Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Moral Tales: A Program on Making Choices for Grades 2-3

Alternate Activity 3: Living Being Masks

Activity time: 20 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Copies of Handout 1, Mask Template, for all participants
  • Color markers
  • Feathers, cotton balls, mini pompoms, pipe cleaners
  • Glue
  • Large popsicle sticks

Preparation for Activity

  • Print out and photocopy Handout, Mask Template for all participants. You can use any color paper for the masks.
  • Place markers, feathers, cotton balls, mini pompoms, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks and glue on worktables for children to share.

Description of Activity

If you have time, add this activity before Activity 5, "We Are All One" Game. The masks are meant to help children step into the roles of other living beings, either the characters in the story, "We Are All One," or other living beings you will introduce during the Activity 5 game.

Invite children to make a mask representing a character in the story (the woman searching for the healing herb, one of her children, the queen ant, another ant, or the centipede) or any other living being. You may suggest a cat, a snake, a tree, a bumblebee, a frog, an elephant, a bear, a fish, or a wolf.

Allow children to decorate their masks with feathers, pipe cleaners and markers. It is not important for children to accurately portray the character or living being they have chosen. Help each child glue a popsicle stick on one side of the mask. When the glue on the popsicle sticks dries, show children how to hold the stick to keep the mask in place.

When you do Activity 5, "We Are All One" Game, use this variation: Ask the children with the appropriate mask to come to the center of the circle as you call out the name of a character or living being. Once they find their poses, invite the others in the circle to imitate the pose(s) and add their ideas of what this living being might say. As in the regular version, you will shift focus to a new character or living being by calling, "In our web of life... " at which time the group stands in a circle, holds hands, and replies, "We are all one." Make sure you know what each child has drawn on their mask, so you can call them forward. As you call out characters or living beings that are not represented by any of the children's masks, allow any volunteer to come to the center of the circle.