4th Grade Clay Masks

We learn about a lot of different cultures in 4th grade art. We've been studying Native American masks from the Pacific northwest. We learned what theses were made of, how they were used, and discussed the designs we saw on them. I asked students to talk with their teammates about how masks are used in our own culture, and we made a list on the board. Our most important question for this lesson:  What do masks tell us about a culture? Students then sketched their own mask design, and begin to build their mask in clay. They learned three methods for clay-building:  slab, pinch, and coiling. They are still in the process, so more photos to come!

Here are some finished masks!