Mosaic: Lesson Plans for 7 weeks
Objective – make a ceramic mosaic that reflects your school, using some of the tools and techniques I am going to show you
Discuss mosaics and murals, the origins and history: colours; techniques; uses, (show exemplar images)
Anyone worked in clay before?
Resources: Cement Board, Wooden Frame, Paint for wooden frame, Tile adhesive, Plastic knives and cups, Tiles of various colours, Clay, Grout, Safety goggles/ masks/ aprons, Hammers, Modeling tools, Rolling pin
Week 1: Brainstorm ideas
Students brainstormed ideas of what is important to their school, in a group discussion.
Students to return to their desks and begin sketching three elements they think would be successful within a mosaic. Starting to think how these could be made
Week 2: Draw and cut out objects to be made out of clay.
As a group review what objects will be successful, which ones overlapped, and which ones wouldn’t work.
Finalise the list.
Start drawing the objects to the correct size that they wanted on the mosaic. (Images need to be the size of a hand or larger.)
Week 3: Make clay pieces
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: hands, (pinching/ burnishing) rubber kidney, and modelling tools.
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Joining clay & attaching: scoring, using slip as glue.
· Coils: forming and joining
· Imprinting with stamps, wallpaper, material etc
Students roll slabs of clay and traced around their drawings to make each object. Add texture and details.
(Work is left to dry and I fire it before their next lesson)
Week 4: Finish clay pieces
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: glaze, brushes, sponge
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Applying glazes
· Removing excess clay at base with a sponge
Apply to glaze their clay piece. (Wearing masks and aprons)
Week 5: Smash tiles/ Arrange clay pieces on cement board.
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: hammer, tiles and fabric, tile adhesive, cement board, and safety equipment
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Smashing tiles
· Attaching clay piece to cement board
The tile used to make the mosaic is scrap tile pieces collected. Students wear safety goggles and used hammers to smash the pieces of tile. I will the tile in a cardboard box, wrapped in fabric to avoid tile pieces flying all over. Make sure they smash them into pieces of different sizes with 2 inches being the largest.
All of the clay pieces are fired and ready to be attached to the cement board. Students arrange the clay pieces on the board. Once a layout is established, begin attaching the clay pieces to the cement board.
Week 6: Arrange tile pieces and attach.
Students continued to attach the clay pieces and then started to glue the tile pieces down.
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: tile adhesive, grout, plastic knives
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Using grout to fill-in the mosaic
Split the class in two, half arranging the tile pieces, the other half using plastic knives to apply tile adhesive. Then switch halfway through.
Week 7: Attach tile pieces.
Students continued to arrange and attached the tile pieces.
Objective – make a ceramic mosaic that reflects your school, using some of the tools and techniques I am going to show you
Discuss mosaics and murals, the origins and history: colours; techniques; uses, (show exemplar images)
Anyone worked in clay before?
Resources: Cement Board, Wooden Frame, Paint for wooden frame, Tile adhesive, Plastic knives and cups, Tiles of various colours, Clay, Grout, Safety goggles/ masks/ aprons, Hammers, Modeling tools, Rolling pin
Week 1: Brainstorm ideas
Students brainstormed ideas of what is important to their school, in a group discussion.
Students to return to their desks and begin sketching three elements they think would be successful within a mosaic. Starting to think how these could be made
Week 2: Draw and cut out objects to be made out of clay.
As a group review what objects will be successful, which ones overlapped, and which ones wouldn’t work.
Finalise the list.
Start drawing the objects to the correct size that they wanted on the mosaic. (Images need to be the size of a hand or larger.)
Week 3: Make clay pieces
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: hands, (pinching/ burnishing) rubber kidney, and modelling tools.
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Joining clay & attaching: scoring, using slip as glue.
· Coils: forming and joining
· Imprinting with stamps, wallpaper, material etc
Students roll slabs of clay and traced around their drawings to make each object. Add texture and details.
(Work is left to dry and I fire it before their next lesson)
Week 4: Finish clay pieces
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: glaze, brushes, sponge
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Applying glazes
· Removing excess clay at base with a sponge
Apply to glaze their clay piece. (Wearing masks and aprons)
Week 5: Smash tiles/ Arrange clay pieces on cement board.
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: hammer, tiles and fabric, tile adhesive, cement board, and safety equipment
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Smashing tiles
· Attaching clay piece to cement board
The tile used to make the mosaic is scrap tile pieces collected. Students wear safety goggles and used hammers to smash the pieces of tile. I will the tile in a cardboard box, wrapped in fabric to avoid tile pieces flying all over. Make sure they smash them into pieces of different sizes with 2 inches being the largest.
All of the clay pieces are fired and ready to be attached to the cement board. Students arrange the clay pieces on the board. Once a layout is established, begin attaching the clay pieces to the cement board.
Week 6: Arrange tile pieces and attach.
Students continued to attach the clay pieces and then started to glue the tile pieces down.
Tools & Techniques:
· (Students to gather round at front)
· Introduce tools: tile adhesive, grout, plastic knives
Demonstrate key techniques:
· Using grout to fill-in the mosaic
Split the class in two, half arranging the tile pieces, the other half using plastic knives to apply tile adhesive. Then switch halfway through.
Week 7: Attach tile pieces.
Students continued to arrange and attached the tile pieces.