One of the most interesting and engaging aspects of the third grade year in a Waldorf school is the focus on practical arts and living. The class studies what it means to be a human on this earth. If we boil it down to three primary themes, we need food/water, air, and shelter (which includes fibers) to survive. The class learns about shelters from around the world, the history of farming and foods like ancient grains and natural resources that people have used for thousands of years. The students have a real hands-on experience this year as they not only hear stories about these topics, but work on projects around them as well. Many third grade classes also take on a project that will benefit the school. This year’s class put their learning into action by building a cob oven on our school’s grounds! As their teacher, I chose this project because it involves so much of what it takes to build a home and cook food (on a smaller scale, of course). We need structures that are stable, well-built and insulated.
Building the oven involved digging a hole in the ground and creating a base as well as a structure on which to house the oven itself. The dome structure was made from clay, straw, sand, water and dirt–all mashed together! The students helped every step of the way, from digging the initial hole to lifting concrete bricks (platform) to creating a sand dome and covering it with the clay mixture. They even danced on the clay in their bare feet in order to create the perfect cob layer!
The beauty of this project was in the journey as well as the final product. The whole school came together during different stages to help, and the end result was beautiful. We also had parents help by lending their expertise. From this oven we are able to bake food and share it within our community. Pizza has become this class’s specialty!
