The Art of Problem-Solving in Middle School Ceramics - Part 2
The Spotlight
![Seventh Grade Students in Ceramics class]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1759951100/harbordayorg/aqmz4mj1dgm0cxorlwpb/6.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1759951100/harbordayorg/aqmz4mj1dgm0cxorlwpb/6.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1759951100/harbordayorg/aqmz4mj1dgm0cxorlwpb/6.png","width":800}])
The Art of Problem-Solving in Middle School Ceramics - Part 2
Leslie Yagar, Dayna Sable, and Courtney Zarrilli
As students transition into middle school, their clay projects take on new dimensions, challenging them to think more critically about design, symbolism, and creative expression. Fifth graders create bobblehead sculptures, revisiting pinch pots while learning balance, proportion, and engineering design. Acrylic paint allows them to experiment with color mixing and texture, resulting in expressive, humorous characters that truly bobble.
In sixth grade, the scale shifts smaller as students work with Fimo and Plastacine clays to craft miniatures inspired by Japanese art forms. These projects emphasize precision, patience, and fine motor skills, asking students to consider proportion and detail on a much smaller scale. From tiny food replicas to character-based designs, students explore how form, color, and texture can communicate ideas even in miniature. The process encourages creativity while reinforcing sculptural fundamentals, giving students a new way to apply sculptural techniques on a more intricate scale.
Seventh-grade “Wheel Throwing”
In seventh grade, students step into the ceramics room, where twelve electric potter’s wheels wait for them. Here, they begin the exciting journey of learning to throw clay on the wheel. They start by learning to center their clay, a skill that takes patience and practice to master. Once the clay is steady, they discover how to open it, pull up the walls, and shape it into forms of their own design. As their pieces begin to take shape, students add details like hand-built handles, blending wheel-throwing with hand-building techniques. When the clay dries to the leather-hard stage, the work is carefully trimmed and prepared for its first firing. After reaching the bisque stage, students choose from a wide range of colorful glazes to bring their pieces to life. They experiment with creating patterns using eyelash yarn and explore how color and design work together to make each piece unique. Along the way, they not only build confidence with new skills but also learn the language of ceramics, deepening their understanding of the art.
Eighth-grade Wheel Throwing and Hand Building Elective
In eighth grade, students build on the skills they have already learned, taking their ceramics work to a new level. On the potter’s wheel, they practice creating larger and more carefully crafted vessels, exploring new forms like vases and plates. Many projects also combine wheel-throwing with hand-building, allowing students to experiment with more complex designs. For those who enjoy hand-building, there are opportunities to sculpt, make drop plates, or even craft ceramic whistles. Each project encourages students to refine their skills while also giving them the freedom to be creative and adventurous in their work.
Eighth-grade Art Class
By eighth grade, students take on their most challenging clay project: creating visual puns. This assignment pushes them to combine technical skill with conceptual thinking, turning abstract ideas or wordplay into tangible sculpture. Students are encouraged to explore humor, symbolism, metaphor, contradiction, or parody in their designs. The process begins with brainstorming and sketching multiple ideas before selecting one to develop in clay. They must then decide how to translate language into form—what details will make the pun clear, clever, and visually engaging—while also applying advanced hand-building and finishing techniques.
The ceramics program at Harbor Day School encourages students to develop problem-solving skills as they explore a variety of techniques and materials. As they progress through the grades, students learn to adapt their approach, refining their abilities and applying creative solutions to new challenges. The program grows with their age and skill level, fostering both technical development and artistic confidence. Students’ love for clay and eagerness to get their hands dirty make every lesson an engaging and joyful experience.