This book of ceramic project ideas is for teacher or student use in secondary industrial arts courses. It was developed in a workshop by teachers. The content objectives are to provide useful projects and units of instruction and to give direction to ceramics instruction which is in keeping with a changing technology. Forty-one project plans are…

Reviews properties of ceramic silicates, compounds, and man-made silicon derivatives. (SL)

The creation of ceramic masks in reaction to the film, Roots, focused on the functions of the masks themselves within a particular society, the materials and techniques used to create these masks, and the identification of typical shapes of heads and facial features on the masks in each culture. (Author/RK)

The potter's wheel has been used for centuries as a tool in the production of pitchers, containers for storing and dispensing liquids. Using many traditional and beautiful pitcher shapes as a source of inspiration this potter's wheel project is intended to stimulate creative design concepts, initiate original thought, and encourage experimentation…

Art teachers at the middle school or junior high school level usually find themselves in a program teaching ceramics. The most essential tools needed for a ceramics class are discussed. Different kinds of clay are also discussed. (RM)

Discusses the purpose, goals and ambitions of school art programs. (GB)

Using as examples a Papago basket and an Acoma pot, the author explains how Native American art forms reflect their creators' living environment and cultural values. This article is part of a theme issue on multicultural art. (SJL)

Described are various arts and crafts ideas, mostly with a February theme. Included are: ceramic boxes, valentine ideas, and patriotic projects--symbols of our country, silhouettes of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and stars and stripes. (KC)

In two related articles, the author describes (1) a field trip during which his high school ceramics club collected clay from the outdoors and (2) the process he used to create primitive pottery pieces from such material. (SJL)

What can be done to transform a lump of wet clay into something more than a lump of glaze-fired clay? It is at this point when forming techniques have been mastered that good design becomes most important. Discusses six criteria involved in the search for good design so that students can discover what good design is and how important it is.…

Describes how kindergarten children experienced the stages involved in the ceramic process in 3 30-minute class periods. Students created freeform, textured pendants which they glazed and fired. (KM)

In painting and drawing classes, it is typical to ask students to work directly from a master. It is one way to study composition techniques, and to become familiar with classical style firsthand. In museums, easels are set up as artists work, not in an attempt to copy or plagiarize, but in an attempt to be part of history by participating in it.…

This article describes one classroom's experience engaging in a lesson that challenged introductory art students to design a functional ceramic clock in an art-historical style of their choice. The clocks were sculpted in low-relief so that the hands of the clockworks could move freely around the face of the clock. Students were given an…

Students' natural curiosity provides a rich opportunity for teachers to make meaningful scientific connections between art and ceramics that will enhance the understanding of both natural forces and scientific aspects at work in the creation of clay artworks. This article discusses the scientific areas of study related to clay, which include…

Fiestaware, the brightly colored dinnerware first introduced in the United States in 1936, has been a cultural phenomenon from its inception. This paper seeks to explain the extraordinary popularity of Fiestaware and to understand the role the ware occupies in U.S. popular culture. Fiestaware achieved enormous success, in spite of its introduction…