Clay Tiles

 Description: In this lesson, we learned about the history of Mosaic clay tiles, including the origin and development of techniques used to create tiles. We learned different techniques to add texture to the clay tiles as well. We then brainstormed what we wanted on our tiles and how we wanted them to look. We kneaded our clay, rolled it out to an even width using wood blocks, and used a square template we cut out our tile. we then added additive elements and subtractive elements onto our tile. Finally, we painted our tile. We left the bottom unpainted as our clay was wet when we painted it, and it needed an unpainted side to allow the water to escape and dry. If the clay had been dry, we could have painted all the sides. 

Extension activity: This would be a great activity to do when learning about history, and different time periods where clay was used heavily in their artwork. You could learn about the society you are studying and then have students make a clay tile, or clay piece, based on that society, but also unique to the student.