Clay ceramics, including pottery and bricks, are made by shaping wet clay…

The idea

Clay is a naturally occurring material made of tiny mineral particles. When mixed with water it becomes soft and mouldable, so it can be shaped by hand, pressed into a mould or extruded. The shaped object is then heated in a furnace or kiln to a high temperature. Heating drives off water and causes the particles to fuse together, producing a hard, strong, brittle ceramic that keeps its shape. Pottery and bricks are common examples. The key sequence is: mix clay with water, shape the wet clay, then heat it in a furnace. The heating stage is essential because unheated clay would soften again if it got wet, whereas the fired ceramic is durable and water-resistant.

What earns the marks

• Clay is mixed with water to make it soft and mouldable.
• The wet clay is shaped, for example by hand, in a mould or by extrusion.
• The shaped clay is heated in a furnace or kiln.
• Heating causes the clay particles to fuse, producing a hard, brittle ceramic.
• Pottery and bricks are named examples of clay ceramics.
• The order of the process must be shaping first and heating second.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Stating that clay is heated before it is shaped.

  Put it right: The correct order is to shape the wet clay first and then heat it.

• Describing clay ceramics as flexible or elastic after firing.

  Put it right: The correct description is hard and brittle.

• Omitting water from the process.

  Put it right: The correct method mixes clay with water so that it can be shaped.

Exam tips

• Use the words shape and furnace or kiln to make the two main stages clear.
• Give a named example such as a brick or a plant pot to anchor the general description.
• If asked to sequence the process, write the stages in order rather than as a list of separate facts.