Grade: K+
Age: 6+

Masks are a way to make kinderart faces,
that lift and transport us to new and wild places.
From a bird to a beast to a sad happy clown,
masks make you laugh, make you jump, make you frown.
Using paper and scissors and objects you find,
You can make masks of all colors and kinds.

Objectives:

• Students will see that masks have great meaning in many cultures.

• Students will have a chance to discover the importance of connecting our present day lives with the lives of those who lived before us.

• Students will create a paper mask.

• Students will learn to appreciate the art created not only by them, but by others as well.

What You Need:

• Heavy poster paper about 22" x 28" per student (can be smaller depending on what's available.)
• Pencils
• Scissors (and help for the little ones)
• A paper stapler
• Crayons
• Paint
• Paintbrushes & containers for water
• Magic markers, feathers and other found objects
• Glue
• String or elastic

What You Do:

1. Draw an oval shape on the large piece of paper. The larger the better ... masks can cover more then just the face. Cut the oval shape out of the paper.

2. At both the top and bottom of the oval, make a 1" cut. (You will later take these cuts, fold the paper across itself and staple so the mask has some dimension).

3. Draw and cut out where the eye holes and mouth and nose holes (if any) are going to be.

4. Decorate the mask by using bright crayon colors or bright paint colors.

5. Even more details can be added with magic markers and crayons.

6. Now, where you made you made your cuts, fold the paper and staple in place. This will give your mask more dimension.

7. Glue found object decorations on the mask. Anything from feathers and string to beads and tissue paper.

8. Staple string onto the mask so it can be tied around the head.

Resources:

Recommended Books:

The Art of African Masks
by Carol Finley
Exploring Cultural Traditions

The Cedar Plank Mask
by Nan McNutt
This best-selling series offers the only activity books that teach children about Northwest Coast Indians. Each book includes various games and activities, plus a teaching guide.

Masks Tell Stories
by Carol Gelber
Looking at masking traditions around the world, from ancient Greece to the present day, an illustrated guide explains the use and meaning of masks and shows their relation to the structure of society.

Press-Out Masks to Make and Decorate from Around the World
by Vivien Frank, Deborah Jaffe
Contains ten full-scale traditional ceremonial masks--inspired by such faraway places as Japan, New Guinea, and Bolivia--that can be removed, decorated, and worn with the included elastic bands.

Masks!
by Alice K. Flanagan
A lively book that teaches children about masks of the world.

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