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Character Sketch Masks

Subjects

Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
--Literature
--Visual Arts
Educational Technology

Grade

K-2
3-5
6-8

Brief Description

Make a mask of your favorite book character, then play the role of that character.

Objectives

Students will

  • assess the personality traits possessed by a book character they enjoyed.
  • use strong adjectives to describe the character.
  • use supporting detail that explains each trait they chose.

Keywords

character, character sketch, personality, adjective, traits, book report, mask

Materials Needed

For this activity, you might keep the materials simple: students might use just construction paper and crayons.
Or you might choose the gather additional materials they can use as they create their masks, including markers, paints, yarn (for hair), cloth or wallpaper samples and buttons (for shirt tops), etc.

Lesson Plan

You can find ready-to-print masks online for many of your students favorite book characters. You might print out, color, and share some of those masks with students as a motivator for this activity. Among the masks you can check out online are the following:

You might even provide some of these masks for students and have them act out a favorite story.

Making Character Masks
This activity can be used as a fun book report alternative. Instead of writing a lengthy book report, have students create a mask of a favorite character in the book. Then they might put on the mask as they share a brief character sketch" with their classmates. The character sketch should emphasize the personality traits/characteristics of the character more than the events in the story or things the character did. Those things/events are important, but most important in the character sketch will be the adjective words that students use to describe the character. For example, students might share that the character was

  • adventurous because he or
  • funny because she or
  • helpful because he or
  • empathetic because she
Students should choose at least three strong adjectives that describe the character they have selected and provide supporting details that explain why that trait stands out. Students will not memorize the character sketch" they create, but they might use a note card on which they have recorded the adjectives they have chosen to describe the character. Those simple adjective notes should be enough to remind students of the things/events they planned to share with classmates.

One of the nicest things about this activity is the anonymity provided by the mask. Students who tend to by shy might be more animated when wearing the mask because they feel less exposed.

Additional Resource
You might provide this worksheet/template to help students organize their thinking:
Character Sketch (.pdf)

Alternative Idea
Instead of emphasizing the characters personality traits, students might wear their masks as they share a favorite part of the book in which their character was involved.

For Older Students
If you teach older (upper elementary or middle school) students, their character sketches might be more involved. You might even use one of these rubrics to set the stage for and to evaluate the results of the character sketch exercise.

More Printable Masks Online
Printable Masks
More Printable Masks

One More Fun Resource
Make a Mask of Harry Potter

Assessment

  • You might use one of the rubrics listed above as your assessment tool.
  • You might assess students based on their presentations.
  • You might let students assess one another. Each student can assign grades (on a scale of 1 to 5) for the mask, content of the presentation, and the actual presentation.

Lesson Plan Source

EducationWorld.com

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

FINE ARTS: Visual Arts
GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.K-4.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.K-4.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.K-4.5 Reflecting Upon and Assessing the Characteristics and Merits of Their Work and the Work of Others
NA-VA.K-4.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.5-8.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.5-8.5 Reflecting Upon and Assessing the Characteristics and Merits of Their Work and the Work of Others
NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 9 - 12
NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.9-12.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.9-12.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
NA-VA.9-12.5 Reflecting Upon and Assessing the Characteristics and Merits of Their Work and the Work of Others
NA-VA.9-12.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines

LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.3 Evaluation Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills

More Lesson Ideas

Find links to more art lesson ideas in these Education World archives:

  • Arts Subject Center
  • Daily Lesson Plans -- The Arts
  • Lesson Planning/The Arts Archive
  • Curriculum/The Arts Archive
  • Arts Subject Center
  • Teacher-Submitted Lessons -- The Arts
  • Music in Our Schools Month (March)
  • Special Days & Holidays Lessons
  • Technology Lessons

    Find links to more language arts and reading lesson ideas in these Education World archives:

  • Language Arts Subject Center
  • Daily Lesson Plans -- Language Arts & Reading
  • Lesson Planning/Language Arts Archive
  • Curriculum/Language Arts Archive
  • Language & Literature Subject Center
  • Teacher-Submitted Lessons -- Language Arts and Literature
  • Every-Day Edits (Printable Work Sheets)
  • Writing Bug Story Starters (Printable Work Sheets)
  • More Language Arts Printable Work Sheets
  • Strategies That Work
  • Read Across America Day (March)
  • National Poetry Month (April)
  • Childrens Book Week (November)
  • Technology Lessons
  • Special Days & Holidays Lessons

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    08/21/2010



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