Lesson Title: Ceramic Face Jugs

Grade Level: 10-12

Subject Area: Ceramics/ Sculpture Fine Arts & Crafts
Time Allotted for Lesson: 4 class periods (1 hour & 30 minutes each)
Short Description of Lesson
Students will create an expressive face jug using clay to express and communicate ideas about
themselves, a particular culture, or tradition.
Standards:
Standards of Learning
FAC.1 Students will identify a variety of ways people value sculpture and craft objects.
FAC.4 Students will understand that value and meaning of sculpture and craft objects generate
open-ended questions and multiple interpretations.
FAC.11 Students will discover that one’s philosophy of art is an ongoing, open-ended inquiry.
FAC.63 Students will create a sculpture or craft series that explores alternative expressions of
similar ideas.
Instructional Objectives:
Instructional Objectives
Students will display an understanding of cultural/traditional/self-expression by creating a 3-D
face jug of their own out of clay. Students will demonstrate craftsmanship by displaying their
knowledge hand-building techniques with clay. Students will show their ability to score, slip, and
attach coils to build a 3D object. Students display originality and ability to take creative risks.

Focus:
Enduring Understandings
Students will develop an understanding about how artworks are objects for interpretation and
how art is a reflection of a particular time, place, culture, or tradition. Students will develop an
understanding that art can have diverse values, meanings, and definitions.

Essential Questions
What are the big issues about art? How do we respond to works of art? How does art relate to
culture and history?
Procedures:
Lesson/Unit Set
Students will create an expressive 3-D face jug using clay to communicate or express ideas about
yourself, a culture, or a tradition. Students will participate in a peer critique at the end of the
assignment, as well as, class discussions/review along the way.
Rationale
This project can relate to the students because they are given the option to create a face jug that
expresses themselves, their culture, or traditions that they may have. (Though they are not
limited to cultures/traditions of their own)
Techniques and Activities
(Class #1)
1) Introduction: People often create art as a form of self-expression. People also create art as
tradition and out of cultural beliefs. Our next project is going to be a combination of both.
2) Assignment Briefing: Our next assignment we will be working with clay to make face
jugs. A face jug is a jug pottery that depicts a face. Each jug contains a face with dramatic
facial features.
(Show examples)
Before I get into the specifics of the project, we first are going to watch a short movie on
the history and tradition of face jugs. In the video, they construct their face jugs through
the use of a pottery wheel. We are not going to be using a wheel, instead, we are going to
be making ours through hand building techniques.
3) Video: (30min) “Folkways: Pottery Revival in Catawba Valley”
For part of your assignment you are going to complete this worksheet that goes along
with the video.
4) Explain Project & Show Examples: Through hand building techniques, you will be
creating a face jug of your own. This face jug needs to be 6-8” in height and can have a
lid, but is not required. Your face just must contain some sort of facial expression with
exaggerated features. It can be caricature or it can just simply be a happy or sad facial
expression. You can do a duality face jug that has two faces, one on each side of the jug,
where each face conveys a different expressive emotion.
5) Explain today’s assignment: For the rest of today’s class you will be researching face
jugs & begin sketching your ideas for the project.
6) Sketches: Why would only sketching the face of your jug be an incomplete sketch?
Because we are working in 3D so your sketches must include the front, back, and sides of
your jug. I also want you to include constructing notes for building your jug.
7) Next class we will going over hand building techniques and you will begin constructing
your jugs.
(Class # 2)
1) Review: Go over with students again what the purpose of the project is, what is expected
of them, and the different guidelines that go along with the project.
2) Demo: Show students how to perform basic hand building techniques with clay. Show
them coil construction, scoring, slipping, and attaching clay. Show them how to make the
base of their jug and how to build up from there, be careful not to try to expand your jug
too quickly your clay won’t be properly supported. Show students the various clay tools
that can assist them in building their face jug and how to use them. Remind students that
they shouldn’t over work their clay or it will dry out. Explain proper methods for
cleaning up at the end of class.
3) Materials: Give each student some clay, a wooden slab to construct their jug on, clay
tools, and slip.
4) Once students get their sketch approved by me they can begin the construction of their
jug.
(Class #3 & #4)
Work Days
(Class #5)
1) Glaze Discussion: Go over proper glazing techniques including proper amount of glaze,
materials, and how many coats. Discuss how specific color combinations can work to
really bring their whole project together.
2) Students will have the rest of the class to glaze their face jug
3) Review art & expression and how art it is incorporated to culture and tradition.
(Class #6)
1) Artist statement
2) Class critique
3) Final Review on Concepts & Understanding

Lesson/Unit Closure
Students will create an artist statement, as well as, participate in a class critique. We will also
have a classroom discussion reviewing the essential questions we discussed at the beginning of
the lesson: What are the big issues about art? How do we respond to works of art? How does art
relate to culture and history?
Assessment/Evaluation
Students will be assessed on their classroom participation in group discussions and critiques.
They we also be evaluated on the completion of their brainstorming, sketches, and one-on-one
discussion with me. Students will be evaluated on the final project by the 4 categories depicted in
the rubric. They will also be evaluated on the completion of their worksheet and artist
statement/reflection.
Learner Products
Build a face jug, create an artist statement/reflection, and a classroom critique.
Supplemental Activities: Extension & Remediation
Extensions: Students who grasped the concepts quickly will be encouraged to make a second
face jug that provokes a different expressive emotion than the one they just did. This jug can be
in theme with the first one or completely different.
Remediation:
Adaptations for Diverse Special Learners

Differentiated Instruction
To differentiate this assignment I provided open-ended activities, the opportunity to explore their
own interests, and providing both independent and group activities with-in the lesson.

Materials & Additional Resources

“Folkways: Pottery Revival in Catawba” video & worksheet, TV/DVD player, clay, extruder,
glaze, pallets to build off of, sketch book, clay tools, & plastic bags.
Examples