community.

B. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
• What can works of art tell us about society, culture, era or community?
• How are forms and function related to works of art?

C. STANDARDS/ FRAMEWORKS:
• Methods, Materials, and Techniques. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials,
and techniques unique to the visual arts.
• Critical Response. Students will describe and analyze their own work and the work of others using
appropriate visual arts vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to
interpretation and evaluation.
• Observation, abstraction, invention, and expression. Students will demonstrate their powers of
observation, abstraction, invention, and expression in a variety of media, materials, and techniques.

D. ACQUISITION/ LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Students will analyze teapots from other cultures.
• The students will sketch out a teapot design which is personal to them thinking about family, stories,
power, symbols, design, etc.
• The students will use their sketch design to create a ceramic 3-D teapot also thinking about the function,
texture, patterns, designs, shape, handle/lid design, and glaze color.
• The students will gain the knowledge of the six stages of clay, key terms and clay kit tools and be
quizzed on these.
• The students will have a critique and share their teapots with other peers talking about the similarities
and differences among them.

STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

E. PERFORMANCE TASK OR FINAL PRODUCT:

The students will create a final product that expresses a personal design of a 3-D teapot thinking about
family, stories, power, symbols, design, etc. The teapot will be clay based. The students will experience the six
stages of clay finishing up with a glazed teapot. An example of a successful finished product will include
function, texture, patterns, design, shape, handle/lip design and glaze color. A strong teapot should hold water
and be able to be poured through the spout. A strong teapot will survive the bisque firing (first fire) with no
pieces that fell off during this stage.

F. OTHER EVIDANCE/ CONTINUUM OF ASSESSMENTS:

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• Students as a class will view other teapots from different countries learning about the history and
function behind them.
• Students will sketch their teapot on paper first before moving onto the clay.
• Students will learn key terms and the six stages on clay during this assignment.
• The teacher will give a demo showing clay techniques and the steps students should take when building
their teapot.
• The students will have a quiz based on the six stages of clay, key terms and clay kit tools.
• The students will have a critique and share their teapots with other peers talking about the personal
meaning behind each teapot.

STAGE 3: LEARNING PLAN

G. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT:

• Pencil
• Sketch paper
• Clay
• Clay tool kit- Potter's Rib, Steel Scraper, Wood
Modelling Tool, Needle Tool, Ribbon Tool, Loop Tool,
Sponge, Wire Clay Cutter
• Rolling pin
• Slip
• Paintbrush
Ceramics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.carlislearts.org/ceramics-classes/

H. RESOURCES: VISUALS, TEXT, MEDIA, AND WEB

Ceramics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.carlislearts.org/ceramics-classes/

Chadwick, B. (1970, January 01). Barbara Chadwick. Retrieved from http://chadwickdesign.blogspot.com/

Jasper52. (2017, October 31). Teapots: Steeped in History and Culture. Retrieved from
https://www.jasper52.com/blog/teapots-steeped-in-history-and-culture/

Lapiedra, J. (2012, April 10). Turkish Tea - çay. Retrieved from

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tortitri/7065718137/

Museum, V. A. (2013, July 17). How was it made? An Agate Teapot by Michelle Erickson. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6QZRFs76Yk&t=6s

Unique Teapots. (2018, July 18). Retrieved from http://dianxian2007.com/unique-teapots

Yixing clay teapot. (2018, October 17). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yixing_clay_teapot

Yunomi. (n.d.). 4 Types of Kyusu (Japanese tea pots). Retrieved from https://yunomi.life/blogs/japanese-
tea-guide/4-types-of-kyusu-japanese-tea-pots

Www.turkishcoffeeworld.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.turkishcoffeeworld.com/Tea-Pots-

s/158.htm

I. VOCABULARY WITH DEFINITIONS:

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• Coil: Technique used when hand building a ceramic piece. Coils are long ropes of clay, joining them
together, one on top of the other, with fingers or tools.
• Slap: A construction technique in which clay is rolled into thin sheets and manipulated into shapes
• Wedging: The process by which air pockets are forced out of the clay and the clay is mixed.
• Score: Technique when attaching clay together. This is done before adding slip onto the clay. The
process is often called “slip and score”.
• Kiln: Oven for firing pottery.

J. TEACHER INSTRUCTION:
• The teacher will start the lesson with a PowerPoint presentation introducing the history of teapots from
some cultures around the world.
• The teacher will show examples of unique teapots to the students during the presentation.
o The teacher will ask the students what some teapots have in common on certain slides.
• The teacher will introduce key terms explaining each term with a definition.
• The teacher will talk about the six stages of clay and describe each stage.
• The teacher will name the tools the students will be using.
• The teacher will show a video showing someone recreating an agateware teapot. Agateware is pottery
decorated with a combination of contrasting colored clays.
• The teacher will assign the project telling the students to make it personal thinking about family, stories,
power, symbols, design, etc.
• The teacher will remind the students to think about function, design, texture, shape, lid design and glaze
color when they sketch out their design.
• The teacher will give a demo of step by step instructions on where to start when building their teapot.
The teacher will also give some helpful techniques when working with the clay during the demo.
• The teacher will give the students around a month and a half to complete this project.
o First week: Demo from the teacher and a completed sketch of your teapot design and have it
approved before moving on.
o Second week: Base of the teapot leather hard.
o Third week: Attach handle and spout.
o Fourth week: Finishing touches (if it looks like more time is needed a week will be added on.)
o Fifth week: Students work will be bisque over the weekend.
o Sixth week: Quiz and glaze (critique will happen after the last firing).
• The teacher will assign a quiz based on the six stages of clay, key terms, and clay tools. It will be
multiple choice and true/false.
• The teacher will end the assignment with a class critique once everyone’s pieces have been glazed and
fired. The teacher will have the students pick someone else’s piece in the class and write on a sticky note
answering the following questions: What works well with this piece? Can you tell what the meaning is
behind the teapot making it personal to your peer? What is some positive advice you could give your
peer? The teacher will then have the students share with the class and have a class discussion.

K. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

• Do you think a teapot can have a deeper meaning than just being a functional form pouring tea?
• Do the examples of teapots I show in class help students build ideas?
• Did the students know any of the history explained in the slides about the teapots?
• How does sketching out the teapot before working with clay right away help the students?
• Is assigning the quiz to much or is it helpful for the student’s knowledge when working with clay in the
future?

L. LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
• The students will be introduced to some history of teapots in different cultures.
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• The students will sketch out a design of a teapot that has personal meaning to them and have it approved
by the teacher.
• The students will watch a demo given by the teacher of techniques and steps to build their teapot.
• The students will learn the 6 stages of clay, key terms, and tools throughout this assignment and then be
quizzed on them.
• The students will have to pace themselves throughout this project meeting the requirements for each
week.
• The students will have a critique as a class when their pieces are finished.

M. DIFFERENTIATION:
• English language learners (ELL) will have key terms such as tools, colors, and materials translated
into their native language to help them have a better understanding.
o The teacher will learn key words in their first language for a better understanding of them.
o The teacher will label certain things around the room, on worksheets, and in the PowerPoints
in their native language for them along with the English name next to it.
• For an autistic student, I am thinking about setting up a table in the back corner of the classroom
which will be quieter and out of the way from other students. They can choose to sit back there if
they like when feeling overwhelmed at times. Also, welcome to other students too.
• Depending on the needs of the student I will alter certain things in the lesson to their need.