Lesson Plan #2: 10th Grade Tripod Pinch Pot Sculptures

These sculptural pots all share a common tripod structure - a central hollow sphere and three ‘legs’. Students began by practicing making pinch pots - a classic and accessible method for ‘pinching’ a pot or bowl shape from a sphere of clay. Then, they conceptualized imaginative designs for their tripod sculptures, and developed a plan for parts to be added onto the basic structure. Each student made innovative decisions about what ‘legs’ meant for their project, which gives their work one of its most unique qualities. The results so far are playful, brilliant, and technically virtuosic! We can’t wait to see them in their final form, where they will be painted with colorful glaze.