Ceramic Bowl Leaf

Materials:

• Paper Plates
• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Styrofoam Bowls
• Moist Clay
• Leaf sample made out of cardstock paper
• Canvas Rolls
• Rolling Pins
• Cutting Tools
• Water

For this lesson we made a ceramic bowl leaf. When we started this lesson we were given a chunk of clay and we kneaded it until the air bubbles were out.  Next we had to flatten out the slab so it was about the width of your thumb.  To do this we used a ruler on each side so that our slab of clay didn't get to think.  Then we used the leaf template that we chose and then traced it onto our slab.  Once this was done we cut out our leaf and smoothed the edges with water and then placed the leaf in a bowl with a paper towel to create a ceramic bowl leaf.  While the leaf was in the bowl we painted the leaf using fall colors. Since we had clay that would just air dry, we didn't have to put it in the oven.

Extension Activity
You could incorporate science into this lesson by discussing the seasons and the different color leaves make throughout the seasons. Some students could paint their leaves green with water droplets, like in the spring. Some students could paint their leaves fall colors. Then they could also write characteristics about their leaf and give details about what kind of tree it came from.