Problem-Based Lesson Plan

Title of Lesson:
Teacher:
School:
Grade Level[s]:
Date to be Taught:

Masks as Story Enhancers (Mask Making)

Tyler Riordan
PVO South
First Grade
April 9th, 2015

Big Idea that drives Lesson/Unit:

Enhancing Story Through Masks and Props
Storytelling, while often primarily in a vocal or written format, can also be told through performance. Performing narratives
is something found in almost all cultures across the globe, and many of them go the extra step by incorporating props and costumes,
including masks. Mask making and wearing in the performance of narratives is a very old practice, with some notable examples
being from ancient Greece, Egypt, and Japan. In each of these places masks were used in plays, performances, and rituals to
transform the performer into a character, to put on a role and to tell the story without being distracted by the storytellers themselves.
In learning about and making masks for the purpose of storytelling, the students will learn also about what it means to become the
character in the story youre telling, and why its important to differentiate between the character and the actor on many occasions.
The students will also learn basic color theory and how color applies to mood- creating a blue mask for a sad character, for example,
or a bright red mask for an angry one. They will learn about how the basics of storytelling, primarily being delivered through speech
or written words, can be improved and made more exciting, more meaningful, by incorporating costumes and masks.
Key concepts about Big Idea:
Many cultures from around the world make and use masks and props to enhance stories
Culture and location can affect how and why stories are told
Often the performance of a story can be just as important as the story itself
Different shapes, colors, and styles of mask can portray different character types and emotions to the listeners
Its important that narratives/stories are shared.
Fine Arts Goals Met by the Objectives:
25.A.1d Visual Arts: Identify the elements of line, shape, space, color and texture; the principles of repetition and pattern;
and the expressive qualities of mood, emotion and pictorial representation.
26.A.1e Visual Arts: Identify media and tools and how to use them in a safe and responsible manner when painting, drawing
and constructing.
25.A.1b Drama: Understand the elements of acting, locomotor and nonlocomotor movement, vocal and nonvocal sound,
story making; the principles of plot, character, setting, problem/resolution and message; and the expressive characteristics of
simple emotions.

3-4 Essential Questions/Points:

Stories can be told in many different ways (oral, illustrative, performance, etc)
How do different cultures use masks/costumes/props to enhance their stories?
How can color affect the emotion shown on a characters mask?
How can pattern affect it?
Why and when do we use masks in our lives?
Vocabulary Acquisition:
Mask: A covering worn on all or part of the face, often to amuse or terrify others.
Emotion/Mood: The way you feel about something, often something that is happening or has happened to you.
Character: A person in a novel, play, movie, or story. Sometimes played by actors.
Improvisation: To make something up as you go along- to do something without planning or practicing it first.
Key Artistic Concepts:
Masks can be used to heighten the experience for the people listening to the story
Color and pattern can be used to symbolize moods
The shape and style of the mask can affect what people think about your character
How stories are told (dramatic emphasis, vocal inflections, etc)
Paper, marker and mixed medias can all be used to effectively make a mask of a character
Artmaking Materials Needed:

Problem-Based Lesson Plan

Several sheets of colored papers

Several sheets of tissue papers
Glue
Scissors
Feathers
Yarn
Markers
Masking tape
Stapler

Contemporary/Historical/Multicultural exemplars:
Masks from Greek plays
Halloween masks
Japanese Noh masks
Egyptian ritual masks
Procedures:
INTRODUCTION: (5 minutes)
o Introduce vocabulary
o Have any of you ever worn masks before? When and why?
o What do you think masks can be used for? How about for stories in particular?Different types of masks exist and are
used for different reasons (Hist/MC/Contemp examples)
o Introduce basic color theory and how it applies to characters emotions: red- anger, blue-sadness, yellow- happiness,
etc.

DEMONSTRATIONS: (2 minutes)
o We will be creating character masks to use to tell stories in small groups later.
Description of what makes a character (person, animal, something alive & thinking)
Reminder of uses of color in showing emotions and mood
o Show teacher exemplars
Scary mask
Superhero mask
Character mask

DESIGN/WORK SESSION: (10 minutes)

o Students will be creating a mask of a character of their own imagination, for use in later verbal storytelling
performances. Allow 10 minutes to collage paper, feathers, yarn into a mask. If desired, add detail with markers
o Have students in their table units brainstorm ideas to improvise a skit using their masks

CLEAN UP: (3 minutes) To take place before preparing for skits. (put markers, glue, scissors, etc. back into baggies and
away, extra paper off out of the way, feathers returned to baggies, yarn rewound and away.)

SKIT SEGMENT: (10 minutes)

o Call students up in their table groups one group at a time for a short, improvised performance with their masks.
o Have students introduce their characters and have a short, 2 minute performance for each group.

CLOSURE: (5 minutes)
o Student input on what they liked/ learned about the topic
Ex. Something new about the different kinds of storytelling, working together to make a story in small
groups, how masks affected the story, how they felt wearing the masks, how the story changed by
performing it, etc.
o Upon completion of all skits or end of period, class is then over.