Build a Coil Pot:

1. Maria Martinez was a famous Pueblo potter who was born in New Mexico around 1887. She was asked by an archaeologist working in the area in 1908 to replicate ancient pots that had been found in a dig. Information about the archaeologist, Edgar Lee Hewitt, is embedded in the Web links on Maria Martinez.
2. See photos of Maria and her husband Julian’s work at:
   
   www.mariapottery.com
   
   Be sure to click on the biography link at the bottom of the page to read a fascinating account of her life as well as a description of the techniques she and Julian employed to create their famous pottery.
3. Additional information about Maria is available at:
   
   www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3435000116.html
4. Maria and Julian’s family is still producing pots and continuing the tradition begun by Maria. Use this link to learn more about Maria and her family’s traditions:
   
   www.mariajulianpottery.com/MariaMartinezBio.html
5. Maria formed her pots using the coil method. Have students use the coil method to create a pot of their own. See the link for a complete lesson plan on building coil pots:
   
   www.dickblick.com/multicultural/coilpots/

Standards: NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes; NA-VA.K-4.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions; NA-VA.K-4.4 Understanding the Visual Arts in Relation to History and Cultures