5/9/2025 6:59:33 PM	ART 31A Course Outline as of Spring 2001	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  ART 31A	Title:  BEGINNING POTTERY
Full Title:  Beginning Pottery
Last Reviewed:3/10/2025

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	2.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	35.00
Minimum	1.50	Lab Scheduled	4.00		5 min.	Lab Scheduled	70.00
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	6.00			Contact Total	105.00
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  70.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 175.00

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

Wheel and hand-building methods of pottery. Glaze application and decoration techniques. Experiments in glaze making.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Wheel and hand-building, glaze making and application.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
C-ID:
CID Descriptor: ARTS 230	Introduction to Ceramics	SRJC Equivalent Course(s): ART31A

Certificate/Major Applicable: Certificate Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.  Develop an understanding of the basic use of clay and glazes in

the creation of pottery forms.

2.  Develop an awareness of visual and functional relationships such

as proportion, scale, positive and negative shapes, form and surface.

3.  Develop hand skills necessary for basic mastery of ceramic forms

created at the potter's wheel and at the handbuilding tables and for

basic mastery of glazing.

4.  Develop a working vocabulary of ceramic terms and a firsthand

understanding of their meanings.

5.  Cultivate an understanding of the creative process which includes

both the development of disciplined work habits and the practice of

handskills, as well as risk-taking and experimentation.

6.  Exercise ability to make critical aesthetic and technical judgments

through class critiques.

7.  Examine and analyze examples of pottery, both historical and

contemporary.

8.  Define health and safety issues that arise from the use of materials

and equipment associated with ceramics.  Train students in the safe

handling of clay and glaze materials and of equipment used in ceramic

processes.

Topics and Scope

The primary intent of Art 31A is visual awareness and performance

using clay and glazes in a studio setting.  This includes:

1.  The ability to produce basic pottery forms -- cylinders, bowls,

vases, simple lidded containers.

2.  The ability to complete pottery forms with premixed glazes.

3.  The ability to make aesthetic and technical decisions and judgments

about these basic forms.

4.  The ability to perform specific techniques to demonstrate under-

standing of the creation of pottery: throwing on the potter's wheel,

pinching coiling, using both soft and firm slabs, decorating with

colored clays, glazing and firing.

5.  The ability to intelligently and safely use and care for the

materials, tools and equipment associated with ceramics:  clays, glazes,

slips, handtools, potter's wheels, slabrollers, kilns.

The scope and sequence of the course will be presented as follows:

1.  Through lectures concerning the visual, technical, and historical

aspects of pottery.

2.  Through lecture/demonstrations of the proper use of materials,

equipment, and techniques.

3.  Through student practice and demonstration of ceramic techniques and

processes.

4.  Through one-on-one assistance, discussion and evaluation with

individual students.

5.  Through group critique discussions and presentations of in-process

and completed pottery.

Specific areas of study within Art 31A include:

1.  Clay used in the creation of pottery: color, texture, temperature,

suitability.

2.  Glazes used on the surface of pottery: color, texture, temperature,

application.

3.  Forming methods: potter's wheel, handbuilding.

4.  Glaze application: dip, pour, brush.

5.  Firing: electric, gas, raku kilns.  Low, mid and high temperatures.

6.  Concepts and concerns of form and function inherent to the creation

of art pottery.

Assignments:

1.  Use the potter's wheel to create clay cylinders and a series of

   simple forms:  mugs, vases, bowls.

2.  Utilize slabs of clay to form geometric or organic-shaped pottery:

   plates, boxes, vases.

3.  Use clay itself as a decorative surface: scraping, stamping, incising

   sprigging, applying colored slip.

4.  Use glazes as a decorative surface: dipping, pouring, spraying, wax

   resist, sgraffito.

5.  Overglaze with oxides: brushed, spattered, wax resisted, poured.

6.  Examine books and magazines devoted to ceramic art and techniques.

7.  View videos of master potters at work.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 0 - 0%
None
This is a degree applicable course but assessment tools based on writing are not included because skill demonstrations are more appropriate for this course.
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 20 - 30%
Class performances
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 0 - 0%
None
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 75 - 100%
A final exhibit of completed work will be the major basis for course grade Other factors include attendance, effort, artistic growth and participatio

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Ceramics, Glen Nelson, 5th ed., Holt Rinehart Winston, New York, Chicago,

San Francisco, 1984.

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