Rationale for Teaching Lesson:

Students will learn about the use of headdresses in African cultures, and create a headdress celebrating a ritual or quality of their own

Lesson Objectives:

1. Learn about how headdresses have been used in African cultures

2. Make connections to their own culture through a brainstorm process where they create a headdress to communicate: Friendship ideals, honor someone in their community with a festival, show characteristics of an important person in their community or country, or show the importance of something they do in their daily life.

3. Use paper sculpture techniques

4. Understand how the Elements of Art and Principles of design can be used to communicate specific ideas: Color, Shape, Texture, Line & Pattern

New York State Learning Standards:

Standard 1: Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts and participate in various roles in the arts.

Standard 2: Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.

Standard 3: Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual to other works and to respond to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Standard 4: Students will develop and understanding of the personal and cultural force that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

How the Standards are addressed in this lesson:

1. Students will create a headdress which communicates a specific idea using paper sculpture and the Elements and Principles of Art

2. Students will use animals to represent their concepts in a paper sculpture, using references from the Internet and books.

3. Students will look at and discuss headdresses in African culture, brainstorm their ideas in writing, and reflect on their finished work of art in writing through an Artist Statement.

4. Students will create a headdress that explores the African rituals that headdresses are used in, through connections with their own culture.

1.  PP presentation and brainstorm (1 class – finish for hw)

1. PP presentation about African Headdresses, Brainstorm sheets

2.  Sketch ideas using color pencils (1-2 classes)

2.  9 x 12 white drawing paper, Colored Pencils

3.  Newspaper hats, demo paper sculpture techniques (1 class)

3. 4 sheets newspaper per student, colored Tag Board – minimum 3 ½ large sheets per student, White Glue, Scissors (Construction Paper may be substituted for tag board)

4. Paper sculptures (6-8 classes)

4. See above

5. Artist Statement

5. See separate lesson plan

Artist Choice #1

The Bamileke people wear the elephant mask with leopard spots in ceremonies to inspire respect for their rulers. List the characteristics you think are important in a leader in our society. What animals would you include in a headdress for a powerful person in your community to show that these characteristics?

Use these ideas to make a sketch for your own headdress for royalty or for a special person in your community. It could be a president, governor, or mayor. Add features from the animals that you wish to include. For example, the large eyes of an owl could represent wisdom. Use colors that you feel represent the respect that is felt for the wearer of your mask. Decide when your mask would be worn and what the costume worn with it will look like.

Artist Choice #2

The Bamana people use the legend of the Chi Wara to show the importance of hard work and harmony in farming life.

Choose something that you do in your daily life. What animal has characteristics that would be good for teaching you how to do that activity? How do you honor that animal today? You can invent an animal legend that explains how you learned to do that activity. Use these ideas to make a sketch for your own headdress showing the importance of you chosen activity from your own life.

Artist Choice #3

The Yoruba celebrate the Gelede festival each year in order to honor women and to ensure well-being in their community. If you could create a festival that would do the same in your community, what would it be? Here are some ideas to consider:

• Who or what will the festival honor?
• How will you celebrate?

Then, make a sketch of a headdress that would be worn in that celebration.

Artist Choice #4

The elders of the Sande association wear the Sowei headdress to celebrate and communicate feminine ideals.

An Ideal Friend: Make your own headdress to communicate your friendship ideals. Choose and list the qualities that you would like to have in a friend. Now select physical features that can represent different qualities that you value in a friend. For example, the Mende used a small mouth to show that one should not gossip. How might you show the qualities that you think are important in a good friend through animals?

Use your list of qualities and features to create sketch of a headdress which communicates your ideals for friendship.