Pucker Up

Pucker Up lesson plan

What does your face look like when you taste something sour? Or smell something delicious? Create an expressive, decorative mask to show a strong emotion.

  • 1.

    When you bite a lemon, what do your eyes and mouth look like? If you smell baking bread or stinky socks, how does your face change? Sometimes you’re happy, sad, cranky, silly, excited, lonely, or discouraged. Look at yourself making different faces in a mirror. Notice how your facial features change. Now you’re ready to create a decorative mask that shows a strong feeling.

  • 2.

    On posterboard, use Crayola® Colored Pencils to draw a large face. Add eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Cut out your decorative mask and any holes with Crayola Scissors.

  • 3.

    Cover your work area with recycled newspaper. To create 3-D eyes and mouth, cut strips of paper. Attach them outside and/or behind the eyes and mouth with Crayola School Glue. Use your imagination to shape the strips to show emotions like the ones you saw in the mirror. Air-dry the mask flat.

  • 4.

    Use Crayola Tempera Paint and Crayola Paint Brushes to paint the mask. Accentuate with gold Crayola Premier™ Tempera Paint. Air-dry the mask flat.

  • 5.

    If you want to add hair, paint more paper. Air-dry. Cut hair in thin strips. Glue to mask. Air-dry before hanging as a decoration. How many different facial expressions did your class show in their decorative masks?

Benefits

  • Students realize that people have many different emotions and responses to stimuli.
  • Students recognize that feelings change often and are easily recognized by facial expressions.
  • Students create a decorative mask that depicts a particular feeling or emotion.

Adaptations

  • Write stories about what emotion your mask depicts.
  • Draw a face using color to tell the story of emotions.
  • Students with special needs may benefit from touching and describing their facial expressions while looking in the mirror. Offer to take photographs of children making their face. They can use the picture as a model for their mask.
  • Experiment with tasting and smelling different items. Look at each other’s faces during the experience.
  • Read books and discuss positive ways to deal with difficult emotions such as fear and anger. Role-play possible ways to respond positively to challenging situations.