sixth_l

Clay Rattles

Sixth Grade - Riffenburgh Elementary School

Outline: Students have more than basic exposure to hand-building clay techniques including pinch and slab. They are familiar with techniques for successfully joining two pieces of clay. This project requires that they understand the limitations of the media and have enough fine motor skills to work with a hollow clay object. These sixth grade students created clay bells in fifth grade and have experience working with joining clay into a hollow form with interior support.

Since the exterior decoration on the rattle will focus on a linear design students should have experience with line design as well. The project prior to this one was a contour line drawing. Show examples of clay rattles and discuss how the overall line design helps the rattle become a visual art object as ell as a musical object. How are other musical objects decorated?

Brainstorm other ideas for an overall design. Discuss the value in adding a handle to the clay rattle. Handles help the sound resonate. Holding the rattle by the handle produces a deeper sound (more like a rattle), grasping the rattle loosely around it's body produces a higher, bell-like sound. Discuss how the line design can be extended to include the handle as an integral part of the design. Demonstrate the technique used to create the rattle.

Materials:

Red Rock Red clay (approximately 1/2 pound per student); Forks (or other tools to score and texture clay); Popsicle stick (or other flat clay tool used for smoothing and moving clay); Paper toweling; Water containers; Clay canvas sheets; Clay roller.

Instructional objective:

Student will correctly construct a hollow clay rattle that will maintain it's structure through the firing process.
Student rattle will make a sound (they remembered to include the rattle beads!).
Student will incorporate an overall line design into the design of their clay rattle.

Procedure: The week prior to making the rattles make three to five very small clay balls that will be placed inside the rattle.

Begin the rattle itself by making two pinch pots of equal size and shape. They should be fairly thick to withstand the manipulation necessary to add decoration. (Thinner rattles will have a higher tone, encourage students to make their rattles as thin as possible.) Score and slip the edges of both pinch pots. Place the dried rattle balls inside one of the pinch pots. Press the two pots together at the scored edge. Use a flat tool (such as a popsicle stick) to secure the joint and create a smooth contour on the outside of the rattle. Roll a thick slab to be used as a handle. Score and slip both the handle and the joint location on the rattle. Attach the handle. Shake the rattle frequently to insure that the rattle balls are not sticking to the wet clay inside. Make at least three small air holes in the rattle. A toothpick or fine bamboo skewer (found in the grocery store for making fruit kabobs) will work well to make small holes. You must incorporate air holes into your design to avoid creating an internal vacuum and to allow the interior of the rattle to dry thoroughly.

Decorate the rattle and handle. Rattles can be made one week and decorated the next if they are wrapped well to prevent excessive drying. It is easier to decorate rattles that have dried slightly. Make sure excess clay is removed from the design so that it looks finished. If very small holes are used at least thirty pinpoints should be incorporated. A straightened paper clip works well for tiny air holes.

Allow clay to dry slowly. It may take twice as long for this clay to dry completely. Once dry fire.

Variations: Students can experiment with the sound of these rattles by changing their wall thickness, adding additional handles (possibly of varying thickness) or adding additional rattle beads. Perhaps students could work in pairs to determine if the size and/or shape of the rattle beads will also change the sound of the rattle.

Week 1

Use the last few minutes of class to roll clay beads for the next week.

Week 2

Make the body of the clay rattle, remembering to add air holes and rattle beads. Spray liberally with water and wrap well in plastic.

Week 3

Finish the rattle by adding a linear surface design. Let dry completely and bisque fire.

Week 4 (?)

Fired rattles may be painted, glazed and refired, or left natural.

Standards addressed:

Perception: Students used the surface design of their rattles to help describe the function/music of their rattle. Students used line to create an overall pattern/design on the surface of their rattle.

Application/Creation: Students experimented with the thickness of their rattle walls and size of their rattle beads as they constructed the rattle. They determined whether or not appendages would be used to further enhance the sound of the rattle. Students determined how they would use line, pattern, and texture to create a design on the surface of their rattle.

Week 1	Use the last few minutes of class to roll clay beads for the next week.
Week 2	Make the body of the clay rattle, remembering to add air holes and rattle beads. Spray liberally with water and wrap well in plastic.
Week 3	Finish the rattle by adding a linear surface design. Let dry completely and bisque fire.
Week 4 (?)	Fired rattles may be painted, glazed and refired, or left natural.