Sinthia Cousineau
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Northwest Coast Aboriginal Art

North American Animal
Masks

Creating plaster masks of north American animals typically seen in northwest coast aboriginal art.. This lesson also could be used to represent the elements of nature, such as fire, the sun, moon or mother nature. 
Picture
Picture
Prototype mask of a wolf by Sinthia Cousineau
Prototype of an aboriginal inspired mask by Sinthia Cousineau

Project Steps

Materials

Color Pencils or Markers
Black Sharpie
Paper
Pencil
Cardboard Pieces
Scissors
Masking Tape
Rolls of Plaster Strips
A container filled with warm water
Paint Brushes
Tempera or Acrylic Paint
Varnish or Gloss Material
Plastic Masks (For special needs or students with limited motor skills)


Lesson Sequence

 Day 1: Designing Masks Ideas

1h15mins

  • Introduction: PowerPoint Presentation on Northwest Aboriginal Culture and Art (15 mins)
  • Distribution of stencils and materials (5 mins)
  • Drawing Activity: Designing a frontal and profile view of an aboriginal skilled masked inspired by a particular north American animal or spirit animal (50 minutes)
  • Drawing a mask idea for representing an element of nature.
Picture
Picture

Day 2: Making Masks

1h15mins

  • Demonstration: Creating a masks with cardboard, masking tape and plastic masks, and how to apply plaster.
  • Prepare masks with cardboard and masking tape to form the shape.
  • Add plaster strips to mask
  • Set mask aside to dry
  • Clean-up: 5-10 minutes to put materials away and wash up.
Picture

Student Work: John Grant Highschool
2017

Day 3: Painting Masks

1h15mins

  • Paint Masks using acrylic or tempera paints and use colors associated with northwest aboriginal painting.
  • Set Masks aside to dry and work on oral presentation.
  • Clean-up: 5-10 minutes to put materials away and wash up.
Picture

Adding Varnish

Picture
Picture

Day 4: Oral Presentation

1h15mins

  • Students will prepare answers to certain questions provided by the teacher regarding their mask projects.
  • Closure: Students will each present in front of the class their masks and answers to the questions.
  • Students will critique the works of their peers.

Students wearing their Masks
John Grant High School, 2017

Learning Objectives

  • To encourage natural storytelling and public speaking skills
  • To gain a better understanding of Indigenous culture & foster cultural sensitivity
  • To learn more about North American animals and their symbolism.
  • To learn about masks and design their own masks.
  • To learn to appreciate nature

Visual Arts Competencies

To appreciate First Nations artworks
To gain an understanding of the colors used in first nations art
To draw animals as inspired by first nations art

To create aboriginal inspired masks

Cross-Curricular Competencies

To learn about the First Nation Culture and history.
To communicate a story appropriately.
To learn the symbolism associated with each animal
To use the resources available to them.

Vocabulary

Aboriginal: People who are originally native to the land prior to the arrival of colonists.

Indigenous
: origination from a particular place; native


First Nations: The first people who lived in North America before the Europeans arrived

Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas, emotions and states of mind.

Motif: A decorative image or design, which could be repeated to form a pattern

Grading Rubric

Picture
aboriginal_mask_rubric.docx
File Size: 17 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

Student Work

Mask Idea Drawings

Stencils to Inspire

aboriginal_images.docx
File Size: 1336 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

aboriginal_masks.docx
File Size: 226 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

canadian_animals_stencils.docx
File Size: 563 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

aboriginal_animals.docx
File Size: 288 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

Research Activity on Aboriginal Artists

aboriginal_artist_research_paper.docx
File Size: 20 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

aboriginal_artist_research_paper_answers.docx
File Size: 21 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

PowerPoint Presentation to Introduce Lesson

aboriginal_art.pptx
File Size: 9377 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

References

Websites:
Animal Symbology: Shttp://shop.slcc.ca/node/5
First Nations Art Projects: http://www.ehow.com/info_7936841_first-nations-art-projects.html

Videos:
Pacific Northwest Native Indian Art Carvings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpqiPztQOY0
Story Telling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm9AZ3x5fpw
Teaching Story telling in the classroom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrZc6eztoH4&list=PL6C773AD48C214F81
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHmdDzMc_fA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8WREmWxggU

Music
Native American Relaxation Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH8nsXpxlxU
Native American Indian Spirit of Meditation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeBw_atUkoo
Earth Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19nm5_nAwQg›
Ah Nee Mah - Native Visions (A Native American Music Journey) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAlOopAPWmQ&t=1628s


