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Masking: Honoring Animals, Ancestors, and Gods
Learners analyze the role of masks in African culture. In this African masks lesson, students read about the importance and meaning of imagery of African masks. Learners observe animals in local ecosystems and create a mask combining the...
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Common Denominators between Primitive Art, Fine Art, Folk Art, Children's Art
Young scholars view and create art in several styles. They view African Masks, Picasso's portraits and self-portraits. They compare the two, then create a self portrait. In the second lesson, they view landscape paintings by folk...
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Sundiata, Mali’s Lion King
Students investigate the history of Mali. In this African cultures lesson, students research the impact of Sundiata Keita as king of Mali, recognize the significance of historical Malian festivals, and create character masks to be worn...
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Art Through the Eyes of Youth
Students take a field trip to an art gallery reflecting on the paintings they like the most. Individually, they use magazines to find pictures related to their personality. In pairs, they make a mask to represent their ethnic group and...
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African Mask Design
High schoolers view examples of African mask designs from the past. Individually, they develop their own design based on basic geometric shapes. They use paper mache to make the masks and paint them to end the lesson plan and discuss...
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Nasco Color Sculpt Mask Making
Students study the various masks made in African, Japanese, and Ancient Egyptian cultures and discuss the funtion of these masks in each society. They create a mask from one of these cultures using a molding technique.
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Language Arts: Conversing with an Object
Young scholars sharpen their creative writing skills by writing dialogues with unfamiliar objects while visiting local museums. They select an object in the museum, such as a painting, and create conversations between the people or...
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Paper Sculpture Headdress
Students examine African masks and headdresses, and create their own.
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African Mask Design
Fifth graders design and create an African mask using black paper and oil pastels.
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Clay Magic Pots
Fifth graders create clay artwork that resembles African and Egyptian monolithic sculptures. In this visual arts lesson, 5th graders are shown examples of monolithic and figural sculpture from Egyptian and African cultures, then they...
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African Safari
Sixth graders gain an appreciation for the different cultures that inhabit the Earth by focusing on the people of Africa
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Doll Making
Students discuss folktales and read Tiger and The Big Wind, listening for animal characters for later discussion. In this language arts lesson plan, students complete a T chart on characters and make a doll for one either chosen or...
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Bamana Chi Wara Headdresses
Students create African headdresses out of styrofoam blocks and black paint using information gathered from the Bamana Chi Wara style of headdresses. This Art lesson can be adapted for many different levels.
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Baga Drum
Students draw and design a musical instrument that incorporates a human figure or animal. In this musical lesson plan, students will discover the differences between African drums. This lesson plan is designed for elementary, middle,...
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African Masks
Fourth graders create three-dimensional paper African masks. They analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of Africa. they discover that masks were worn for various ceremonies.
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What Masks Reveal
Students explore the cultural significance of masks by investigating the role they play in ceremonies and on special occasions in societies from widely separated regions of the world.
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Granary Door Dogon, Mali
Learners explore a creation myth. In this visual arts instructional activity, students discuss the Dogon creation myth and the design and make refrigerator magnets in the style of Dogan granary doors. The design of the magnets should...
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Using West African Gold Weights and African Masks as a Way of Communication
Eighth graders discuss how communication, or lack thereof, can have either a favorable or detrimental effect on a community. They study and interpret proverbs as a means of teaching a lesson. Finally they discuss symbolism and design a...
K12 Reader
Proper Adjectives
Introduce your class to proper adjectives while reinforcing proper nouns. For this quick exercise, learners find the proper noun in each sentence and find the matching proper adjective in the provided word bank.
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Celebrating Ancestors
Students participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
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Teacher Lesson Plans: Africa
Students explore Africa. In this cultural studies activity, students go on safari, create African masks, or have an African party after they have researched the people, geography, and culture of the continent.
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Climate and Cultures of Africa
Students gain an understanding of the relationship between climate and culture in the sub- Saharan Africa. Students will complete short exercises pertaining to the various cultures of Africa and the climate in which they live....
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Facial Tattoos or Face Painting
Learners use a grid-like method to create a life-size self-portrait from a 3X5 black and white photo. They explore the different customs and rituals surrounding face painting from ancient through modern civilizations. Students create a...
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Artist Unknown
Students examine how Lennie Gardner's process of discovery about his bronze mask parallels a personal discovery process. They receive an introduction to the art, history, and religion of Benin