In the spirit of... (museum post-visit)

This is an integrated unit that focuses on masks in cultures as reflections of individual spirits. In the post-visit lesson, students will create plaster masks and write a brief description.

A lesson plan for grades 3–5 Visual Arts Education

By Tamela Davis

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• North Carolina Museum of Art See highlights of the museum's collection and find educational resources

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• Learn more about anthropology, arts, folk art, hands-on, masks, paintings, social studies, and world cultures.

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Learning outcomes

Students will create masks as three-dimensional expressions of their spirits through investigations of color theory and cultures. Using the PowerPoint, students should be exposed to mask histories of different cultures in the Americas.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

4 weeks

Materials/resources

Masks

plastic face molds, plaster-coated gauze, scissors, containers for water, acrylic or tempera paints, brushes, containers for paints, hole punches, awls, assorted materials for details (raffia, yarn, gold/silver pens, chenille stems, beads, shells, etc.), scissors, permanent markers, and assorted colors of tissue paper

Art resources

reproduction art prints, art history books, and art slides

Writing

art journals

Technology resources

• word processing software
• slides
• projector
• internet connection
• digital camera

Pre-activities

• Students should be familiar with color symbolism and cultural identities as a result of completing the previous two “In the spirit of” lessons.
• Students should be aware of the safe use of art supplies and materials.
• Students should know how to write a descriptive paragraph.
• The Spirit Mask PowerPoint can be used by teacher/students as references prior to mask painting/decorating.

Activities

Teacher will set the stage by showing the PowerPoint presentation and briefly describe the role and symbolism masks play in each of the featured cultures. The Smithsonian Institution website has many special features and exhibits about masks from a variety of cultures.

Students should choose to design a mask according to one of these cultural traditions.

Mask production

1. Divide the class into two groups: dry and wet. Dry tables will cut plaster gauze into strips. Wet tables will drape gauze strips dipped in water over plastic molds. Instruct students to drape gauze in overlapping fashion and crisscross to form three layers. Encourage students to allow the three layers to extend beyond the outside rim of the plastic mold for later shaping.
2. Place molds on shelves or newspaper on floor to dry overnight.
3. Instruct students to remove dry mask forms from molds. Students will use permanent markers to write their names on back of mask forms.
4. Repeat process until each student has a mask form with his/her name on it. Reverse table duties so that all students have experience with dry and wet activities.
5. Paint masks with acrylics. Wash brushes thoroughly.
6. Students will decorate masks using available materials. Encourage students to shape outside edge of mask form to enhance spirit expression. Arrange detail materials in grocery-store fashion in one area of the art room, and allow students to shop for materials as needed.

Descriptive Writing

1. As students take breaks from mask production, they should record spirit mask thoughts describing their use of color symbolism and how their mask might have been used within their chosen culture.
2. Students will edit descriptive writing during language arts class.
3. Final copies can be and mounted on construction paper to display with completed spirit masks. Or a virtual display can be created by taking pictures of the masks with the digital camera and display on the school website with the descriptive writings.

Assessment

Rubric for masks: Excel | PowerPoint

There is space at the bottom of the rubric sheet, which may be printed out, for the assessor to record a total score and assign a letter grade, based on preference, for each student’s mask.

Supplemental information

Comments

The fifth graders who work through this lesson will tour the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh. In that museum’s education department, there is a student gallery where it may be possible to display some of the masks and descriptive writings.