Pinch Pots

My first graders made pinch pots.  We studied Mexican pottery made by the Nahua Native Americans from Central Mexico.  They learned how to roll the clay into a sphere, push their thumb into the sphere to make a hole, and pinch with all four fingers while they turn it.  Then, they learned how to shape the rim of the pot, and use a finger tip of water to smooth the surface of the clay.  Finally, they glazed them using a pattern for their surface design.  On the day they get them back, the students do an observational drawing.  We talk about how to make something look 3D when drawing.  The students love to work with clay!