Early Learning & Teaching with Clay
The Natural World
Through clay we can facilitate children’s awareness of biodiversity – from the local environment of the Yarra river all the way to Antarctica and the Moon.
creating an Antarctic world in clay
For the International Polar Year of Earth Sciences 2008, as part of a whole centre exploration of ‘Antarctica – the icy land of secrets’, the children in the clay program created their own interpretation of the icebreaker Aurora Australis, as well as some of the wonderful creatures that inhabit Antarctica, such as penguins, seals and whales. Through individual and group-work, the children were able to explore different clay techniques.
creating a muddy Yarra River mural
For the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, as part of a whole centre exploration of the theme, ‘This is our home, this muddy Yarra’, the children in the clay program responded to their local environment. An important aspect of the clay program is experiencing the natural world directly and the children visited the Yarra River to collect grasses and weeds for their river mural.
Through individual and group-work, the children were able to explore different clay techniques such as; extended coil building on mesh, to create the meandering river forms.
Grasses and weeds were collected by the children and pressed into thin slabs of paper-clay, then over-painted with coloured clay slip. The weeds were removed and the impressed slabs were then overlaid onto the river form to create the mural.
creating an Antarctic world in clay
For the International Polar Year of Earth Sciences 2008, as part of a whole centre exploration of ‘Antarctica – the icy land of secrets’, the children in the clay program created their own interpretation of the icebreaker Aurora Australis, as well as some of the wonderful creatures that inhabit Antarctica, such as penguins, seals and whales. Through individual and group-work, the children were able to explore different clay techniques.
creating a muddy Yarra River mural
For the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, as part of a whole centre exploration of the theme, ‘This is our home, this muddy Yarra’, the children in the clay program responded to their local environment. An important aspect of the clay program is experiencing the natural world directly and the children visited the Yarra River to collect grasses and weeds for their river mural.
Through individual and group-work, the children were able to explore different clay techniques such as; extended coil building on mesh, to create the meandering river forms.
Grasses and weeds were collected by the children and pressed into thin slabs of paper-clay, then over-painted with coloured clay slip. The weeds were removed and the impressed slabs were then overlaid onto the river form to create the mural.