What Are Masks For? - Brooklyn Children's Museum

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ACTIVITY 3 Make a Mask from Found Materials Grades 2–5 Related Objects: All This lesson offers students the opportunity to explore the many different materials used to make the masks in the case. After observing the masks closely, students will learn that people all over the world make masks from the diverse materials found in their environments. Students will design and create a mask using craft materials and other small objects found in their environment. Materials: • Craft materials (such as construction paper, yarn, pipe cleaners, glitter, or pasta) • Natural materials (such as pebbles, shells, leaves, twigs, or feathers) • Found objects (such as buttons, small coins, stickers, erasers, images cut from magazines, or anything else students find at home or at school) • Colored tag board • Crayons and markers • Scissors • Glue • String and stapler What To Do: 1 (Optional) You may wish to prepare for this activity in advance by asking your students to bring small “found objects” from home to use in creating their masks. 2 Divide your class into five groups. Give each group one mask from the case. Ask your students to observe the mask closely to determine what materials it is made from. 3 Have each group report its findings to the rest of the class. Record the different materials they have observed on the blackboard or chart paper. 4 Ask your students to brainstorm other materials people might use to make masks, and record their answers on the blackboard or chart paper. Encourage students to think of materials used to create masks they have seen in real life, in books, on the Internet, or in the “Masks of Many Cultures” video. Some examples might include clay, metal, or papier-mâché. 5 Give each student a piece of tag board. Have students cut an imaginative mask shape and cut holes for them to see through. Distribute the "found" and craft materials and have the students select and layout the materials. Encourage them to exercise their imaginations and use their materials in unusual ways. 6 When they are satisfied with their designs, have them glue the materials to their masks. When the glue is dry, staple short lengths of string to each side of the face to create tie strings. 7 After their masks are complete, have each student write a paragraph describing the materials they used to make their masks, and why they chose them (see Discussion Questions below). Discussion Questions: • How did you choose a design for your mask? Does it have any special meaning or particular purpose? • What materials did you use to create your mask? If you used “found” materials, where did you find them? See page 16 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards. GEOGRAPHY EXTENSIONS: ALL GRADES Copy the information pages and cut out images of the masks in the case. Share information about these objects with your students. Look at the places each mask comes from on a globe or world map, and have students tape each image to the country or region it comes from. Older students may do library or Internet research to find out more about what kinds of materials are used to make masks in each of those countries. MASKS 10
ACTIVITY 4 Grades 2–5 Related Objects: All Make a Papier-Mâché Mask As your students learned in the previous activity, masks can be made from any number of materials. Papiermâché is one very common material, and is often used for making masks in Mexico, India, Indonesia, and China. Unfortunately, these masks are too fragile to be included in the Museum case. In this activity, students will construct and decorate a papier-mâché mask of their own design. Materials: • Wallpaper paste or flour • Water • Large bowls • Scissors • Hole-punch • Paint • Yam • Newspaper cut into strips • One pre-inflated baloon for each child • Pipe cleaners 4 Have students repeat step 1 until they have covered one half of each balloon. Remind them not to cover the whole balloon. 5 Stop for the day. Allow the paper strips to dry. 6 On the second day, students should add a second layer of paper strips on top of the first dried layer by repeating steps 3–5. 7 When the second layer is dry, have your students pop their balloons. The layers of paper should hold their shape, forming the mask. 8 Assist your students in cutting two holes for the eyes. 9 Students may add more layers of papier-mâché to the mask to give it strength, but they should always allow the mask to dry between layers. They can create strong facial features by building up layers. Remind them to leave the eyeholes uncovered. 10 After the last layer of papier-mâché has dried, have your students decorate their masks with paint, fabric, or yarn. 11 Have students punch holes in the sides of their masks, and attach yarn to create tie strings. What To Do: 1 Mix the wallpaper paste or flour with water in a bowl until it reaches the consistency of pudding and all lumps have disappeared 2 Place the newspaper strips and balloons next to the bowls. 3 Demonstrate to your students how to take a strip of newspaper and pull it through the paste so that it is covered, but not dripping. Then place the strip on top of the balloon. Discussion Questions: • What sort of masks could you make using the papiermâché method? What are the pros and cons of using this material? • How did you choose to decorate your mask? Who or what does it represent? See page 16 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards. MASKS 11
Page 1 and 2: Portable Collections Program Masks
Page 3 and 4: ■ CHECKLIST: WHAT’S IN THE CASE
Page 5 and 6: ■ INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER ■
Page 7 and 8: ■ INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER ■
Page 9 and 10: ACTIVITY 1 Introductory Activity: W
Page 11: What can objects tell me? Look at e
Page 15 and 16: ACTIVITY 5 Masks and Stories (conti
Page 17 and 18: ■ RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIA
Page 19 and 20: ■ RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIA
Page 21: Acknowledgments Beth Alberty Chrisy

What Are Masks For? - Brooklyn Children's Museum

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?