Post 5- Ancient Mask Cultures

A few weeks ago, we did one of my favorite lessons! I've used this in my own teaching dozens of times, so it was fun to use this lesson plan that I know students love.
They were learning about Ancient Cultures at the time in their Social Studies classes. To help highlight the ideas of the similarities and difference between cultures, we learned about masks around the world. We learned that in ancient Greece, the people used masks for the theater. They used them to play a bunch of different characters. They also used them to amplify their voices as the mouths were hallowed out to make an echo so that people higher up in the amphitheater could hear them down below.
Next we learned about one of the masks from old Japan. Specifically the "Oni" mask. These masks were pattered after one of their mythological monster's, Oni. We would call them giants or trolls. The village elders would wear these masks to keep the villages safe from other monsters.
For the ancient African mask, we learned that they were primarily used for religious ceremonies, namely gaining strength before a hunt. Each design would translate to something different. Like the red coloring meant bravery. And dashes down the forehead were for intelligence.
Lastly, they learned about the Ancient Maya masks. These were used as portals. The king would wear them in the temples to access other worlds and speak to the gods. They were brightly colored, and the more detailed a mask was, the more power it had.
Once we had learned about different masks, the students were then asked to create their own masks using watercolor paint and paper plates. Miranda, their teacher, and I commented to one another that they had never been more quiet during an assignment as they were during this one. They were so intent and excited and focused! It was really fun to see. And I was really glad that I had brought a lot more plates then were needed, because almost all of them made two. Several students made five or more. I really liked introducing them to a concept and then letting their creativity take them where it would.