Use clay to assess student progress of certain social studies concepts. Provide white clay and ask your third-graders to create state, country or world maps. Ask them to paint them to show different elevations. Have your students create clay masks that represent important people in history. Teach your students about important landmarks by asking them to make clay representations. Your third-graders might learn more about American Indian pottery by making their own clay pots.
Science is a hands-on subject, and clay can help your students make sense of what they are learning. Ask your students to make clay representations of the solar system or dioramas of different animal habitats. Teach color mixing by having your third-graders knead two different colors of clay together to make a new color. Have your students make clay models of insects to learn more about their different parts. Make your own clay as another way to introduce science concepts.
Teach geometric concepts by asking your third-graders to make different shapes out of clay. Have your students make their own creations using as many of their clay shapes as possible. Make clay snowflakes as another way to teach geometric concepts. Use clay to help your students solve word problems by allowing them to make visual representations of the math concept. Make homemade clay to teach your third-graders measuring concepts.
Ask your students to make clay representations of stories you read in class. Have your third-graders recreate the characters and setting of the story and retell it using their clay pieces. Your third-graders might also enjoy writing their own stories and telling them with clay. Reinforce spelling by allowing your students to roll their clay to form the letters needed to spell each of their words. Alternatively, give your third-graders toothpicks and ask them to write their spelling words in clay. Allow them to harden and use them as study tools. Reinforce reading comprehension by asking your third-graders to read, and follow, the directions to make their own clay.