African Mask Webquest!

(My fifth graders are making African inspired masks out of clay and I made this webquest for them to gather information and see examples before creating their own design. It won't make as much sense to those of you reading it without a handout of questions to answer!)

Africa is a continent of cultures with a rich history of masks. Although Africa is a huge region, masks have been worn and used in village ceremonies throughout the continent for different occasions. Follow the links below to learn about the purposes of African masks and the designs and materials used to make them. Use the readings to help answer the questions on your handout:

1. (Click Here) to first read a brief introduction about African masks. Use this information to answer questions 1-3 on your handout.



Kuba masquerade, 1900, Kasai, Congo

2. (Click Here) to watch a video clip of some animal masks in action during a masquerade in Nigeria. Answer question 4 on your handout.

4. (Click Here) to read about how African masks are made. Answer questions 5 and 6 on the handout.

5. (Click Here) to learn about the artists who create African masks and use the reading to answer question 7 on your handout.

6. (Click Here) to see many examples of African masks. You can click around on any of the tribe names to see their masks. Clicking on individual masks will make them appear larger. After you have spent some time exploring the masks of several tribes, answer question 8 on your handout.

Ceremonial Mask, Congo

Congratulations on completing your web quest! Please wait for Mrs. Kamp to give you further directions :)