Student Work: 5th Grade Masquerade

This semester I created a new unit for 5th grade about masks. I often shy away from 3-D work because it always seems more complicated for me to cart around and manage the materials for because I do not have a classroom of my own. However I wanted to step out on that limb and offer a new experience to my students. So masks it was! We first looked at masks from all around the world and compared the style and elements of them. When it came time to create our own we focused on distorted proportions, asymmetry, and contrast with color.

This 5th grade class got really amp-ed up about their masks. They kept asking about them outside of class and when art classes finally rolled around, they could not wait to get to work each week. We did the bases out of cardboard and papier-mached the features on. Then we topped it off with acrylics to do the designs and details.

Here are a few from the lot that I thought turned out well...

and the whole class sporting their masks...