Ceramics I  
INSTRUCTOR: Amie Rogers 
arogers@esacadiana.com   
Cell: 337-789-9782 
 
Ceramics I students will develop a technical foundation while building and design both functional and sculptural forms.  
Students will investigate, and discussion contemporary and historical examples to help them to better understand the expressive  
potential of the medium. 

Honor Code  Art Department Mission 

“As a member of Episcopal School of Acadiana, I pledge that I  Our mission is to instill the relevance of the arts intellectually, 
will not lie, cheat, or steal, or withhold information  spiritually, and physically in the ESA community 
concerning those who do.”  and beyond. 

Goals
 
➢ That each ceramics student leaves with the ability to compose artworks derived from their own design process. 
➢ That each student can recognize and diagnose the appropriate solution for working with ceramics in different stages of 
hydration. 
➢ That each student participates in daily clean studio, healthy studio and ceramic recycling practices. 
➢ That each student recognize the historical traditions of the medium and be able to relate it to ceramics work made in the 
world today. 
➢ That each student can execute a ceramic design utilizing multiple building and or surface techniques. 

 
Expectation and Evaluation
 
Artworks, participation and growth is evaluated through any of the following grading areas:     
● Craftsmanship and neatness​ - ​Ability to develop technique and skill that resonates with clarity and purpose with materials 
required for assignments and/or projects.  
● Time management​ -​ Ability to manage your time in and outside the classroom to complete homework and assignments.  

   
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● Production Effort​ - ​ Ability to finish work in a timely manner and maintain a consistent work ethic and progress on 
assignments in class 
● Design Elements & Principles​ ​- Awareness of the elements in principles in your designs, speech and execution.  
● Execution & Originality​ -​ Ability to execute artwork from concept to completion with a novel and original idea.  
● Requirements​ ​- ​ ​Each assignment will have different requirements that need to be meet.  
● Work Habits and attitude​ ​- Ability to be respectful and open to positive suggestions while keeping a clean work area at the 
end of each class.  
● Artistic Growth​ -​ Ability over time to embrace and incorporate new concepts into the artistic process. 

Grading
 

● Design outlines will be graded on 25 point scale. 

● Projects will be graded on a 100 point scale 
● Glaze and surfaces will be graded on a 25-50 pts scale. 
● Small studies, experiments, and visual thinking exercises, will be graded on a 25- 50 point scale. 
● Studio Participation for the semester will be graded on 100 point scale. 
● Critique Participation for the semester will be graded on 100 point scale. 
● Written and presented research will be graded on a 50 point scale. 
 
Course Outline 
 
 
● Unit 1 - Materialities of Clay 
○ What are our assumptions about ceramics?  
○ Where have you encountered ceramics in your everyday life? 
○ What is clay? 
○ Where does it come from? 
● Unit 2 - Invisible Factors at work 
○ What make hydration a crucial element in the ceramics process? 
○ What does clay have to do with memory? 
○ How does compression effect craftsmanship? 
 
 
 

   
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● Unit 3 - Play and Procedures 

○ Why is it important to recycle clay 
○ Cleaning vs. Organizing that is the question? 
○ Score and Slip - When is it needed and when is it not? 
○ How do you store and protect your projects? 
● Unit 4 - Project 1 Technique 
○ Research 
○ Design drawings / maquettes 
○ Build 
○ Surface / glaze 
○ Critique 
● Unit 5 - Project 2 Collaboration 
○ repeat 
● Unit 6 - Project 3 Showcase 
○ repeat 
 
Ceramic Project Rubric 
  Advanced - 4  Proficient - 3  Developing - 2  Needs Improvement -1   

Craftsmanship  All aspects of the artwork were  With a little more effort in  The student showed average  Below average craftsmanship,   
considered and patiently competed.  finishing techniques; the artwork  craftsmanship; adequate, or not  lack of pride in finished artwork.   
&  The finished product is a result of  could be outstanding. Overall, the  as good as the student’s previous  Showed little evidence of effort  __ 
Neatness  careful meticulous planning. The  project is clean, without any  abilities, a bit careless. Minor  and/or a lack of understanding. 
craftsmanship is outstanding.  major structural problems.  structural problems may be  Includes obvious structural 
Project is pristine and well kept.  present.  problems and technical issues. 

Time   Class time was used wisely. Much  Class time was used wisely.  Class time was not fully utilized.  Class time was not used wisely,   
time went into the planning and  Sometimes went into planning  Little time went into the planning  little went into the artwork.   
Management  design of the artwork. Student self  and design of the artwork. The  and design of the artwork.The  Student was often off task and not  __ 
motivated the whole time seeking  student needed some refocusing  student was sometimes  focused on the project. 
assistance as needed.   but managed well.  distracted or off task. 

Production  Used class time to the maximum.  Uses class time for work but is  Has difficulty focusing on the  Hardly any evidence towards   
Always on task. Time and effort are  sometimes distracted by others.  project much of the time. Easily  caring about quality of the work.  __ 
& Effort  evident in the execution of the  Work falls short of excellence.  distracted by others.  No additional effort is noted than 
piece.  to complete it. 

Execution and  The artwork was successfully  The artwork was successfully  The art work was partially  The artwork was begun, but never   
executed from concept to  executed from concept to  successfully executed, with a few  fully completed. What work was   
Originality  completion, with a novel and  completion. Unique & original  unique aspects.  done was highly derivative of the  __ 
original approach.  with some evidence from  sample or other student’s work. 
samples 

Requirements  All requirements are met and  All requirements are met.  One requirement was not met  More than one requirement was   
exceeded.  completely.  not met.   __ 

        Points x5 = Grade  __ 

 
   
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