Adapted Clay Lesson

I'm getting ready to post about my new clay projects and thought I would share a project I picked up last fall at a workshop offered at KSDE called Adapting the Visual Arts for Special Needs Students.

The process is very simple:
1. Roll clay into balls
2. Line bowl* with plastic, line plastic with clay balls (one layer that fills in all the gaps)
3. Smooth seams between the balls
4. When smooth, let dry
5. Paint!

I used this lesson with several of my primary students this year. I have a lot of students who receive Occupational Therapy services for fine motor skills, visual motor skills, attention, etc. and a this year, a couple students with injuries that prevented them from competing the regular lesson (like a broken arm). I had always been hesitant to adapt lessons to the point that the students made a different product. I was afraid the students would get their feelings hurt because I didn't think they could do it, or that the other students would ask questions or embarrass them. I am really glad that I offered the adapted lesson. The students who had adaptations were just happy that they could be successful and the other students were supportive and encouraging.


*I forgot to take "real" bowls to school so I had my students use small foil bowls. Next year I will remember to take some ceramic bowls for a mold and it will work even better.


I've included a downloadable PDF visual for this project.
Adapted Clay Lesson