[image] 1

Exploring Communities
Judy Chappus

Grade 1
Subject: Social Studies
Topic: Communities
Descriptive Sentence
This lesson uses clay sculpture to investigate the community and develop some basic skills in making
and reading maps.
Curricular Outcome or Expectation
Please see the lesson plan preview for the expectations/outcomes for your province.
Materials
" 1 pound of clay per pupil placed in a zip-lock plastic bag (In Ontario you can order 25 pounds of white
air-dry clay, called “clamix”, from Tern Art Supplies, 874 Queen Street West, in Toronto for $8.99)
A less expensive alternative to the clay is “Baker’s Clay”
The recipe is: 4 cups flour, 1 cups salt, 1 cup water. Mix salt and flour in a bowl. Add water, mixing
with fingers, adding more water if clay is too stiff. When mixed, knead clay on counter top 4-5
minutes. Bake products at 325 oven for 1 hour.
" A place mat and plastic knife per pupil
" Objects for making texture in clay E.g. sand paper, screening, old jewelry, green scrubbie, sticks,
buttons, etc.
" Bucket of water if classroom is without a sink
" Sink cloth or dish cloth
" Sheets of craft paper
Space Requirements
Classroom
Things to do Before the Lesson
" Take a walk through the community and note where buildings, parks, etc. are located.
" Draw a street grid on a sheet of craft paper.
" Recall and revise the terms sphere, cylinder, cube and rectangular prism.
Complete Description of Lesson
Getting Ready
Please take a moment to review
the “Creating a Community” slide
1



[image] 2

" Discuss communities. Recall the walk through the community. What makes a community?
" Ask students to recall the components in the community that are important to them. For instance,
trees are very important because they make oxygen so that we can breathe, or big rocks are great fun
because we like to climb on them, or playgrounds are useful because they provide safe places to play,
etc. Make a list.
" What buildings do the students remember that are in their community? What do they look like?
Discuss. Make a list.
Develop
" Tell the students they are going to make the parts of their community out of clay. Distribute
placemats, plastic knives, and bags of clay.
" Show the students how to construct the forms they will need in building their community.
Please take a moment to review
the “Working with Clay (Sphere)”
video
" Demonstrate how to cut off a piece of clay and roll it on the placemat with the palm of your hand and
fingertips to form a sphere. Have pupils make the sphere.
Please take a moment to review
the “Working with Clay (Cube)”
video
" Show them how to tap the surfaces of the sphere on the placemat to form a cube. Have them do it.
Please take a moment to review
the “Working with Clay
(Rectangular Prism)” video
" Show students how to tap the edges of the cube to form a rectangular prism. Have them do it.
Please take a moment to review
the “Working with Clay (Cylinder)”
video
" Show how to roll the rectangular prism into a cylinder. Have them do it.
" Demonstrate how to continue rolling to make a long narrow shape. Show students how to form it into
a coil. Have them do it.
Please take a moment to review
the “Working with Clay (Joining
Pieces)” video
2



[image] 3

" Show pupils how to join two pieces of clay together. Put one piece on top of another and take the
index finger of one hand and smooth a little bit of the top piece onto the bottom. Continue all the way
around the two pieces applying enough pressure to make sure they are joined securely. Have pupils
do it.
" Talk about and demonstrate the need for wide bases if objects are to be tall.
Please take a moment to review
the “Working with Clay (Texture)”
video
" Use a few of the materials for creating texture to demonstrate how to apply texture. Tell the pupils
that when their objects are made, they may take a few items and apply texture to their creations.
Application
" Have pupils smash the clay together again into one ball and then begin forming and shaping the clay
into buildings and objects that would make up their community.
" Group the students in 2’s or 3’s and challenge the students to begin building their community using
the techniques they have just worked with.
" Allow some time for decisions to be made about which buildings each will make to create their group
community.
" It is anticipated that the children will each make three or four forms, or perhaps one or two larger
pieces.
" As each sculpture is completed and texture is added, it will be placed on the desks until twenty
minutes before class ends. If the clay begins to dry while the children are working with it, squeeze a
small amount of water on to it with the dish cloth.
Closure
" About twenty minutes before the end of class call the pupils up a few at a time to place their
sculptures on the craft paper street grid.
" Discuss the community that has been created. Should any changes be made? Share with others.
3