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Ceramics Suggested Activities 1) Have students research the history of ceramics. Construct a timeline on transparencies which can be later superimposed with the timelines of the other areas. 2) Research the composition of common ceramic bases and of glass. Compare and contrast these compositions. 3) Create glass in crucibles by measuring the materials for a simple borosilicate glass and melting the batch in a lab furnace. Good instructions for this lab can be found at http://science-ed.pnl.gov/msthandbook.stm. 4) Create glass art works by coloring the glass batch made in #3 and pouring it into molds like those for fishing sinkers. 5) Use a light box and polarizing lenses to examine the stresses built up during the cooling of the glass pieces you poured. 6) Examine the oxidation chemistry of various ceramic glazes. Construct several glazes for use on projects. 7) Research the science of reduction glazing and the raku technique. Mix up several raku glazes. 8) Using raku clay bodies, have students create ceramic piece for firing using the raku technique. Instruction for raku making is available at http://science-ed.pnl.gov/msthandbook.stm. 9) Have students write a research paper about raku including the chemistry of the clay body and the glazes during the firing cycle. 10) Study the idea of coefficient of expansion by creating fused glass pieces out of tested compatible glasses (available at stained glass supply companies). Fused glass art can be made using normal ceramic kilns but research into an appropriate firing cycle is necessary and pyrometric temperature control is required as well. 11) Continue to study the properties of glass by slumping projects into molds to create three dimensional objects. Be sure to consider the problems of devitrification and annealing to remove cooling stress.
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