MEDUSA MASKS SESSION 1:

(whole afternoon session)

(Forming/sculpting Medusa masks from corrugated cardboard, newspaper, wire and tape)

Intended learning outcomes for sharing with children

By the end of the lesson you will be able to:

1.  Sculpt and form a cardboard box into a mask that communicates evil and hatred

2.  Use a key-hole saw and wire cutters well and safely

3.  Create tubes of newspaper using doweling rods

4.  Use wire and newspaper tubes to create snakes that seem to writhe

5.  Learn to use slots, cross-slots and tape to join things together

Key concepts

Form (3D) shape (2D & 3D), joins, movement, facial expression, properties of materials (card, newspaper, tape, wire)

Key skills

Forming/sculpting: / with cardboard, newspaper, wire
Joining: / - slotting (including the cross-slot)
- taping
- gluing
Cutting: / - cardboard, with key-hole saw, shearing scissors
- wire, with wire cutters
Communicating: / - using visual and tactile elements of shape and form in a
face/mask to communicate evil, hatred, aggression, anger
- movement - the sinuous writhing of snakes
Critical response / - responding to and evaluating own and others work
- awareness of how the visual elements of form and shape
communicate feelings
- identifying possible improvements/ways of developing own and
other's work

Key vocabulary/terminology

*This list of words should be on a wall-chart as an aide-memoire and large enough for the teacher to refer the children to while talking and demonstrating. This will reinforce oral language reading and spelling

·  form, shape, sculpture, papier-mâché, slot, cross-slot, moulding

·  key-hole saw, wire cutters, doweling, masking tape, corrugated card, manila card,

·  facial expression, evil, aggressive, angry, malevolent, hateful, writhing, petrified

·  Medusa, Gorgon, Perseus,

Health & Safety

·  wearing goggles when cutting and modelling with wire

·  safe practice in use of key-hole saw

·  safe practice in wire cutting (e.g two people holding it so pieces do not fly across the room)

Resources

Materials
Cardboard boxes
Pieces of corrugated cardboard
Masking tape
Wire (pre-cut for snakes)
PVA glue
Elastic
Newspaper on tables
Newspaper for rolling tubes
White Manila card
Cardboard tubes
Lapel name labels for each child / Tools
Stanley knife (teacher only)
Cutting board
Shearing scissors
Glue spreaders
Coloured felt pens
Doweling rods
Wire cutters
Rain making percussion instruments

AVA

Camera
Films
Slide projector
OHP
Extension lead
Screen / Visual aids
Perseus helmet
Perseus sword
Perseus shield
Perseus tunic
Medusa mask
Medusa cloak
Examples of box masks
Stages from box to Medusa
Papier-mâché mask with big nose
Colour OHT of Medusa
OHT of intended learning outcomes
Slides of children's masks
3 Large photos of students making Medusa masks
Rangda mask
2 Children’s Ogre masks
Black bin bag
2 ping-pong balls

Stages in session

Introduction

·  My name/ children's

·  Question children about what they know already about the myth surrounding Perseus and Medusa.

·  Children to re-enact:

1.  the Medusa turning a soldier to stone (new vocabulary: "petrified")

2.  Perseus using his shield as mirror to kill Medusa and others using rainmakers for sound of snakes!

3.  A child re-enacts the pulling of Medusa's head out of a bag and turns the rest of the class to stone! (new vocabulary: "petrified")

Examples of masks made by children

·  Slide show (discuss first slide of Medusa e.g. what visual elements convey evil and hatred?)

·  Show large photos of student’s Medusa masks and seek permission to take photos.

Intended learning outcomes

·  Share these with children on OHP

·  Refer children to the new words they will be hearing and using on the wall chart

Modelling and explanation of task (part 1) ‘Shaping the box’

·  Show box to Medusa mask and all stages in between (box, mark facial features, cut out/attach features, the snakes, the papier-mâché moulding, painting)

·  OHT showing steps in making the mask

·  Demonstrate the shaping of chin, shoulders, back of head

Modelling and explanation of task (Part 2) 'The face'

·  Discuss shape of eyes, mouth to communicate evil/hatred/anger (use Rangda mask and OHTs of faces to illustrate)

·  Demonstrate/model marking of features and cutting out using key-hole saw and sharp scissors eyes, nose, mouth? ears? (health and safety issues)

·  Demonstrate use of masking tape

Activity 1

·  Children work in pairs shaping, cutting their boxes to create a head with features

Modelling and explanation of task (Part 2) 'The snakes'

(Use a child as my partner in the se demonstrations)

·  Demonstrate rolling newspaper tubes using doweling rods

·  Demonstrate taping tubes

·  Demonstrate cutting wire (correct way for health and safety)

·  Demonstrate wiring newspaper tube and bending to create writhing movement

·  Demonstrate joining snake to head (cross slot + glue + tape)

·  Discuss possible ways of creating a forked tongue and teeth for snakes

Activity 2

·  Children work in pairs sculpting snakes and attaching them to their masks

Evaluation

·  Critical response - responding to each other's work e.g. what do they like the most about a pair's mask and why? Are the masks effective in communicating evil/aggression? What is it about the visual elements of shapes and forms used that helps to portray evil/aggression? Suggestions for improvement/development.

·  Class gathers together to reflect on:

1.  What they enjoyed the most

2.  What they found difficult and why?

3.  What new skills they have learned (return to OHT of Intended Learning Outcomes).

10-11 year-old children from St Peters C of E, Plymouth, using key-hole saws to create features

and insert snakes on their Medusa masks

S. Pratchett 2001 Medusa Masks Session 1