Things Fall Apart Name: _______________________
Mask Making Activity Rand / Adamietz THE VALUES BEHIND THE MASK “And when, as on that day, nine of the greatest masked spirits in the clan came out
together it was a terrifying spectacle (Achebe 89).”
“Each of the nine egwugwu represented a village of a clan (Achebe 89).”
The egwugwu are a symbol of the culture and independence of the Umuofia. The egwugwu are seen as
ancestral gods, though in actuality they are masked Umuofia elders. The egwugwu serve as respected
judges in the community, listening to complaints and prescribing punishments and deciding conflicts. Just
as the egwugwu are superstitiously thought to be the spirits of the Umuofia ancestors, for the sake of
the novel, they are symbolically the spirit of the clan. The masks that the egwugwu use, conceal their
identities behind the customs and values of the tribe.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Egwugwu in Things Fall Apart." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
value - n. a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life. PART ONE - Thursday, April 10th You will write about three values. You must have:
1. A value that you feel is imposed by the society you live in
2. A value that you feel that you have developed yourself
3. A value that you feel is emphasized in the text by the characters
●
Each description must...
○ explain the value and how it relates to the people (person) it is associated with.
■ EX: How is the value of hard work associated with today’s society?
○ include a description of 3 defining physical features that you would include in a
mask that you would create to represent the value and your reasoning behind
those design choices.
*** Note Mr. A’s example on the Mask Activity Powerpoint
○ must be at least 100 words
PART TWO - Friday, April 11th You will choose one value to create a physical representation for.
You will have time in class to choose one value that you wish to create a physical representation
of using supplies in the classroom. Your mask will follow requirements below:
Your mask must:
1. contain the three defining characteristics as outlined in your description
2. use at least three different colors
3. Must resemble a face mask
*** Note Mr. A’s example
4. must use at least three different types of mediums [markers, paper, pencil, paint,
puffballs, macaroni noodles, human hair, etc.]
PART THREE - Monday April 14th and Tuesday April 15th You will present to the class a mini-presentation about the mask you chose to create a physical
representation for. Your speech will follow the requirements below:
Your mask presentation must:
1. be focused on your physical mask that you created
2. explain the different parts of your mask and why you chose to create it the way you did
3. a reading of your 100 word description of your value/mask
4. explain why you chose that particular mask
5. may not exceed 5 minutes
PLEASE PRINT OUT YOUR VALUE / MASK DESCRIPTION OF THE MASK YOU CREATED
[WITH A PROPER HEADER] AND BE READY TO TURN THEM IN AFTER YOUR PRESENTATION
** Use this printed copy of your value / mask description to read from for your presentations **