Crafty students in Lauren Rice’s art class at Daniel Island School have enjoyed making fused glass plates and bowls over the past month.
Earlier this school year, Rice was named a Santee Cooper STEAM grant award recipient, with the funds she received earmarked to support an in-class project called “Fused Glass Plates and Bowls.” This grant was made possible through donated funds by Santee Cooper to support Berkeley County School District.
Rice was among 34 teachers in the district to receive the grant. Each teacher was eligible for up to $2,500 individually, while teams could apply for up to $5,000. The funds all support STEAM education in the classroom.
The project showed students how glass interacts with heat. Her eighth graders went through the process of learning safety procedures involved in cutting glass (such as wearing protective eyewear) and practiced scoring the glass in late January. The students went on to sketch and plan their “bowl series”, with each student designing two to three bowls with a common theme, such as ocean life. Rice took their creations and got all the bowls fused and slumped, and then heated them up in a kiln.
CLICK HERE to view photos of students cutting class last month, as well as some of the finished products.
