LAB-BP-02 / Teacher preparation
Six-panel fallback and modern ground comparison
What does alternating folding change, and how does a modern white coating affect a sample surface?
Modern classroom adaptation. A six-panel modern accordion and acrylic-primer coupons are adaptations. Modern acrylic adhesion, flexibility, absorption, and aging do not test ancient gypsum or carbonate grounds. Purchased amate must be an expendable teaching sample, not finished artwork. Covers are optional modern design choices.
These protocols have not been physically or classroom tested. Pilot the actual materials and chosen transfer method before teaching. Use the stated fallback if its conditions cannot be met.
Before teaching
Choose actual school-approved products; read current labels/SDS and school requirements.
Pilot the chosen hands-on method and document real failures, quantities, timings, drying/release and accessibility.
Verify equipment, supervision, handling, waste and incident procedures.
Apply lab-specific fallback whenever procurement, source visibility or safe-transfer conditions cannot be met.
Lab-specific review
Preserve six-panel 10 × 60 cm dimensions; do not splice in the eight-panel measurements.
Separate actual applied primer volume from the 5 mL maximum allowance.
Teacher preparation
For 24 students, prepare twenty-four 10 × 60 cm strips, forty-eight optional 11 × 11 cm cover pieces, seventy-two 5 × 5 cm coupons, twenty-four brushes, shared measuring and folding tools, glue sticks, markers, pencils, and protected drying space. The primer allowance is 120 mL for students plus a pilot allowance. A 250 mL container may be enough, but verify the actual product's coverage and handling directions. Adhesive use follows its manufacturer rather than a hypothetical historical recipe.
For the optional bend comparison, supply two extra 5 × 5 cm expendable coupons per student, one bare and one coated. This raises the class coupon total from 72 to 120. Keep the original comparison cards intact. The coating test can also be run without constructing a second folded book.
At least two days ahead, test cutting, folding, coating, mark-making, and complete drying/curing. Select premixed water-based school-approved acrylic primer; no mineral powders or historical lime/gypsum preparation belongs in the student protocol. “Touch dry” may not mean ready for a fair comparison. Review labels, ventilation, sensitivities, and disposal. Precut materials where needed; knife or guillotine use remains adult-only under school policy.
The six 10 cm panels require five folds in a 60 cm strip. The optional 11 cm covers provide approximately 5 mm overhang on each edge of a centered 10 cm end panel. Identify the two exposed end faces with the stack closed before gluing, and keep adhesive out of folds. These dimensions are a modern classroom choice. They must not be combined with the eight-panel dimensions in LAB-SF-01.
A no-primer alternative compares purchased teaching samples whose composition is known. When composition is unknown, the activity remains a visible-surface comparison. Acrylic binder behavior, one gentle bend, and a short drying interval cannot establish the long-term performance of ancient grounds.
Schedule and equipment queues
Teacher: test cutting, folding, and coating at least two days ahead; follow the primer manufacturer's full drying/cure instructions. Allow two 50-minute lessons with overnight drying or longer if required. Do not promise that “touch dry” means fully ready for a fair test.
Alternative material plans
Optional bend comparison
Additional expendable coupons
48 coupons · class
24 bare plus 24 coated, each 5 × 5 cm; adds to baseline 72.
Provide and prepare one bare and one coated duplicate per student. Preserve A/B comparison cards. Total coupons rise to 120. Retain the up-to-5 mL primer allocation and verify coverage in the exact-product pilot rather than assuming a larger volume is needed.
Editorial corrections
Current baseline: 72 baseline, plus 48 optional duplicates =120 when bend test is selected.
Earlier allocation: 72 baseline coupons only.
Allocate actual duplicates required by the optional bend step.
Safety and stop conditions
Read these controls with the teacher before handling materials. Chemical etching is historical context only; the practical intaglio activity uses drypoint without mordants.
Controls
Use expendable teaching samples and school-approved premixed water-based primer, markers and glue; obey actual labels/ventilation and school requirements.
Keep coatings away from folds unless a separately piloted cracking experiment is intended.
Use broad gentle bending on duplicate coupons only; protect drying area; wash hands and manage waste.
Stop when
Cracking or resistant amate folds: use drawing paper and retain amate for inspection.
Unknown coating composition, unacceptable sensitivity, or product handling limits: use known purchased coated/uncoated samples or a no-primer version.
Tacky coating or insufficient cure: postpone comparison.
Trained adult only
Teacher cuts/prepares stock as needed, selects actual materials, pilots process, verifies cure and approves repeats.
Any knife or guillotine cutting; confirm readiness of the actual primer before testing.
Excluded activities
Historical-object tests or alterations to a finished artwork.
Dry powders, student lime/gypsum preparation, chemical cooking, and inferred ancient aging claims.
Cultural and source review
Specific specialist/practitioner review or permission is needed before claiming cultural endorsement or expanding into community-specific or restricted practice. No paid review, purchase, or spending is imposed as a blanket release gate for these explicitly labeled ordinary classroom adaptations. Do not claim any such consultation has occurred.