Percy Jackson art invades Sixth Grade (Assignment 1)

In Sixth-Grade, as part of our World Studies, we study Ancient Greece.  We are reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as a shared reading activity to integrate social studies and language arts.  In the books, the ”campers” create a bead to represent each summer they are at Camp Half Blood.  Our students made beads to represent each of their school years, K-6, out of clay.  First, they designed each of their beads on paper.  Then they learned how to use the clay to form the shape of beads they wanted.  They learned how to barely mositen the clay, as needed, by dipping their fingers into a cup of water.   A wooden skewer was used to etch the design into the beads.  The beads were then placed on the skewer to dry, and to provide a hole in which to later make a necklace.   The beads were then painted–usng a wash technique–to make the etched design stand out.  The students loved the activity!  They were creative and had a great time integrating  language arts with art and social studies. 

 Using her design as a guide, this student completes her etching in her clay bead.

 The completed version of Percy Jackson beads–ready to dry and paint.

The painting of the beads!