African Mask Design

This is another lesson from Denise Logan's book.  The students really enjoyed this one.  I had difficulty choosing projects for display because almost all of them were spectacular.  This was a mixed media project (our vocabulary word for the week).  Students used markers, tissue paper, watercolor, and stamps.  Some even added fringe.

I showed the students a power point to provide some basic information about African masks and what they were used for.  I also showed a ten minute YouTube video to expose them to the different styles from various regions of Africa.  The video had a catchy Damian Marley song in the background which really helped to capture and hold the attention of the students.

I provided a few handouts to spark mask ideas and several students did their own research on their phone.  The creative juices are really starting to flow!

For the stamp, students were given a handout with many different symbols from Ghana.  Each of the symbols has a meaning.  They pressed the design into a piece of print foam which was glued to a block of wood with a hot glue gun.