In advance of the Passover holiday students will make clay mezuzas. The story of the holiday involves the Israelites marking their doors so that their homes could be identified and passed over by the angel of death. The mezuza tradition stems from this story.

Objectives: Students will make mezuzas in advance of Passover and develop their ceramic skills.

Goals:

• Scoring, slipping and forming clay
• Use additive and subtractive handbuilding skills
• Learn masking technique for glazing

Intended Audience: 5th Grade

New York Learning Standards Addressed:

1. Students will make works of art that explore different kinds of subject matter, topics, themes.
2. Students will know and use a variety of visual arts materials, techniques, and processes.
3. Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.
4. Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

Materials:
clay
carving tools
paintbrushes
glaze
masking tape

Procedure:

Day one

1. Class will discuss relevance of Passover and mezuza tradition.
2. Teacher will lead discussion about the difference between functional and decorative art.
3. Ask students to describe how to make a mezuza functional.
4. Teacher demonstrates how students will make mezuzas. Clay shaped into long rectangle. Back carved out, walls left of even width, holes poked through for nails. Once the basic functional mezuza is created, students can design or decorate. Review scoring process for attaching clay. Remind students that if they leave a smooth and/or plain surface they can decorate with glaze. Define two decorating techniques, additive and subtractive. Show students carving tools and how to carve in designs. Add clay designs with scoring.
5. Students get their own clay and create.
6. Teacher goes from table to table checking on progress.
7. Students must incise their names on the back of their mezuzas.

Day two

1. Students will collect their mezuzas.
2. Teacher talks about glazing. Glazes are not mixed like regular paints. Paintbrush should be washed in between. At least two layers should be applied. Pencil marks will burn away.
3. Teacher demonstrates glaze application and masking techniques. Remind that glaze can’t touch the bottom or it melts onto kiln.
4. Students glaze mezuzas.
5. Students clean up.
6. Students discuss their completed mezuzas and their decorative choices.

Adaptations: If a student has fine motor issues the teacher can assist with carving out a functional back and nail holes.

Assessment: Teacher will ask each student to explain which methods they used and ask student show these techniques can be used in other ceramic creations.