Lesson Overview:

Inspired by the Newbery Medal winning book A Single Shard, this lesson explores the unique celadon glazes and slip inlay techniques utilized by 12th century Korean potters. Students research and discuss the significance of celadon pottery within 12th century and modern-day Korean society. Students then create their own pieces using inlaid slip designs and celadon glaze.

Length of Lesson:

Three 45-minute class periods

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• analyze the celadon glazes and slip inlay techniques developed by 12th century Korean potters.
• describe how the use of celadon glazes and slip inlay techniques influences the form and symbolism of Korean ceramic art work.
• gain insight into the importance of the ceramic trade within the social and economic structure of 12th century Korean villages.
• identify the major historical events in 12th century Korea.
• identify the various functions of ceramic works of art created by potters in 12th century Korea.
• create a glazed ceramic tea bowl with a unique and individual inlaid slip design.

Supplies:

• 25 lbs. of ceramic clay
• Newspapers
• Cutting wire
• Toothpicks
• Bamboo skewers
• Plastic scrapers
• Plastic cups
• Chopsticks
• Wooden coffee stirrers
• Paper clips
• Sand paper
• Sponges
• Watercolor brushes
• Ceramic kiln
• Transparent green cone 06 glaze
• Moroccan sand white and black slip

Instructional Plan:

Introduction:

The inspiration for this arts-integrated lesson is the 2002 Newbery Medal winning book A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. The book tells the story of a boy named Tree-ear, and his quest to become a potter under the tutelage of a demanding master potter named Min. In the context of the story, readers are introduced to 12th Korean culture and historical techniques for making and firing pottery. (You may wish to distribute copies of the Vocabulary Handout and review the terminology with students prior to reading the book.) Have students read and discuss the book. List the following categories on the board: pottery, glazes, social structure, apprenticeships, history, and other. Have students share information they have learned in each category, as well as any questions they may have about life in 12th century Korea.

Have students conduct a guided Internet search for 12th century Korean history to answer the questions posed in the discussion. In particular, students should determine if the village of Ch'ul'po still exists today, and if so, investigate whether the production of pottery remains its primary function. See the Sources section for relevant Web resources.

Allow students to share their findings in small discussion groups. Have one student from each group report findings to the entire class. New information should be added to the list compiled earlier in the lesson.

Have students visit What Color is Celadon?, an online exhibit from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through a series of interactive questions, students will learn about the traditional Korean pottery and the origins of celadon glaze. Download and print several examples of Korean pottery, including everyday functional pieces and decorative pieces with intricate designs, such as vases or sculptural objects. Share these examples as a class, and discuss the various purposes of Korean ceramic works of art.

In discussing the works of art, inform students about the origins of the celadon glaze, including how it got its name. (The term celadon itself originated in France and it does not exist in the Chinese or Korean Language) Point out the differences between Chinese and Korean celadon. (While celadon is seen in both Chinese and Korean pottery, the former is greener and the latter is a unique blue-green color. Clay body is mixed with wood ash to form the Chinese celadon glaze, while porcelain stone is mixed with wood ash to form the Korean glaze.)

Part 1: Pinch Pot Tea Bowl with Coil Foot

Explain how clay is formed from rocks that break down through the geologic process of weathering. Read the short passage on pages 31-32 of A Single Shard that illustrates the difficulty Tree-ear has in trying to dig clay from a clay pit. Then read the short passage on pages 42-43 describing how Tree-ear strained sticks and rocks from the clay to make it workable. Ask students to discuss the comparison of 12th century clay processing tools and conditions to their modern-day counterparts.

Steps for creating the pinch pot tea bowl with coil foot:

1. Pass out newspapers to cover the student's tables or desks.
2. Using a cutting wire, cut a 25 lb. block of ceramic clay into 3"x3" blocks for each student. Allow them to pinch and poke the clay, but do not allow them to begin rolling or forming the clay to prevent the clay from over-drying.
3. Demonstrate how to squeeze the clay block to round over the corners and begin rolling between the hands to form a smooth ball.
4. After a smooth ball is formed, demonstrate how to open the ball of clay by pressing into the ball with the thumb, sinking in to the first knuckle, but not going all the way through the clay.
5. Demonstrate how to use the thumb, index, and third finger to gently pinch the clay, turning as they go to form a thick clay bowl.
6. Caution the students to keep the walls of the bowl fairly thick and even, (the thickness of their pinky finger) and to use their fingertips to smooth out any cracks that form.
7. After the bowls are smoothed, pass out toothpicks to each student and demonstrate how to turn the bowl over and make score marks on the upturned base of the bowl.
8. Cut and distribute 2"x1" blocks of clay to each student.
9. Demonstrate how to roll the clay into a short coil, and how to bend the coil to form a small ring shape that is slightly smaller than the base of the scored bowl, pinching off any excess clay.
10. Demonstrate how to use the index finger to smooth the inside and outside seam between foot ring and the base of the bowl together.
11. Demonstrate how to write initials and period number inside the foot ring with a tooth pick, and how to turn the bowl over carefully without putting too much pressure on the new foot ring, while smoothing out the rim of the bowl.
12. Cleanup, ask students to throw away newspapers and toothpicks, collect extra clay and place tea bowls on a shelf or other safe place.
13. Place the finished pots on a shelf uncovered to dry until barely leather hard (usually overnight, but this depends on weather and humidity).

