This interdisciplinary unit consists of six components: self-perception; other-perception; artists’ perceptions; revelations; deceptions; and conceptions. It combines the meanings of and attitudes toward diversity and multiculturalism and multicultural activities with the TAG curriculum. Under conceptions, students construct and embellish a three-dimensional plaster gauze mask as a visual answer to the question, “Who are you?” This personalized representation is a symbolic, metaphoric, or realistic interpretation. Each mask is an embodiment of each individual, a celebration of uniqueness, a statement of belonging. The title of this unit is derived from this activity.
Attitudes of appreciation for the diversity in one another and acceptance of all individuals is fostered. The students are introduced to literary works, art pieces, and hands-on creative activities from different cultures. Utilizing the artist’s notebook as a format for recording observations and conclusions, the students insert information on a weekly basis. This notebook becomes a written and illustrated depiction of the student and the world through his or her own eyes.
Maskerade enables the TAG 1-3 students to examine themselves, discover their strong, positive attributes, and recognize areas in need of improvement. This process of self-discovery is carefully teacher-guided with encouragement toward self-acceptance, trust in oneself, and assumptions of a right to belong and participate in the ‘community,’ in society, in life.
(Recommended for Interdisciplinary, grades K-6)
