3 Ceramics and Glass
This webpage gives the basic outline for a weekly module. The full module with videos, readings, homework assignments, and other resources is available in Canvas by contacting the instructor.
Introduction
The manipulation of glass-like rocks and ceramics represent humans’ earliest materials innovations. Matter/materials come bundled with many properties, but we only seek to use some of these at particular instances in history. This module examines the process and social impacts of shaping rock and clay, and uses these lessons to explore the possibilities for manipulating tomorrow’s functional ceramics. The creation of new processing approaches suggests which properties of materials we can take advantage of in a certain time and place.
Module Objectives
Students will:
- identify the properties of ceramics
- describe the work of materials processing
- discover the uses and applications of ceramics both historically and in modern times
- examine how the physical processing of a material involves social acts
- discover the hidden costs of increasing materials manufacturing
Lecture Development Resources
Day 1
Materials science professor gives an overview of ceramics and glass: Properties, abundance, and structure of ceramics and glass; history of the use of ceramics and glass and how these materials have evolved. If possible, do a Rupert drop experiment in class.
Day 2
Guest humanities/archaeology/anthropology professor presents Firing Clay, Breaking Glass and the Past Futures of Ceramics, a lecture that explores early human manipulations of obsidian and firing clay (flintknapping) and introduces the concept of “operational sequence” as a way to understand the complex social acts involved in manipulating materials.
Day 3
The decisions that we make about how to manipulate materials involve making choices about energy transformation, expected use, and recyclability. This flipped classroom exercise asks students to imagine the operational sequence for functional ceramics in order to discuss the advantages and opportunity costs involved in the processing of these materials.