Part 2: Incising and Slip Inlay Decoration

Distribute copies of traditional 12th century Korean pottery designs to the students. Ask the students for responses to the designs, and ask the following discussion questions:

• What types of designs, patterns, and symbols were used on Korean everyday pottery objects, sculptural pieces, and vases?
• What significance did these designs and symbols have for twelfth century Koreans?
• In A Single Shard, why was Kang's discovery of the inlay technique kept secret from other potters in the village?
• What types of designs, patterns and symbols would a Korean potter have used on a pottery piece commissioned by the emperor's emissary?
• What types of modern symbols and patterns would you choose to create a Korean-influenced design?

After the discussion, reread the short passage on pages 58 and 59 of A Single Shard illustrating how Kang the potter used incising tools to inscribe designs in the leather hard clay and inlay colored slip into the designs. Distribute newspapers, leather hard tea bowls, and cups of white and black slip, plastic scrapers, and a variety of incising tools to the students. (bamboo skewers, chopsticks, wooden coffee stirrers, paper clips, and toothpicks)

Steps for creating the inlaid slip designs:

1. Caution the students to handle the leather hard bowls carefully. Any heavy pressure can cause the pot to crack, and inflict serious damage.
2. Suggest to the students that they create their own interpretations of Korean-style designs, and that they keep their designs simple.
3. Demonstrate how to use a variety of tools to inscribe designs in the surface of the clay, making bold, deep, simple patterns.
4. Distribute cups of thick white and black slip and plastic scrapers to the students.
5. Demonstrate how to apply small amounts of slip to the incised designs, using the fingertips or the plastic scraper to push the slip into the inscribed designs.
6. Tell the students to wait several minutes for the slip to begin to dry.
7. Demonstrate how to use a plastic scraper or wooden coffee stirrer to carefully scrape the slip away from the surface of the pot (the slip may have a tendency to smear, if it does, allow more drying time). The inlaid images will appear light, but will darken after the firing.
8. Allow the pots to dry further (becoming ashen on the edges) and scrape lightly again if needed to remove excess slip.
9. Ask students to clean up carefully, folding their newspapers to catch all of the slip scrapings, putting incising tools and design sheets back in proper containers, and placing pots on shelf or other safe place.
10. Dry pots completely, and bisque fire to cone 04.

Part 3: Glazing

Read the short passage on pages 43-44 of A Single Shard that describes how celadon glaze was made, as well as the passage on pages 78 and 79 describing how the Korean kilns were stacked and fired with wood. Ask students to consider Min's disappointing failure when he fired his first load of pottery for the emissary, and compare this process to the commercially-made glazes and an electric kiln they will use to fire their pottery, Distribute newspapers, sandpaper, bisque fired tea bowls, cups of transparent green glaze, cups of water, sponges and watercolor brushes to the students.

Steps for glazing the tea bowls:

1. Demonstrate how to lightly sand away any small smudges of fired slip from the surface of the pot. Caution students not to blow the dust way, but to brush it gently onto the newspaper.
2. Demonstrate how to dip the pot in a container of water to remove the sanding dust and make the pot less absorbent.
3. Demonstrate how to apply two even coats of green glaze to the pot, and carefully remove any glaze from the foot of the pot. (This will prevent it from sticking to the shelf.) Remind students that their designs will reappear after the glaze has fired and become transparent.
4. Caution the students to look out for "holidays" or spots that are left unglazed. Use a brush to dab glaze on any missed spots.
5. Cleanup, have the students wash brushes, cups, and sponges, and collect sandpaper. Place tea bowls on a shelf or other safe place to dry, and throw newspapers in the trash.
6. When pots are completely dry, glaze fire to cone 06-05.

Closure

Lead a class discussion to summarize the experiences, feelings, and processes the students learned by participating in the lesson. Compare the process used in the classroom to the complex and often frustrating 12th century techniques described in A Single Shard.

Assessment:

Conduct informal assessments throughout the lesson by observing how students respond during class discussions to questions regarding their interpretations of the importance of Korean pottery and Korean pottery designs and techniques. Observe how well students follow directions for creating the clay tea bowl, and how they interpret traditional Korean pottery designs to create their own unique inlaid slip decoration. Students should complete a self-evaluation of the project by drawing a sketch of their tea bowl, listing the steps requires to create the project, indicating the strengths and/or weaknesses of their design, and stating their overall satisfaction with the project. The final grade for the project will be determined by a graded Assessment Rubric.

Sources:

Print:

• Kim, Chewon, & Gompertz, G. St. G. M. The Ceramic Art of Korea. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1961.
• Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. New York: Clarion, 2002.
• Speight, Charlotte, and John Toki. Make It In Clay. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997.

Web:

• Library of Congress's North Korea: A Country Study
  http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/kptoc.html
• Library of Congress's South Korea: A Country Study
  http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/krtoc.html
• PBS's Hidden Korea
  http://www.pbs.org/hiddenkorea/intro.htm

Authors:

• Janet Greene, Resident Artist
  Yuba Sutter Regional Arts Council
  Marysville, CA