Ceramic Owls

Submitted by: Jeryl Hollingsworth, La France Elementary, La France, SC
Unit: Science Integration - Ceramics - Textures
Grade Level: First Grade (Adaptable for grades K - 3)
Paper Maché Owls (below)

Materials:

Moist Clay, Clay Modeling Tools, Rolling Pins, guide sticks, gadgets for texturing (some laces will make nice feather textures), Sponges, Drawing Paper for placemats (for name) Note: This project works well with Air-Dry Clay.

Objectives: Students will

• Demonstrate clay slab formation techniques

• Show understanding of texture

• Become aware of different kinds of owls and their habits

• Optional: Examine owl pellets to determine what the owl eats.

Vocabulary:

Texture, ceramic clay, tools, details, Great Horned Owl, habitat, nocturnal

Resources:

Animals at the Fort Worth Zoo- has great images and info on lots of animals including owls.
Owl Pages - all sorts of links. Owls of the World | Species Gallery
Information on Owls
Owl Information from Enchanted Learning
Many good images | Owl Art | Owl Sculpture | Ceramic Owl

Optional: Dissecting Owl Pellets (I would recommend only getting a couple and doing this yourself for the younger grades - with groups gathered around the table).

Books

The Illustrated Owl: The Ultimate Reference Guide for Bird Lovers, Artists, and Woodcarvers - Featuring 200 meticulous and anatomically accurate drawings that capture each magnificent owl in multiple poses and from every angle, this reference provides wildlife artists with the tools to draw, paint, sculpt, carve, and study these majestic birds.

Let's Make an Owl With Everyday Materials - Why do an owl's feather's make this bird such a great hunter? Why do owls have talons? Students will learn the answer as they make their own great horned owl. This owl has wings that move and sunflower-seed talons.

Instruction/Motivation:

Present different species of owls - via web sites - or PowerPoint. Listen to the sounds of owls. Discuss habitats and habits - Optional: look at owl pellet. Jeryl has lots of pictures of Owls from National Geographic (and other magazine) and an mp3 player with bird sounds. Students make the paper owl the week before to learn the basic shapes.

1. Preparation. Students will have practiced drawing owls or making a collage owl. Jeryl reads Owl Moon while they are working on the paper owls.

2. Review how students constructed paper owls

3. Demonstrate construction of clay owls - especially texture

4. After firing - Explain/demo decorating techniques.

Procedures:

1. Roll out slab of clay, they cut an oval with craft sticks (or clay tools)

2. Roll the top down, pinched the beak and tufts , (like a great horned owl)

3. Draw the wings with a nail (or other clay tool) - or add on shapes to make wings (semi-circle, or other shape)

4. Use shells, screws, forks, loop tools (whatever is available) etc... to add texture.
   Put name on back of owl - Allow to dry and bisque file

5. Shoe polish in foam applicators for the color. Yellow Acrylic Paint for the eyes and beaks. Spray them with a clear gloss. Option: Thinned acrylics brushed on to stain clay - Crystal Clear Acrylic Spray Paint. Option: Underglazes - brushed on then wiped off - Clear Glaze. Option: Glazes (Amaco Cinnamon or Pinkish brown would be nice). From Judy Decker: One idea that look neat is to give Raku appearance. After glaze firing remove from Kiln while still warm (glaze will craze) - brush with India ink - front and back (back side will just stay black)- wash ink off glaze surfaces - Ink will settles into crackled glaze giving a raku appearance. For small works like this - you can have a pan of ink to dip projects.

6. Glue hanger on back (this can be a piece of cardboard with hole punched). Alternate display method: Cut some sections of tree branch (one for each kid). Flatten bottom with saw. Drill hole in top. Add a lump of clay on back of owl while forming and make hole for dowel rod (or skewer) OR simply glue stick on back of owl when finished (and glue a piece of paper over to help secure). Paint back of owl solid color - or add feather textures.

Note from Jeryl:
I displayed some owls by drilling holes in a log and taping wooden shish kabob sticks on the back of the owls and then sticking it down in the log. I put three on a log. I used the log/owls for center pieces for our school boards' dinner when my school was in charge of decorations... it was a big hit.

Evaluation:

Observation - Rubric for craftsmanship, use of texture and painting skills.

Ceramic Owl Display idea by Tammy Morin

Tammy's first graders made the ceramic owls much the way Jeryl's student made them. Tammy came up with this clever way to display them. Tree is made from brown craft roll paper.

Submitted by: Robin Phillips Paper Maché Owls, First Grade Robin adapted this lesson - using newspapers and aluminum foil to create an armature. Students applied layers of Paper Mache then painted in realistic colors or colors of their choice.