Goal (Terminal Objective): Students will create decorative masks demonstrating their understanding of their own individual way expressing a personal aesthetic feeling through form.

Objective: Students will design, build, and paint a decorative mask inspired by cultural examples that expresses an aspect of each individual student’s personality that he/she doesn’t usually show the world.

National Standards:

Visual Arts Grades 5-8 Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Visual Arts Grades 5-8 Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions

Visual Arts Grades 5-8 Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject
matter, symbols, and ideas

Visual Arts Grades 5-8 Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

Visual Arts Grades 5-8 Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Purpose: Students will use three-dimensional design elements to express a personal theme concerning inner feelings and personality traits. Students will view and examine works from a variety of cultures. Students will create a decorative product.

New Vocabulary: Three-dimensional, ceremonial, rhythm and pattern design, color, form and texture

Materials:

plastic mask forms, multicultural examples

#24-2499 Acrylic Paint

#22-2003 Sculpt-It! White Reusable Tub

#22-1206 Metallic Acrylic Paint

#22-8807 Acrylic Glitter Glaze

#22-8812 Acrylic Gloss & Varnish

#56-6012 Natural Hair Rainbow Brush Assortment

Time:

This lesson may be modified to last from one to three hours, depending upon size and complexity expectations.

Introduction and Motivation (Set):

Students will view exemplars of masks from a variety of cultures. Teacher will elicit responses from students about the kind of attitude, feeling, or personality conveyed by the exemplar designs. The teacher will direct student attention to the use of rhythm and pattern design, color, form and texture, as well as the individuality expressed in each example.

Instruction:

Teacher presents and discusses exemplars. Teacher organizes the classroom to facilitate students’ easy, orderly access to materials.

Activities:

(1) Guided Practice:

1. Students reflect upon images provided byteacher.
2. Students create thumbnail sketches for maskdesigns.
3. Students lay out design in pencil for final mask on 9″ X 12″paper.
4. Students model mask features on a plastic mask form with Sargent Sculpt-It according to drawndesign.

   

   

5. Allow formed mask to dry. Remove from.

   

6. Students use Sargent paints to decorate thesurface.
   

7. Add textures and additional materials to mask.
8. Coat the finished mask with a coat of Sargent Acrylic Glitter Glaze and/or Sargent Acrylic Gloss Medium.
9. 9. Clean up with soap and water.

(2) Independent Practice and Check for Understanding: Teacher approves students’ pencil drawings that demonstrate the use of rhythm and pattern design, color, form and texture, as well as the individuality expressed in each example. Teacher circulates among the working students visually recording (checklist) students demonstrating understanding of objectives, asking direct questions when understanding isn’t observable, and asking peers to critique each other. Teacher helps and reinforces students as they work.

(3) Closure: Students display their work.

Evaluation:

Use teacher or class critiques to evaluate particularly strong works and strong qualities within works.

Level One – The finished mask clearly and consistently expresses a personal feeling or attitude using a multitude of design elements. The imagery and symbols are interesting, creative, and clear. The student used a variety of materials appropriately to create an interesting visual effect. Craftsmanship is excellent.

Level Two – The finished mask clearly expresses a feeling with design elements. The imagery and symbols are clear. The student used materials appropriately to create an interesting visual effect. Craftsmanship is good.

Level Three – The finished mask demonstrates the intention to express a personal feeling, but the concept is conveyed with limited success. The imagery and symbols are unclear, simple, or derivative. The student used materials appropriately. Craftsmanship is variable.

Level Four –The finished mask does not effectively express feeling with design elements. The imagery and symbols are unclear, difficult to delineate, or absent. The student used materials inappropriately. Craftsmanship is poor.

Extension:

This project can be extended to involve addition aspects of the cultures studied.

Resources:
cti.itc.virginia.edu/~bcr/African_Mask.