The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Geometric Cake Sculptures

Celluclay Cake Sculpture

A K-6th Grade STEAM Lesson

Alexis Kratzer

12/10/2023

Notes for Teachers

5th-6th Grade will be creating a cake sculpture. 4th grade and lower will be creating a cupcake mini sculpture. The learning target for this project is that the students will explore how they can use geometric shapes in order to create sculptures.

List of Materials

• Cardboard
• Exacto Knives
• 2 inch Foam Craft Spheres
• Plastic or styrofoam cups
• Celluclay mix
• Plastic spoons

Standards

Visual Arts

CREATING

VA:Cr3.1.5a

Create artist statements using art vocabulary to describe personal choices in art-making.

VA:Cr2.1.3a

Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.

VA:Cr1.2.4a

Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the makers.

1.4. Innovative Designer Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. Students: 1.4.a. know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. 1.4.b. select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks. 1.4.c. develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process. 1.4.d. exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

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ISTE STEM Standards:

1.4. Innovative Designer

Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

1.4.a. know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

1.4.b. select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

1.4.c. develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.

1.4.d. exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

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Mathematical Practices:

MP.4 Model with mathematics.

MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically.

MP.6 Attend to precision.

Objective(s): Students will create a celluclay cake sculpture and utilize shapes and geometry to create an armature.

Today

Learning Target: I can transform my 2D drawing into a 3D celluclay sculpture.

Success Criteria: I will be successful when my sculpture is strong, has details and is neatly painted (acrylic paint).

Agenda (lesson time)

The lesson will take approximately 1 week to complete. The students will choose from a variety of cardboard shapes in order to form their item. Students will be instructed on how to create a “prism” shape which will form the frame or “armature” of their cake sculpture. The 5-6th grade school students will create a slice of cake whereas the K-4 students will create a cupcake sculpture.

DAY 1 - Students measure and cut the cardboard into shapes in order to form the armature for the cake slice. They will cut out two triangles, two rectangles, and one square - measurements will be on the board.

DAY 2 - The students will assemble the cardboard together using masking tape in order to create a cake slice armature. This will also form a cardboard prism which will serve as the base of the sculpture.

DAY 3/4 - Students will cover their armature with celluclay. The teacher will fill cups with the celluclay powder and the students will add water as needed to create clay with the correct consistency.

DAY 5- After students cake slices dry over the weekend the students will then paint the cakes and decorate their sculptures.

Intro/Driving Question/Opening

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How would one create a sculpture of a dessert such as cake, ice cream, a doughnut, or a cupcake? What type of 2-dimensional shapes create each one of 3-dimensional forms that make up these treats that we all love so much.

CAKE SLICE = Two triangles, two rectangles, one square = a prism

ICE CREAM CONE= A sphere and a cone

CUPCAKE = A sphere and a cylinder

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Group students according to how well they work together, you don’t want any students throwing clay or cardboard.
• If the teacher has time they might want to add the water themselves to the cups of celluclay, the students will sometimes add too much water and the clay will be too wet to stick to the cardboard.
• Images may be helpful to show how things are setup.

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Assessment

Here is the rubric in order to grade the students on how well their cake slice worked and how they will create their sculptures.

Differentiation

The differentiation will be case-by-case basis - the important thing is to pay attention to the students as they are creating their armatures, this will help the teacher determine who will need differentiation in the long run. If the student is having trouble building an armature then the teacher can provide the student with a cylinder and foam sphere so they are not nervous about creating an armature. That way the student can focus on the specific building process of creating the sculpture and think about how they are going to decorate it once the celluclay dries.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students will have drawn an example of a cake slice previously before making the sculpture. Students can continue to color their cake slice using oil pastels.

Students can research the pop art movement or a similar artist and develop a presentation.

• 3d forms/shapes have 3 dimensions, length, width and and height.
• Shading and shadows will make it look 3d

• 2d shapes have 2 dimensions, length and width

Wayne Thiebaud

• Born 1920 - Died 2021, at age 101
• American Artist from Arizona who was part of the Pop art movement
• Known for his realistic, colorful still lifes of desserts and food, but also painted landscapes
• Worked for Walt Disney
• Art teacher