Unit 3: Coils

Students will know how coils are used to build both functional and expressive ceramic forms. They will understand how score-and-slip, compression, and coil thickness affect strength, balance, and height. Students will also know how coils can be used as both a structural tool and a visual design element in ceramic art across cultures and time periods.

Students will design and construct two coil-based works:
a functional coil-built vessel using templates and controlled form, and
an expressive coil sculpture exploring movement, emotion, or natural forces.
They will roll, attach, compress, smooth, and intentionally expose coils to create both stable and visually meaningful ceramic forms. Students will sketch, build, revise, and critique their work throughout the unit.

Students will complete two finished coil-based artworks—a vessel and a sculptural form—that demonstrate technical skill, structural integrity, and intentional design.

Through critique and reflection, students will explain how their use of coils supports both function and artistic expression.