Ceramics project ideas High School

Ceramics can be a fun class for students, whether as a practical skill, and art form, or as stress release. Here are some fun ceramic projects your students might enjoy.

High School Ceramics Projects

Ceramics involves creating pots and other objects from clay, and then hardening them through the application of extreme heat. It can be a way of producing practical items for your home, or simply viewed as a beautiful art form in and of itself.

Students might study ceramics out of a desire to gain that skill, as an expression of their artistic creativity, or as a relaxing release from some of their more rigorous classes. Whatever the reason, we can allow our students have fun in their ceramics classes using project-based learning.

Check out these ideas for ceramics projects suitable for high school students.

Pottery Project

Since many students taking a ceramics class are doing so for the first time, a basic pottery project is worthwhile. This project should focus on students creating something practical for the home. They could create soup or cereal bowls, plates, mugs, gravy boats, mixing bowls, or teapots. Any form of pottery that isn't too complicated for the student's skill level is fair game. You can also encourage students to give their resulting final project as a gift to a close friend or family member, further increasing the value of their time in class.

Art Sculpture Project

Ceramics projects don't have to be practical or useful. Ceramics can be a great way to express your creativity. For this project, have students create an artistic sculpture using ceramics techniques. This could be a piece of abstract art, a sculpture of a beloved pet, a self-portrait, an adorned vase, or a wall sculpture. Students should present their ideas to you for approval, and then they can work on creating their design.

Food Project

For this project, have students attempt to represent their favorite food using ceramics. Students could create a blueberry pie, a chocolate cake, a pizza, or a burrito. Whatever they choose to re-create, students should collect pieces of ceramic material, and attach them together to form a food item. The trick, of course, is in the painting. They must work hard to decorate their final product to make it look as much like the food they are representing.

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Mosaic Project

Another possible project is for students to create art in the form of a mosaic. Students can produce individual ceramic tiles, and then place them into a grid to form a larger piece of art. Their mosaic can be created entirely from different colors of tile that are the same size and shape, or students can create a patchwork of differently shaped tiles. They could even create grooved and textured patterns on the tiles to add an extra level of intricacy. The complexity of a mosaic can vary hugely depending on the skill and ambition of your students.