Beaded Clay Necklace

For this art class our assignment was to make a beaded necklace with molding clay. After reviewing the main vocabulary words for this class and showing the students some sample beads, the teachers provided each student with a handful of clay. Then the students kneaded the clay to press out any air bubbles that might be in the clay. Any air bubbles remaining in the clay will cause it to explode when it is heat-dried; therefore, it is important to remove all air bubbles. However, our beads were only air-dried so it was not as critical. Once we understood the concept of kneading, we started modeling our beads whichever shape we wanted. We were also provided with a wooden dowel to form the holes in the beads. When we were finished, the beads were set aside to dry. As soon as the beads were dry, we painted the beads with the colors we desired. The requirement was to make at least five beads and use three colors. When the paint was dry, we put the beads on a yarn to create our necklace.

 An extension activity for this lesson would be in math when first grade students learn about repeating patterns using 3D shapes and colors. The students would use the clay to mold the shapes, (ex. cube, cone, sphere pyramid). Then they would use various paint colors to color the shapes. Once the shapes are dried, each student will put shapes on a piece of year in correct shape and color sequence to create a repeating pattern.