Art Lesson Plan: Ceramic Storytellers

Submitted by: Judy Decker - Student work from Tracy Albert, May Whitney Elementary
Student work from Linda Woods below.
Unit: Sculpture - Ceramics - Folk Art
Project: Native American Storyteller Figure
Level: Elementary (adaptable to middle school and high school)

These examples are third grade students

Objectives: Students will:

Hand build a larger figure of clay that is adorned with small children and/or animals. They will combine several hand building techniques
Learn about cultures that use clay figures to express the telling of stories from one generation to the next. Learn about Pueblo culture.
Demonstrate craftsmanship in forming and glazing. Select colors for aesthetics.

Materials:

Newspaper
Canvas cloth
White clay -or buff clay (or terra cotta) - slip dishes
Clay tools and water
Underglazes and clear glaze - Or glazes
OR - Acrylic paints
Acrylic gloss spray
Brushes

Helen Cordero Storytellers: You will find a lot of links for Helen Cordero (1915-1994)
"The originator of the contemporary "Storyteller" figures was Helen Cordero of Cochiti Pueblo. Helen was a beautiful woman who cherished the role of storytellers in preserving the history of the Pueblo Indians. While her peers among Cochiti women were making traditional gray clay bowls, Helen was sculpting figures of seated storytellers with little children perched on legs, arms, shoulders, and back--all listening to the tales of the grandfather or grandmother."

Many Pueblo potters today produce Storytellers; but none match the quality, feeling, and naturalness of Helen Cordero's; one can almost hear the words coming out of the mouths of her Storytellers as the children hang on and listen attentively. See the First Storyteller.

I found one of Helen's for $14,500.00: (show art has value- image no longer on line)

Instructional Resources: (Additional Websites)

The Pueblo Storyteller: Development of a Figurative Ceramic Tradition by Barbara Babcock, et al.- If you have an interest in Storyteller pottery this is probably the most definitive book you will find. It is well illustrated with many photographs of storyteller pottery.

Helen Cordero And The Storytellers Of The Cochiti Pueblo by Nancy Shroyer Howard- Native American artist Helen Cordero (1915–1994) is best known for her remarkable clay Storytellers- figures covered with tumbling children. Get to know her work, and that of other artists from the Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico. Unique activities encourage kids to use their imagination, to explore the details of the sculptures and to think like an artist.

Pueblo Stories and Storytellers. This is also a wonderful book of information on the dolls/tradition and stories by Mark Bahti.

Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery by Douglas Congdon-Martin- In 1964, Helen Cordero of Cochiti created a clay image of her grandfather, Santiago Quintana, with five children clinging to him. With this piece the storyteller was born.

Art Scholastic Magazine: Maria Martinez

DVD- Arts and Crafts of Mexico, Educational Video Network, Inc., Huntsville, Texas
Detailed Lesson Plan (pdf file - no longer on line)

Link

"Listening Dolls" lesson for K thru 4" by Kennedy ArtsEdge

Motivation:

Show pictures of storytellers. (PowerPoint - slides)
Discuss characteristics of Native American design motifs. Discuss Pueblo culture.
Discuss the importance of telling cultural history from generation to generation.
Demonstrate processes - Instruct students on how to make a traditional storyteller - but encourage creativity.

Previous knowledge: Student have had prior experience with pinch pot, pinch method and coiling.

Vocabulary:

Storyteller
Pueblo
Ethnic
Culture
Decorative motifs
Figurative
Pinch method
Score, slip, coil
Glaze, Underglaze

Instructional Plan:

For larger story tellers - Make a ball of newspaper about the size of a baseball/tennis ball. (may work smaller for younger children) For other animal shapes - make a hump of newspaper smaller than desired body form. Make two pinch pots for smaller storytellers.
Press 1/8” -1/4" slab clay around the paper to create the skirt or body of the adult figure - or drape slab over newspaper hump. For small story tellers: larger pinch pot may also be used for the body - and a smaller pinch pot for the head - make sure there is a hole where the two attach. Fuse the head onto the larger pinch pot - score and slip.
Model and add the head and appendages. Make head hollow - be sure there is a hole in body where head is attached. There can not be trapped air. Strengthen arms and legs where they attach. Make mouth open as if telling a story.
Model and add all animals, children, etc. Sculpting, rather than drawing details is encouraged.
Check all joints - smooth any rough areas and allow to dry.
Bisque fire when bone dry.
Paint any clothing and details as desired - underglazes are a good choice. (projects can be dipped in clear glaze by the teacher). Watercolors or acrylics may also be used. Spray or brush on gloss acrylic for storytellers that have been painted with watercolors or acrylic.
Write the story for the storyteller.

Revisions

Make animals (cats - pets - fantasy animals) - Use Air dry clay - use Model Magic - Use Sculpey (polymer clay - Use paper clay.

Evaluation -- Did Students:
1. Use appropriate clay construction techniques? Include small figures to hear the story?
2. Smooth sculpture to give it a finished look?
3. Paint neatly? (or glaze neatly)
4. Make sure the spray coat fully covered the sculpture and was glossy as desired?
5. Sculpt details and not just draw them?

From Linda Woods
Grade Level: 3rd grade

Linda allowed her students to make traditional story tellers - or their own creative versions. shown are two approaches from third graders. One made a really gigantic dragon (about the size of a shoe box) storyteller with 2 babies out of clay using mostly slab, coil, pinch pots, and pinched forms on the head and scales. There is so much gesture, movement, and expression! She also painted it (all her own idea) in a way that it looks like an antique Chinese dragon. Linda's students used underglazes this time, which lent themselves perfectly to her design ideas (they don't blur or run...precise graphic design quality). The only thing Linda helped her with was figuring out how to make the tail curve around the body. She explained how to use a combination of slab, coil, and pinch pots joined together to make her hollow form and the curve of the body.

Related Web Sites:

Web Site Title: The First Storyteller
URL: http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa014.shtml
Description: Information and images about Native American figurative clay sculptures.

Web Site Title: The Pueblo Storyteller
URL: http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/samples/sam20.htm
Description: The story of the storytellers and visual examples