How to Make a Clay Maraca

My kindergarten students study Mexico as a part of their social studies curriculum. Early in the school year, we make pinch pots, and this video shows how we can build off the basic pinch pot project to make a maraca. It is a fun project that makes cross-curricular connections with both Social Studies and Music. Students learn about how a maraca produces sound, how to work with clay to prevent pieces from sticking together and they learn a bit of science (#STEAM) as we discuss what happens to clay and paper in the kiln. Students need to understand that clay will shrink by about 10% as it dries out but that the paper will burn causing smoke and that gasses will expand as they are heated. If the exterior is shrinking while gasses on the interior are trying to expand, it will cause the sculpture to blow up and that is why they need to poke a few holes in their maracas to allow smoke to vent out.

Kindergarten students are able to handle about 90% of this project without much problem, but I have parent volunteers come in to help make sure things run smoothly. The hardest steps for kids seem to be wrapping balls of clay in their paper towels and forming the handle. One thing I have found helpful with this project has been to ask parents to etch identification into each project. In my classroom, kids are assigned numbers and they each have their own numbered spot along the side counter where they line up. I have my students put their finished maracas in their numbered spots then parent volunteers etch each student's number in the clay and make sure at least about half a dozen holes are poked in each one. If you want to carry out this project without enlisting parent helpers, I would recommend this for third grade and up.

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