SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay

Students learn how to join pieces of clay using the score and slip technique. They practice the technique by making a small texture tile.

Required Time

80 Minutes

Grade Level

Grade 1 to Grade 10

Subject

Art Techniques

Vocabulary

relief sculpture score slab slip texture

Materials

Crayola Air Dry Clay Plastic Placemats Pencils Garlic Press Paper Clips Masking Tape Candy Apple Sticks Slip Crayola Paintbrushes Water Contianers Rolling Pin or Piece of Dowel

Shop Crayola Products

Air-Dry Clay 1.13 kg White

Steps

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step One

Step One

Make a gouging tool by taping a large paperclip to the end of a pencil. Make a pin tool by taping an open paperclip to the end of a pencil. Gather other tools such as a rolling pin, or dowel, garlic press, toothbrush, skewer and candy apple stick. 

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Two

Step Two

Slip is what you use to help hold the clay together. It is just watery clay. You can either have students make their own, or make enough for the class prior to beginning this lesson. To make slip begin by placing several lumps of clay into a container and adding a small amount of water.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Three

Step Three

Mix the clay and water together. If it is too watery add more clay and continue to squeeze the clay through your fingers until it disolves.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Four

Step Four

The slip should be the consistency of thick cream. You will use this slip when you join two pieces of clay to each other.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Five

Step Five

To begin this project take a small ball of clay and flatten it with your fingers and the palm of your hand.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Six

Step Six

Use a rolling pin or piece of dowel to roll it into a slab about 1.5 cm thick. 

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Seven

Step Seven

Use the pin tool to scratch cross hatched lines into the clay where you want to join another piece of clay. This is called scoring the clay.  

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Eight

Step Eight

Paint slip on top of the score lines. This is called 'score and slip' technique.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Nine

Step Nine

Place a small ball of clay into the garlic press and squeeze it out.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Ten

Step Ten

Place it on top of the scored and slipped spot and gently blend the edges into the slab to make a smooth join.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Eleven

Step Eleven

Roll a long thin coil of clay. As you roll the clay spread your fingers and apply gentle, even pressure to slowly stretch the clay.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Twelve

Step Twelve

Score and slip the spot where you will join the coil to the slab.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Thirteen

Step Thirteen

Place the coil on the prepared spot and use the back of your fingernail to joing the edges to the slab.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Fourteen

Step Fourteen

Smooth the clay with your finger. Add a small amount of slip if needed.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Fifteen

Step Fifteen

Use the gouging tool to scrape away some of the clay from the slab.

SCORE AND SLIP – Joining Pieces of Clay - Step Sixteen

Step Sixteen

Continue adding and removing clay to create at least 3 levels. Experiment with ways to make different textures. Always remember to score and slip before adding any pieces of clay. 

Learning Goals

Students will be able to:

  1. Join pieces of air dry clay using the score and slip technique;
  2. Create two simple tools;
  3. Create a variety of textures and levels of clay on a slab;
  4. Build on their own and others’ discoveries to generate new ideas;
  5. Explain their process; and
  6. Express opinions about the works.

Extensions

  1. Provide opportunities for students to create an artwork using the ideas they have learned. For example, 
    Egyptian Cartouche
    Seven Grandfather Teachings
    Animals in Winter
    Medicine Wheel
    Clay Gargoyle
    Seated Clay Figure

Prepare

  1. Place students in groups so they can share slip and tools.
  2. Gather plastic placemats one for each student.
  3. Make enough slip for each group of students to share.

 

Introduction

  1. Explain that air dry clay is a special formula made so it can dry in the air in about a week. Usually clay has to be baked in a large oven called a kiln.
  2. Explain that today's class is for learning how to join clay so that it will stay together after it dries. Clay shrinks when it dries so if the join isn't made correctly all the pieces will fall off.
  3. Explain that today's class is for experimenting with the clay to see how many textures and effects they can create and testing to see if everything stays stuck once the clay dries.
  4. It's a time to play with ideas and see what happens.
  5. They should try to get as many different effects as they can, share ideas and learn from each other.
  6. Introduce the challenge.

Activities

The Challenge

  1. Create two simple tools, a gouging tool and a pin tool.
  2. Roll a small slab of clay of even thickness.
  3. Make a texture design that has at least 3 levels and many different textures.
  4. Join pieces of clay using the score and slip technique.

 

The Process

  1. Demonstrate how to make the two tools. 
  2. Demonstrate how to use the garlic press and ask for ideas about how to use some of the other tools.
  3. Demonstrate how to roll a small slab of clay of even thickness.
  4. Guide students through the steps outlined in this lesson plan.
  5. Observe students as they work. 
  6. Provide individual assistance and encouragement.

Sharing

  1. Place students into small groups. 
  2. Ask them to: 
    - Compare their work and describe to each other what they did to get certain effects.
    - Consider how doing these experiments might help them if they were creating a clay project such as a sculpture or clay pot.
    - Talk about was difficult and what was easy for them.
  3. Share ideas with the whole class. 
  4. Ask them to tell how they felt about doing this activity.

Assessment

  1. Observe students as they work  – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
  2. Observe students as they discuss the art works – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
  3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Download - TECHNIQUES_tracking.pdf)
  4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Download - TECHNIQUES_self-assessment.pdf or TECHNIQUES_PRIMARY.pdf)

 

Downloads

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