African Masks

Here are some African mask projects my students have created through the years. We usually read the book Who's In Rabbit's House and look at a variety of wooden masks from Africa. I was lucky enough to have been given these my first year of teaching! 5 beautiful wooden masks were brought to me from a parent who found them in a box out for garbage! My students love looking at them and drawing from them. Our museum also offers a lending program where teachers can borrow objects, such as masks, and return them after a few weeks. I have built my own curriculum box for African Art, complete with music, handouts, coloring pages, books, stamps, and the treasured masks. It's been a great teaching tool!

This mask was made by a fourth grader using sand, colored yarn, and beads.

This mask was made using yarn, noodles, and beads. Then we dabbed gold and bronze paint over our masks!

These masks were styrofoam prints embellished with gold paint and oil pastels.

Calaveras

Fourth and fifth graders learned about the celebration Los Dias de los Muertos, when families in Mexico honor their ancestors with colorful art, traditions, and fiestas. Decorations like intricately cut tissue paper (papel picado) and paper mache skeletons can be seen as decorations. Students had fun designing their calaveras (skeletons).

Mexican Bark Paintings



Mexican Bark Paintings
by Third Grade Artists

I love teaching children about different cultures. This project was one of my most successful! After viewing many examples of Mexican Folk Art and bark paintings, children used oil pastel and paint on brown paper to create their masterpieces!