From Code to Clay: A Transdisciplinary Tile Project

From Code to Clay: The Grade 4 Tile Project

One of my favorite projects this year has been the Grade 4 Tile Project, a true collaboration across Art, Thai, Math, and Design Tech that transformed our outdoor quad space into something beautiful, meaningful, and connected to our host culture.

We posed the following design challenge to students:

How might we beautify the Grade 4 outdoor wall and create a sense of community through learning?

This guiding question allowed us to connect math, art, culture, and technology in ways that were authentic and lasting.

Coding: Designs Inspired by Thai Culture

During November 2020, all Grade 4 students began by exploring Thai architecture and radial designs for inspiration. They then used an app called Turtle Art to create symmetrical radial patterns with coding blocks.

Working through the design cycle, students tested and refined their work to make sure their patterns were symmetrical and suitable for laser cutting. Along the way, they applied ideas about geometry, measurement, and repetition in meaningful ways.

Teacher reflection: Culturally inspired prompts give students a chance to use coding and math as creative tools, not just technical exercises.

Math Problem Solving: Measurement With Purpose

Before any tiles could be made, students had to calculate how many would be needed to cover the wall. This became the perfect authentic challenge during our measurement unit.

Students calculated the area of the wall, estimated tile size, and determined how many would fit. They practiced counting up and applied multiplication strategies. This challenge became the end of unit transfer task where they could apply their skills to a real problem.

Teacher reflection: When math has a visible purpose that connects directly to a project, students engage deeply and take ownership of their learning.

3D Fabrication: From Code to Acrylic

Once the digital designs were finalized, we converted them into Adobe Illustrator and used the laser cutter in the Invention Center to cut each student’s design into acrylic sheets.

With over ninety unique designs, this process took more than twelve hours. Some pieces had to be redone if they broke or were too detailed, which gave students a real taste of the challenges of fabrication and iteration.

Teacher reflection: Sharing the messy parts of making, including mistakes and re-dos, helps students understand that design is an iterative process.

Art: Imprinting and Glazing

The acrylic sheets acted like cookie cutters to press student designs into clay tiles. These tiles were then fired in the kiln multiple times to harden them before students applied glaze.

The chosen color palette of blues, whites, and purples was selected to honor our host country of Thailand. This phase was a highlight for many students as they saw their coded patterns transformed into tangible, colorful works of art.

Teacher reflection: Cross disciplinary projects give students pride when they can watch their ideas move across different mediums.

Mounting and Final Product

Finally, the tiles were mounted on the Grade 4 quad wall, creating a collaborative mural that blended coding, math, art, and cultural appreciation. What began as lines of code on a screen ended up as a permanent installation that beautifies our campus and builds community pride.

The finished wall is more than just decoration. It is a lasting reminder that creativity, problem solving, and collaboration can shape the spaces around us.

Teacher reflection: Finishing with a public product validates the process and shows students that their work has impact.

Why This Project Worked

This project succeeded because it wove disciplines together in authentic ways:

• Math was applied to a real spatial challenge

• Coding became a design tool connected to culture

• Art contributed to a shared community identity

• Students worked as designers whose creations made a lasting difference

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In the end, the Grade 4 wall became more than just a canvas. It became a symbol of what happens when transdisciplinary learning, cultural connections, and student creativity all come together.me together.