Elementary Art Curriculum: 2 Clay Units, 14 Art Lessons, Projects, Worksheets

This clay-focused elementary art curriculum will teach your art students the basics of working with clay through 14 art projects. From learning how to mold it to pinch pots to coils to sculpting, they will learn the basics in the first unit and build off of them in the second clay unit.

Kindergarten through 5th grade are covered, 2 clay focused lessons per grade level, plus 2 bonus projects. These projects use low-fire clay and include glaze and paint options for finishing projects.

In addition to resources for students, this pack also includes resources for teachers to help walk them through the process of introducing clay in the classroom even if they have zero experience. This unit is from a former elementary art teacher with over 30 years of experience teaching clay in an elementary art classroom.

All in all the hand-building clay unit includes: 

Kindergarten Art, Clay Flowerpot Project

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Project template
• Step-by-step guide handout
• 2 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• Early finisher activity
• Project checklist

1st Grade Art, Clay Coil Bowl Project

All in all this lesson includes: 

· Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)

· Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)

· Bowl template

· Step-by-step handout

· Coil design reference guide

· PowerPoint (to visually show steps and project information)

· Crazy lines face early finisher

· Project checklist

2nd Grade Art, Clay Coil Picture Frame Project:

All in all this lesson includes: 

· Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)

· Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)

· Frame template

· Photo template

· Step-by-step handout

· Coil design reference guide

· PowerPoint to introduce steps and display goals for the day

· Crazy lines frame early finisher

· Project checklist

3rd Grade Art, Coil Top Pinch Pot Clay Project

All in all this lesson includes: 

· Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)

· Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)

· Cube Template

· Step-by-step handout

· Coil design reference guide

· 2 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day

· Crazy lines pot early finisher

· Project checklist

4th Grade Art, Clay Pinch Pot Person

All in all this lesson includes: 

· Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)

· Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)

· Cube Template

· Step-by-step art project handout

· Step-by-step clay facial features handout

· 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day

· Crazy lines face early finisher

· Project checklist

· Critique reflection and activity

5th Grade Art, Clay Choice Animal Shelf Sitter Project

All in all this lesson includes: 

· Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)

· Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)

· Pinch Pot Template

· Step-by-step art project handout

· Step-by-step clay hollow form handout

· 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day

· Crazy lines face early finisher activity

· Project checklist

· Critique reflection and activity

Bonus Art Lesson, Clay Snowman Project

All in all this lesson includes: 

· Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)

· Clay snowman template

· Step-by-step handout

· Who is your snowman information sheet

· Decoration ideas

· Snowman design sheet

· 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day

· Project checklist

· Teacher tips and notes

· Sneezy the Snowman bulletin board printables to display finished projects.

All in all the clay animal unit includes: 

Kindergarten Art Lesson, Clay Dragonfly

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on set up and implementing)
• Clay dragonfly template
• Step-by-step handout
• Decoration steps handout
• 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• How to draw a Dragonfly early finisher
• Project checklist

1st Grade Art Project, Coil Turtle

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Shell size template
• Step-by-step guide handout
• 2 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• Early finisher activity
• Project checklist

2nd Grade Art History Focused Lesson, Clay Oaxacan Relief Fish

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Project name template
• 2 Step-by-step guide handouts
• 9 pre-made fish templates for younger students
• 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• Oaxacan design example printable
• Early finisher activity
• Project checklist

3rd Grade Art Lesson, Clay Coil Lizard, Snake, or Alligator Sculpture

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Project name template
• 3 Step-by-step art project handouts
• 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• 2 early finisher activities
• Project checklist
• Critique reflection and activity

4th Grade Art Project, Clay Fish Sculpture

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Pinch Pot Template
• Step-by-step art project handout
• Step-by-step clay hollow form handout
• 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• Fish drawing early finisher activity
• Project checklist

5th Grade Art Lesson, Choice Pinch Pot Form Frog or Turtle Project

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Pinch Pot Template
• Step-by-step art project handouts
• Step-by-step clay hollow form handout
• 3 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• Frog or turtle drawing early finisher activities
• Project checklist

Bonus Art Lesson, Clay Penguin Sculpture

All in all this lesson includes: 

• Lesson plan (including essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, cross-curricular and national standards, step-by-step instructions, and so much more)
• Teacher notes (with tips on setup and implementation)
• Pinch Pot Template
• Step-by-step art project handout
• Step-by-step clay hollow form handout
• 2 PowerPoints to introduce steps and display goals for the day
• Penguin drawing early finisher activity
• Project checklist

Don't have access to a kiln? Check out my no-kiln clay projects here.

Check out more elementary products below:

· Autumn leaf painting

· Kindergarten through 5th grade Europe lesson

· Early finishers fish handout 

· Kindergarten fish monoprint project

· Under the sea early finisher activity

· Op art squiggles

· Face vase handout

· Wacky Warhol activity

· Moody landscape activity

· Draped coil bowl

✳Check out my other products here.

This product was created in collaboration with my amazing, wonderful mother, Anne Ward. She is a retired elementary art teacher of over 30 years. She has a wealth of knowledge in the art education field and still teaches private lessons, and summer sessions, and acts as a resource for her former school county. My mom is the reason I became an art educator and now I am so excited to team up with her so she can help inspire other art teachers!

Short: Elementary clay curriculum for kindergarten through 5th-grade art classes. 7 clay projects are included, everything you need to teach clay in elementary.