Clay landscapes: hand building towers together
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can work collaboratively to build a clay coil structure
Key learning points
- Simon Rodia built the Watts Towers alone, using recycled materials and no machines.
- Artists might use a continuous line drawing to explore different drawing materials.
- Clay can be used with an armature to construct an imagined place.
- Public art can symbolise pride, memory and provide a gathering place for protest and celebration.
Keywords
Tower - a tall building or structure that stands up high above the ground
Continuous line - a line that never stops or lifts off the page
Armature - a strong frame or shape inside that helps hold the sculpture up
Common misconception
Once a sculpture is built, it should always stay the same.
Some sculptures are meant to change over time. Artists might add to them, reuse parts or let nature affect them. Change can tell new stories and show that art is alive.
Teacher tip
Pupils may find it helpful to have a selection of repurposed materials to choose from or can spend some time gathering these.
Equipment
Clay, clay boards, large paper, cling film, brushes, water pots, selection of repurposed materials.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the word link mean in art?
Q2.What are materials in art?
Q3.What can you do to your materials when making art?
Q4.Match the art word to what it means:
Things used to make art
Used again in a new way
A connection between things
Made by a group of people
Q5.What word means using something again?
Q6.Put these steps in the right order for using repurposed materials:
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a ‘tower’ in art?
Q2.What does a ‘continuous line’ mean when building with clay?
Q3.What is an ‘armature’ used for in clay sculpture?
Q4.What materials did Simon Rodia use to build his towers?
Q5.Put these steps in the right order to construct a clay coil tower:
Q6.What is a long, rolled piece of clay called?
To help you plan your 3 art and design lesson on: Clay landscapes: hand building towers together, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 art and design lesson on: Clay landscapes: hand building towers together, 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 2 art and design lessons from the Imagined spaces and shared stories unit, dive into the full primary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.