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  • Sinthia Cousineau
    • My Resume
    • My Philosophy of Education
    • Artists that Inspire Me >
      • Claude Monet
      • Leonardo da Vinci
      • Pierre-Auguste Renoir
      • Georgia O’Keeffe
      • Vincent van Gogh
      • Michelangelo
      • Sandro Botticelli
      • Antoni Gaudí
  • Drawings
    • Illustrations >
      • Roman Ruins
    • Ships
    • Self-Portraits
    • Animal Drawings
    • Drawing from Observation
    • Cross Drawings
    • Skulls & Skeleton
    • Fictional Characters
    • Flowers
  • Ceramic Art
    • Functional Ceramics >
      • Bowls
      • Boxes
      • Mugs
      • Vases
      • Containers
    • Molds
    • Animals
    • Figures
    • Decals
    • Violins
    • Abstract & other
  • Paintings
    • Self-Portraits
    • Models
    • Imaginative Worlds
    • Saint-Joseph's Oratory
    • Still Lives & Nature
    • Ruins & Architecture
    • Painters that Inspire Me
  • Photography
    • Cyanotypes
    • Photograms
    • Pin-Hole Photography
    • Photoshop >
      • Photoshop Lesson: Recreation of Famous Artwork
      • Lesson: Double Exposure
    • Digital Photography >
      • Butterflies
      • Architecture & Cities
      • Ruins
      • Flowers >
        • Dandelion
        • Roses
        • Water Lily
      • Nature
      • Churches & Sanctuaries
      • Objects, Patterns, and other
      • Travel
    • Other Light-based Media Stuff >
      • Lesson: Scanner Self-Portrait
  • Art Therapy
    • Approaches to Art Therapy >
      • Psychodynamic Approach
    • Symbols in Art Therapy
    • Art Therapy Interventions >
      • Group Art Therapy >
        • Structural Family Therapy
    • Art & Social Anxiety >
      • Art Therapy & Anxiety Disorders
    • Art & Prisons
    • Art & Leukemia
    • Art & Bullying
    • Art & Disabilities
    • Art Therapy Activities
    • Emotional Expression
  • Art Education
    • History Lessons
    • Art Education & Seniors >
      • Lesson: Mandalas
      • Lesson Plan: Zentangle Cards
      • Lesson: Analogous Still Lives
      • Lesson: Eco Collage
      • Lesson: Clay Decorations
      • Other Lesson Ideas
    • Art & Children >
      • Introductory Lesson
      • Door Mural Project
      • Ancient Egypt Art
      • Holiday Art
      • Lesson Unit: Fables & Stories
      • Lesson: Landscape
      • Lesson: The Color Wheel
      • Lesson: Optical Illusions
      • Lesson: Roman Mosaics >
        • Roman Mosaics
      • Lesson: Northwest Aboriginal Art
      • Lesson Plan: Renaissance Invention Scroll
      • Lesson: Paper Puppets
      • Lesson: Reconstructing Scenery
      • Lesson: La Bande Dessinée
      • Lesson: Warm & Cold Motion Figures
      • Lesson: Alliteration Drawing
      • Lesson: Shibori
      • Other Lesson Ideas
    • Art & Adolescence >
      • Mural Project
      • Ceramic Mosaic
      • Lesson: Eco Art
      • Lesson: Decorating Fabric
      • Lesson: Zentangles & Patterns
      • Lesson: Social Media, consumerism & war
      • Lesson: Bag Sculptures & Positive Body Image
      • Lesson: Caricatures & political activism
      • Lesson: Canadian Landscapes & Group of Seven
      • Tattoo Art & Meaningful Images
      • Lesson: Stenciling Street Art
      • Lesson: Plaster Figures (grade 7-9)
      • Photoshop Lesson
      • Lesson: Value Scales
      • Lesson Plan: Video Art
      • Lesson Plan: Sound Art
      • Lesson: GIF Project
      • Lesson: Mashup Videos
    • New Media Art
    • Types of Art >
      • Activist Art
      • Eco Art
      • Kinetic Art
      • Street Art
  • Videos
  • 3D Art & other mediums
    • Fibers >
      • Weaving
      • Crochet Projects
    • Dolls
  • Animation & GIFS
  • Kids: Coloring Printables
  • Contact Me
  • Blog
  • Travel
  • COVID-19 Art Response