Clay travellers: figures from the Silk Road
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a patterned clay tile of a Silk Roads traveller.
Key learning points
- Clay can be shaped and patterned to show movement, history, and identity.
- Artists like Anna Boghiguian use figures to connect places and people.
- The Silk Roads were ancient routes where people traded goods, ideas, and stories.
- Women were important in making and storytelling on the Silk Roads.
Keywords
Figure - a drawing, painting or sculpture of a person
Clay - a material from the ground that we can shape with our hands
Silk Roads - old trade routes that people used to travel and swap goods and ideas
Common misconception
Only men were important in history and trade.
Women played key roles such as making silk, running markets and sharing stories. Artists invite us to think about this through their work.
Teacher tip
Some pupils may find it helpful to practise arranging pre-cut shapes before making their own in Task A. It is advisable to have access to historical imagery associated with the Silk Road for contextual understanding.
Equipment
Clay, clay boards, clay tools, paper, glue, pressing tools, string, historical imagery associated with the Silk Road.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What big idea does Antoni Tàpies show in his art?
Q2.What do borders on a map do?
Q3.What did the artist Antoni Tàpies use to make his art?
Q4.Put the steps in the correct order to make a collage and paint new countries.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of these can be made from clay?
Q2.Why did people on the Silk Roads make art and figures?
Q3.Match the word to what it means.
Q4.What are the Silk Roads?
To help you plan your 2 art and design lesson on: Clay travellers: figures from the Silk Road, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 art and design lesson on: Clay travellers: figures from the Silk Road, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 art and design lessons from the Art that travels: stories, land and journeys unit, dive into the full primary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.