Wrapping

What is an effective way to communicate the information you have? The possibilities seem to be endless. From posters to scrapbooks to pamphlets, the list goes on and on. Is there one better than another? It all depends on what needs to be conveyed and the audience you are trying to reach.

My audience for this project will be 7th grade Social Studies students. Many of these students will be visual learners. These students need to “see” the information in order to “get” the information. With this being the case, I need to include pictures of the masks in my final product.

Although pictures may say a lot, I do not want to use pictures alone. Many of the students I see are visual learners, but with the multiple intelligences, most of us can find ourselves in two or more of the different intelligences. What about the auditory learners or the verbal learners? We definitely cannot forget the bodily-kinesthetic learners. I am always very concerned with helping these learners try to find their way in my curriculum. As often as I can, I try my best to include movement in my lesson plan. Bodily-kinesthetic learners need to move and touch in order to learn at their fullest potential. What can I do with my final product in order to ensure that I reach as many learners as I can?

My ideas for a final product are as follows:

Give students a picture of a mask and ask them to brainstorm what this mask might represent and the materials it may be made of. Students will then work with partners to discuss their hypotheses. Bodily-kinesthetic learners will be able to move around the room to work with a partner. Verbal learners will be able to write down their observations and speak with someone about their hypotheses. Visual learners will be able to see and hypothesize on what they are seeing.
Create a PowerPoint presentation with lots of pictures of African tribal masks and the basic information that I believe the students need to know.
Following PowerPoint, students will be given the task to create their own mask. Their mask should represent something to them. Ideas may include: love, hate, brotherhood, war, peace, etc. Supplies needed: plastic masks (found at Oriental Trading), beads, sequins, glue, construction paper, cardboard, raffia, etc.
Students will present their mask to the class with an explanation of what they have created. (How does the mask symbolize the theme they were trying to represent?)

I have chosen this path for my final product, because I feel I can reach the most students. Several different learning types will be involved, and students will have the opportunity to create their own versions of tribal masks. Students not only will have the chance to use their hands and artistic abilities, they will also have the chance to create a symbol of a theme important to themselves. This project will meet several of the Indiana's Academic Standards. In the area of Social Studies, the following standards will be met:
Standard 5: Individuals, Society and Culture – “Students will examine the role of individuals and groups in societies of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific, identify connections among cultures, and trace the influence of culture of the past on present societies. They will also examine the role of artistic expression in selected cultures.” In the area of English, the following standards will be met:
Standard 7: Listening and Speaking: Skills, Strategies, and Applications – “Deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background and interests of the audience…” This project will also meet standard 3 of the AASL Information Literacy standards as students will be using “information accurately and creatively.” (See Information Power, pg. 8)