Clay Cat Making

Overview

Today students create a clay cat using a visual arts process that involves experimenting with materials, making choices about shape and detail, and documenting decisions using visual arts language. Students focus on developing and describing how visual conventions (shape, texture, proportion, space) and processes (moulding, joining, refining, drying) support meaning.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• create a clay cat by using suitable hand-building techniques with clay
• experiment with visual conventions such as shape, texture, and facial features to build a clear cat form
• identify and describe visual arts processes and materials used during their making
• use simple visual arts language to reflect on choices they made (and why they made them)

Success criteria

Students can:

• use clay-building steps to form a cat body, head, and key details (ears, eyes/nose/mouth, tail)
• add surface texture (for example, scratches, fur lines, dots) to enhance the cat’s look
• explain at least two materials/processes they used (for example, scoring and joining; smoothing; carving; adding texture)
• describe how their choices affected the cat’s appearance using words like shape, proportion, texture, and balance

Curriculum links

• Visual Arts: Developing Practices — exploring and experimenting with visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to create artworks
• Visual Arts: Creating — using visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to communicate ideas, perspectives and meaning
• Visual Arts: Developing Practices — identifying and describing the use of visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials in artworks they create

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and model. Teacher shows a finished clay cat and 2–3 quick close-ups (ears, tail, texture) and asks: “What do you notice about shape, texture, and how the pieces join?” Students share observations in pairs.

2. 5–10 min · Direct teach: materials and process. Teacher demonstrates key steps: making a base body shape, attaching head/ears/tail, scoring and slipping (or teacher’s clay-joining method), and adding texture safely with simple tools. Students watch and then repeat the steps using “air modelling” gestures, naming one material/process as they go.

3. 10–18 min · Plan with viewpoints questions. Teacher provides a simple planning sheet with prompts: “What cat features will you include?” “How will you add texture?” “Where will your cat’s head/ears/tail be placed?” Students sketch their clay-cat idea (small thumbnail) and write 1–2 planning questions or choices using visual arts language.

4. 18–30 min · Clay making: build the form. Teacher circulates, checking that students create a clear cat silhouette: body + head connected, ears formed, tail chosen (curved/straight). Students begin building, focusing on smooth joins and correct proportions (head not too big/small, tail placed to balance the form).

5. 30–40 min · Clay making: features and texture. Teacher demonstrates how to refine details without tearing: press in eye/nose shapes, carve fur lines lightly, add dots/creases for texture, and smooth edges where needed. Students add facial features and surface texture, making at least one deliberate texture choice.

6. 40–45 min · Reflection: gallery walk-style check. Students place their work on a designated drying area. In groups of four, they do a short “see and tell” round: each student shares one process/material they used and one visual convention they chose (for example, “I used scoring to join the tail” or “I used fur lines for texture”).

7. 45–50 min · Exit ticket: describe and justify. Students complete a quick exit ticket: “My cat looks like… because…” and “One process/material I used was…” and “One texture/shape choice I made was…” Teacher collects for formative assessment.

Resources

• clay (air-dry or oven-bake if used per school policy), one portion per student
• clay tools: plastic modelling tools, wire loop or safe cutting tool, small sponge/rag
• containers for water/slip, scoring comb or fork tool (if available)
• planning sheet with thumbnail + prompts
• visual arts vocabulary word bank (shape, texture, proportion, join, carve, smooth, balance)
• paper towels, aprons, wipes
• drying racks or trays with labels
• teacher demonstration cat model (or exemplar)
• assessment checklist (teacher use) and exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Teacher observation during making: uses a quick checklist for form clarity, safe joins, and at least one texture feature
• Structured peer talk during 40–45 minutes: listen for use of visual arts language (process/material + visual convention)
• Exit ticket (45–50 minutes): checks students can describe processes/materials and justify a visual convention choice

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for planning and exit ticket (“I chose… because…”, “I joined the pieces by…”); offer a simplified step-by-step poster of the cat stages
• Support: offer a “texture menu” (fur lines, dots, swirls, ridges) so students with difficulty can select one option
• Extension: challenge students to add an expressive idea (for example, “angry cat”, “sleepy cat”, “curious cat”) by changing facial expression and tail position, then explain the visual choices they made
• EAL/SEN: allow drawing choices with labels using the vocabulary word bank; pair students strategically for peer talk; keep instructions short and model key actions again for those who need repetition