Grade: Pre-K
Plan on this being at least a two session project.
During Multi-Cultural Month we tried to incorporate different forms of expression from around the globe. For this lesson we focused on the masks that many African cultures have been using for centuries as a form of art, dance and story telling. We began by looking at some examples of the masks and made our own observations. Many of the students clung to the scary look of many of the masks.
They found them to be startling and sometimes frightening. After they shared this, I informed them that there is a reason for the frightening looks as many tribes and cultural groups used these masks to scare away evil and spirits that were not welcome.
After we discussed the emotional responses, we then made our observations based on design. They noted that many of the masks used similar colors, expressions and also were made with interesting patterns and lines. The masks were filled with shapes and other things that the children recognized and could make themselves.
Day One: On day one the students used Elmer's glue to glue on different objects they found on the table such as pasta, buttons, woodsies, raffia, black-eyed peas, lentils, baby food jar lids, cut straws and really anything else we had in the classroom. After they decorated the foam (a rectangle cut from a styrofoam meat tray) we left the masks to dry. They did not look that special after this step, but step two is where they really come to life!
Day Two: On day two I invited the children to come up five at a time to add acrylic paint to the mask. They used one solid color to cover the entire mask as a base coat. After that they could choose more colors to add their design details such as dots, lines, squares and other design elements. It was very exciting to see the children create these masks as it was a way for them to express a sense of emotion, whether it was a silly emotion, a sad emotion, and animal like emotion or a scary emotion. They created wonderful examples of interactive art.
Take a look and enjoy :)
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