Clay Chameleons created by 5th Grade

The 5th grade artists wrapped this project up a week ago but I'm only getting around to sharing it now. I mentioned in the Clay Week post that each grade level was portraying an animal in clay form. I challenged my students to practice their hand modeling and coil building skills to sculpt a chameleon.

I began be introducing the chameleon with a presentation about the reptile. I showed them a lot of colorful images and shared interesting facts about their color changing cells. Just a pinch of science is good for student buy-in, here!

I also shared this fun video (disclaimer: some critique that his video is a fake but it is super cool anyway!)

We then set to sculpting with clay! The students had two days to complete their chameleons. Day 1 they modeled the head, body, and attached a coil for the tail. Each table got a photos of the chameleons to reference. At the end of class they wrapped them up in damp paper towels and sealed them in a plastic baggie until the following week. Day 2 they rolled coils and attached them as legs. They rolled small spheres for eyes and used a skewer stick to add textures and details.

I bisque fired them later that week and they painted them with tempera paint on the 3rd day. The last day they sealed them with gloss luster Mod Podge and completed a reflection sheet.

They students were so proud of their creations! I was so proud of their successes!

This chameleon matches their maker's finger nail polish!

Thanks for stopping by!