Tomorrow, October 9th is Indigenous Peoples Day in the United States. Indigenous people are the people who are native to the land, like those of the Seminole tribe here in Florida and the tribes depicted by the Hudson River School of artists. Indigenous Peoples Day is about celebrating Indigenous culture and histories! For this month’s activity, we will be creating clay pots like those that the indigenous people created. About 4,000 years ago, indigenous peoples of Florida began using the craft of heating up clay and using it for cooking and containers. As time went on, this pottery became decorative pieces of art as well as functional pots and bowls! Today, we will be making our own clay pots using historical methods like the indigenous people of Florida.
MATERIALS
Natural Air Dry Clay Water Ceramic tools or household items to carve with Optional: Shells PROJECT STEPS: Make sure your clay is soft enough by kneading it in your hand and adding water if it feels dry and is cracking. Start your pot by creating a disk that is about 1/4 inch thick and 3-5 inches in diameter. This will be the bottom of the pot. Roll at least three ropes that are long enough to wrap around the disk and start stacking them. Make sure you stack them on top of the disk. Gently smooth the outside of the clay to make a flat surface. Having wet hands and additional wet pieces of clay is helpful. Add shells and/or carve designs into the outside. Leave it out to dry, no baking is needed.
Free