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Ancient Pottery Art

Activity

Shape, Symbol, and Story in Clay

Learn about pottery-making techniques from cultures like the Greeks, Egyptians, or Native Americans. Try to replicate an ancient pot using simple materials like natural clay, salt dough, or even air-dry clay. Decorate your creation with symbols or patterns that you learned about. You could even bake your pot to “harden” it and see how the shaping process works. How do you think pottery impacted daily life in ancient cultures?

Science Seed

Pottery offers valuable clues about ancient cultures and their way of life. Anthropologists and archaeologists study pottery to learn how people stored food and water, cooked meals, and traded goods. For example, large amphorae were tall, two-handled pots used by the ancient Greeks to transport and store liquids like wine or olive oil. Native American pots often featured intricate patterns symbolizing natural elements or spiritual beliefs. The materials and techniques used, such as coiling or wheel-throwing, reveal how communities adapted to their environments. Pottery also enabled long-distance trade by allowing goods to be transported safely, connecting distant cultures and spreading ideas across the ancient world.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

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join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.