New
New
Lesson 2 of 4
  • Year 1

Make a clay picture

I can make a clay picture from patterns and colours from the earth.

Lesson 2 of 4
New
New
  • Year 1

Make a clay picture

I can make a clay picture from patterns and colours from the earth.

These resources were made for remote use during the pandemic, not classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Patterns can be made through colour and shape.
  2. Clay and colour come from the Earth and should be shared and respected.
  3. People have used spirals in art for thousands of years, across cultures and time.

Keywords

  • Clay - a soft, sticky material from the ground that can be shaped into different forms

  • Earth colours - colours that come from clay, sand, rock and earth

  • Pattern - repeating lines, shapes or colours

  • Spiral - shape that goes round and round, starting small and getting bigger

Common misconception

We can use as much clay from the Earth as we want!

Remind pupils that we share natural resources and use them carefully, so there is enough for everyone.


To help you plan your year 1 art and design lesson on: Make a clay picture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If working with clay accross several sessions, damp cloths can be laid over the clay boards to prevent it from drying out.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Clay, clay tools, clay boards, experimental tools, pencils, paper, scissors, masking tape, natural dyes, paintbrushes.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What do some artists draw maps of?

phone games and quizzes
Correct answer: journeys, memories and stories
what to eat for lunch

Q2.
What did Jasper Johns like to paint?

spaceships and planets
dinosaurs and dragons
Correct answer: numbers, flags and maps

Q3.
Who was Dorothy Napangardi?

Correct answer: an artist from Australia who painted her land
a singer who sang songs
a lady who made toys

Q4.
What tool did Dorothy Napangardi use to make her art?

sculpting tool
Correct answer: dotting tool
pencil

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What can artists find in nature to make art?

Correct answer: leaves and sticks
phones and TVs
games and toys

Q2.
Which colours are called earth colours?

pink, purple and blue
Correct answer: brown, yellow, and red
blue, green and pink

Q3.
Match the words to the correct meaning.

Correct Answer:clay,soft earth that you can shape

soft earth that you can shape

Correct Answer:earth colours,colours from the soil and rocks

colours from the soil and rocks

Correct Answer:pattern,a shape or design that repeats again and again

a shape or design that repeats again and again

Correct Answer:spiral,a line that goes around and around in a circle

a line that goes around and around in a circle

Q4.
Put these steps in order to make a clay picture.

1 - Choose your clay.
2 - Shape the clay with your hands.
3 - Make patterns or spirals on the clay.
4 - Paint your picture with earth colours.