African Tribal Masks

African Tribal Masks

Third grade students were introduced to Africa and African Tribal Masks through a power point.  Students viewed many examples of tribal masks and learned that African masks were used for many purposes such as celebrations, preparing for battle, healing the sick, ceremonies and funerals. Third grade students planned the shape and details on their mask and then created the symmetrical shape and details on their mask using neutral colored paper.  Neutral colors are considered earth colors such as browns, blacks, tans and whites. These were colors used in many traditional African Tribal masks because the masks and paint colors used by tribes were made from natural elements of the earth, like wood, clay, mud and dirt.  Tribes couldn’t go buy colored paints from the store like we can today.  After making the masks out of paper students decorated their masks using neutral paint colors to create patterns and designs.  They then used raffia and wood beads to further decorate their masks. Great work 3^rd Graders!