approvedAdirondack Curriculum Project - www.adkcurriculum.org tested
NYS Content Area Standard

The Arts 1. Create, perform, participate in the arts; 2. Knowing & using arts materials & resources

 Title: Faces of the Adirondack

Grade Level: 7th Grade

Author: Sally White Hartman, Heuvelton CSD

Email: shartman@heuvelton.k12.ny.us
 Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X__ Natural History
___ Human History
_X__ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation & Life Skills

Investigative Question or Issue: If Adirondack plants or animals were people, what would they look like?

 
Context for this Challenge: This challenge is intended to invite students to interprete other living forms in human terms - to personify them. Students will need access to numerous examples (movies, pictures, illustrations, real-life encounters) of Adirondack plants/animals to observe them closely.

The Challenge: With a partner chosen with the help of your teacher, create a mask-portrait of an Adirondack plant or animal of your choice.

As you engage in this challenge, please consider the following:

- Your task is to capture the "spirit" of the Adirondack plant or animal you have chosen. Observe your plant or animal closely (pictures, movies, real life). If it was human, what personal characteristics of the plant/animal might you admire or want to have yourself? Is it brave, patient, strong, protective, wise, caring, beautiful, etc? How might this characteristic show itself in the "face" of the animal/plant?

- Create some sketches of your plant/animal with its "face" as a central focus. Discuss these sketches with your partner, teacher, or classmates. Which sketches successfully capture the spirit you've identified? What "appendages" might you add to the "face" of the plant/animal to help an observer identify your animal/plant more easily?

Once you've decided on the sketch you will use as your model, please create your mask-portrait using the following process:

- Create a basic structural support for your mask-portrait
- Enhance the support with detailed appendages
- Apply two coats of paper mache to the support
- Apply finishing coat of paper, towel final surface coat
- Guided by the model sketch, paint the surface of mask appropriately
- Photo document the final product
- Complete a credit line

Be prepared to share and discuss your work with your classmates

Quality Standards:  



 Examples of Student Work
Adapted for the Adirondack Curriculum Project from the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC ©ACP 2002

   Product Quality
Checklist
Date: ________                                                                     Class Period: ________
Product Author(s):

 
 Product Title/Name:
Faces of the Adirondacks
Evaluator Name(s)
 
 Observed Standard/Criteria
Possible
Points
Rating
  Mask captures and communicates the spirit of the Adirondack plant/animal
  20  
  Preliminary sketches of plant/animal are completed and discussed
  20  
   Basic structural support of mask is contructed
  10  
   Structural support of mask is enhanced appropriately with detail appendages of plant/animal
  10  
  Two coats of paper mache are successfully applied to mask
  10  
  Finishing surface coat of paper is applied and toweled
  5  
  Surface is painted referring to preliminary sketch(s) as guide
  10  
  Final product is displayed and photo documented
  10  
  Credit line is completed
  5  
       
 
TOTALS
    

Comments: Arts Forever Wild  Maskmaking can be completed in a variety of ways. both in process and materials. A theme for the masks can be developed from many social, cultural, and natural subjects. Options for presentatioin include plays, displays, parades or photo-scrapbooks, etc.