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Learning Objectives 

Students will: 

• Analyze pottery throughout history in different cultures.
• Examine the works of Maria Martinez and Kerry Moosman. 
• Identify and describe burnishing techniques. 
• Create a small, three-dimensional bowl using water-based clay and burnishing techniques for the surface treatment.

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts StandardsNational Core Arts Standards

Common Core State StandardsCommon Core State Standards

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

Websites

Video

Materials

• Water-based clay
• Metal spoon
• Kiln
  

Teacher Background

Teachers should be familiar with the history of ceramics, cultural characteristics, and how they have been used throughout history. Teachers will need experience constructing and decorating a burnished coil pot.

Student Prerequisites 

Students should have some experience working with water-based clay.

Accessibility Notes

Provide assistive tools, attachments, and work stations for the pottery-making process. Allow sufficient space for movement around the room.

Engage

1. Give students a small ball of clay. Ask students: How does clay feel in your hands? Is it cool? Smooth? Malleable? Easy-to-use? How would your ancestors have used clay? When? Where would they get it?

2. Display the burnished clay pottery, . Present a historical overview of basic clay pottery like “Curled Dog.” 

3. Share the website, , with students. Have students explore a variety of examples with different finished surface decorations. Ask students: How were ceramics used over time? What are the unique ceramic characteristics of different cultures, such as ancient Greece, ancient China, Japan, England, and the Americas? Tell students that clay has been used to create functionary items for many centuries. Shards (small pieces of fired pottery) are found from every culture in our past.

4. Introduce to students. Review keywords and definitions related to pottery types and techniques. 

5. Explain the difference between burnishing and glazing pottery. explains the technique necessary to create burnish ceramics. Show a variety of clay pots that are burnished rather than glazed. 

6. Engage students in a discussion about burnishing pottery. Ask students: Why burnish? What is the difference between burnishing and other methods? When is glazing better? When is it not necessary? What are we going to do that is different or unusual in this lesson?

Build

1. Introduce students to the work of and . Martinez used the burnishing effect to create traditional Pueblo pottery styles. Moosman studied ceramics and pottery techniques, also using the burnishing technique to inform his creations. 

2. Display or . Have students observe, describe, discuss, and compare ceramic bowls that are made for decorative and functional purposes throughout history.

3. Demonstrate a basic pinch pot or coil pot if your class is a second-level ceramics class. Emphasize the importance of maintaining an equal thickness throughout the clay body. This is important no matter what level or clay technique you are teaching. If necessary, introduce or review the scoring/cross-hatching technique, as well as the process of slowly drying the clay piece.

4. Using pre-made clay bowls, demonstrate burnishing with a polished stone or spoon in three stages:

1. Gently, just as the bowl begins to harden

2. When the bowl is leather hard; and

3. When the bowl is air-dried (this is the final burnishing)

(Lightly mist the pot with water before burnishing in steps 2 and 3.)

There are quite a few options as you approach the end. Some potters like to use sandpaper for the final burnishing. Others suggest spraying the outer surface of the dry bowl with vegetable oil and then rubbing. Mr. Moosman uses lard. All produce smooth results when combined with patience and persistence. Students can also watch the demonstration to support their understanding of this technique.

5. Review objectives, vocabulary, and processes. Specify storage, drying, and clean up procedures.

Apply

1. Have students create their own bowls. Pass out materials and 1-2 pounds of water-based clay to each student. More clay may be necessary if students are advanced in ceramics.

2. Model and share the with students. The instructions are intended for a coil bowl. 

Reflect 

1. Assess students’ knowledge of pottery. Examine the three-dimensional clay bowl shape and how they incorporated burnishing to make a smooth, glossy surface.