Coil Pot

I admit it.  Coil pots were really difficult concept to 2nd graders.  Until that is, I learned that a Terra Cotta flower pot (very inexpensive, and lasts a long time) can be used as a mold. Students coil the clay around the inside of the pot, pressing against the walls.  They smooth the interior with their fingers, and at the end of the day, I can just shake them out.  The Terra Cotta pots hold the water from the clay, so the students' pots dry quickly, and the pots can be used for years to come.  One smartypants 2nd grader however was not content to only go up the walls of the flower pot.  She went up, up, up, and her pot turned out better than I expected.