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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Masks in Burkina Faso and Cherokee clans

Focuses on the seven masks of the Cherokee clans and the masks in Burkina Faso (Africa). Students explore different masks through individual and group projects demonstrating their understanding of the roles masks play in the Cherokee culture and the African culture in Burkina Faso.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 Second Languages

By Maguy Techer-Yancey

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Related pages

  • Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology: Learn what it was like to grow up an Indian in the southwestern United States or find out about the processes used in discovering how the ancient people of the Yadkin River Valley lived at this anthropology museum at Wake Forest University.
  • Museum of the Cherokee Indian: Official site of the museum of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina.
  • Around the world in one semester!: This lesson is a semester-long project that focuses on countries that speak the target language. Students will research a chosen country and do an oral presentation for the class. They will then research and present a current event weekly for the remainder of the semester.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • do research on the Cherokee society and clans by using different websites the teacher will provide for the lesson
  • locate Burkina Faso
  • do research on the masks in Burkina Faso
  • interpret and compare in French one mask in Burkina Faso and one in the Cherokee clans of their choice and explain their meaning
  • create a mask individually or with a classmate and conduct an oral presentation in French about the mask

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2–3 90-minute class periods

Materials/resources

  • papers
  • pens
  • pencils
  • paints
  • paintbrushes
  • newspapers for paper-mâché
  • glue
  • string
  • scissors
  • water

Technology resources

Computer with internet access for research and Real Player to watch a sequence of The Principle People.

Pre-activities

To stimulate student’s prior knowledge about the Cherokee and African cultures, conduct a class brainstorm about masks as part of culture and identity.

Activities

  1. Have the students read about Cherokee society and the seven clans using the following sites:
  2. Instruct the students to take notes and summarize in French the Cherokee clans on a piece of notebook paper.
  3. Students will watch a sequence of the movie The Principle People from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (minutes 11 to 18, 7 minutes total) and write in French about the clans and description of the masks shown.
  4. The students will locate Burkina Faso and learn about its features from the CIA’s The World Factbook.
  5. Students will look through the Burkina mask catalog from the University of Iowa and choose three masks. They will describe the masks (color, size, design, features) in complete sentences and tell the reason why they chose these particular masks in French. Students can read about the meaning and function of the masks in Christopher D. Roy’s article, “The Art of Burkina Faso”
  6. The students will draw a sketch of one mask of their choice or will create one by using paper-mâché with a classmate, and paint it when the project is ready.

Assessment

  1. Teacher will ask students to summarize their research in French on the Cherokees clans and the masks in Burkina Faso.
  2. The teacher will ask students to describe in French the mask chosen in the Burkina Faso website.
  3. The teacher will ask students to interpret and compare in French masks from both cultures.
  4. The teacher will ask students to draw or make a mask individually or with a classmate and present it in class.

Supplemental information

Comments

This lesson was created as a result of the November 2006 online class American Indians in North Carolina: Past, Present, and Future.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Second Languages (2005)

Grade 9–12 — High School Level III

  • Goal 4: CULTURES - The learner will gain knowledge and demonstrate understanding of the relationship among practices, products, and perspectives of cultures other than his/her own.
    • Objective 4.04: Examine historical and contemporary literature and the arts in order to understand the cultural practices and perspectives of the target cultures.
    • Objective 4.07: Draw inferences about contemporary life in the target cultures through print and non-print media, cultural artifacts, and/or interaction with people from those cultures.
    • Objective 4.08: Compare and contrast cultural products, practices, and perspectives among cultures with the same language in order to dispel stereotyping.

Grade 9–12 — High School Level IV

  • Goal 4: CULTURES - The learner will gain knowledge and demonstrate understanding of the relationship among practices, products, and perspectives of cultures other than his/her own.
    • Objective 4.04: Analyze and discuss historical and contemporary literature and the arts in order to understand the cultural practices and perspectives of the people of the target cultures.