3rd Grade - Molas

3rd Grade learned about South American molas. In Dulegaya, the Kuna's native language, mola means shirt or clothing. The mola originated with the tradition of Kuna women painting their bodies with geometrical designs, using available natural colors. In later years, these same designs were woven into cotton, and later still, sewn using cloth bought from the European settlers of Panama.

As part of a traditional costume of a Kuna woman, two mola panels are incorporated as front and back panels of a blouse. The full costume traditionally includes a patterned wrapped skirt (saburet), a red and yellow headscarf (musue), arm and leg beads (wini), a gold nose ring (olasu), and earrings in addition to the mola blouse (dulemor).

We created our molas from colored construction paper, scissors, and glue.

3rd Grade - Clay Masks

3rd Grade sculpted clay masks. They added color with Mayco Stroke and Coat glazes. Once the masks were finished, string was added so that the masks could be hung.

1st Grade - Pinch Pots

First Grade made clay pinch pots. Once they were fired, they added glaze using Amaco food safe, crystal glazes.

2nd Grade - Clay Animals

2nd Grade sculpted animals from clay. Once fired, they added color using Mayco Stroke and Coat Glaze.

Kindergarten - Clay Medallions

Kindergartners made their clay medallions by stepping on a small ball of clay. Once the clay was fired, they colored them with construction paper crayons, then painted with watercolors.

4th Grade - Face Vase

4th graders created "Face Vases" using the slab method. This technique is done by rolling out flat pieces of clay then joining together with your fingers or a tool. After the clay was fired, the students added color with Mayco Stroke and Coat glazes; as well as, Amaco's crystal glazes.

5th Grade - Coil Pottery

5th Graders have been working very hard on their coil pottery. Coil pottery is an ancient clay building technique made by rolling out coils, or ropes, of clay and joining them together with the fingers or a tool. Once their pieces were fired, they added color with glaze. The glaze is food safe.