The humble pot
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can investigate pottery and experiment with different shapes and texture to create a pinch pot.
Key learning points
- Pottery has been around for thousands of years and is a job within the creative industries.
- Pottery can take various forms and has multiple uses and functions from practical uses to artistic storytelling.
- Contemporary artists use the pot in different ways to convey ideas and meaning.
Keywords
Pottery - objects made from clay that are shaped and then baked until hard.
Form - The shape or 3D structure of an object that has height, width, and depth.
Function - The practical use or purpose of an object.
Common misconception
Pottery is only used for making practical items like bowls and pots, and it doesn’t have any artistic or cultural significance.
While pottery is often associated with functional items like bowls and vases, it has been used throughout history and in contemporary times as a medium for artistic expression and storytelling.
Teacher tip
Prepare the clay in advance by dividing it evenly into ball shaped pieces. You may need to spray lightly with water to maintain moisture or cover with a damp towel.
Equipment
Clay, hessian or canvas (to prevent clay from sticking to tables), clay tools (including objects for making texture), water, sponge (optional), battons (for levelling clay if desired) rolling pin.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What job description best fits the role of a potter?
Q2. Pottery is the art or craft of making objects from ...
Q3.What role do hands play in the process of creating pottery?
Q4.What does the word organic mean when describing a shape?
Q5.Match the 2D shapes with their corresponding 3D forms:
sphere
cube
pyramid
Rectangular Prism
Q6.Which of the following is the correct definition of a pattern?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put the steps of the pottery making process in the correct order:
Q2.What is "form" when discussing pottery?
Q3.How do contemporary artists use the pot in their work?
Q4.How can textures be added to pottery?
Q5.Match the pottery-related term to its description:
The overall shape or 3D structure of an object.
The surface quality of a material.
A type of craft made by shaping and firing clay.
A material that can be shaped and fired to create pottery.
A repeated arrangement of shapes, lines, colours, or textures.
Q6.Pottery can be decorated by adding texture and to the surface of the clay.
To help you plan your 7 art and design lesson on: The humble pot, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 art and design lesson on: The humble pot, 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 3 art and design lessons from the An overview of craft unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.