by Jennifer Mead

Introduction:
Thanksgiving commemorates the arrival of the Pilgrims to the New World and their perseverance in their strange new environment. To celebrate this holiday we sculpt a Mayflower centerpiece out of air dry Terracotta clay.

Note: this lesson plan uses Sculpey Polyform clay which is a wonderful product but SHOULD NOT be used to hold candy or food as it is made out of toxic materials

Materials:

Directions:

1. Set aside a small piece of clay about the size of a quarter for later .Roll the rest of the terracotta onto a ball. If it starts to crumble or fall apart, wet your fingers just a bit. Use your thumb to make a deep indentation into the ball. Now with your thumb and forefingers press the walls of the ball till they are thin and you have a round pinch pot. Make sure that the bottom does not get too thin and work towards an oval rather than a circular shape.


2. Set the pinch pot onto a piece of Plexiglas to flatten the bottom. Work the pot into an oval or rectangular/boat shape. Decide which end will be the front of the boat and pinch it so that it comes to a point.


3. Now pick up the small piece that was put aside. Form it into a ball and attach it to the bottom of the boat (it will serve as the support for the toothpick sail).


4. Cut a 3 to 4 inch piece out of the rim of a paper plate. Stick the toothpick through it so it forms the support for the sail. You can add texture to the clay if you desire using toothpicks, pencils, or textured 3-D materials.

When the boat is finished let it air dry about 24 hours. Then use your Mayflower to store after Thanksgiving dinner candies or to reenact the pilgrimage to the new world!

References:
Disney under lesson plans

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