Art and Culture Center of Hollywood
Distance Learning
Integrated Art Lesson Title:
Calavera Sugar Skulls
Description and Overall Focus:
This project will allow students to learn how to create a
volumetric (3-dimensional) calavera mask from flat
media, based on the native Latin American tradition of
Día de los Muertos.
Length of Lesson
45 minutes
Grade Range
Elementary
Objective(s)
Students will learn about the holiday called Día de los
Muertos and the beautifully colorful art form of calavera
candy sugar skulls. Students then will learn how to use
paper folding techniques to create a 3-D object from
flat paper.
Materials: PLEASE NOTE: Some
materials must be acquired
prior to this lesson
Teacher Provided Handout Templates and Examples:
Mask Template (1 per 2-3 students)
Paper Punch
Art Supplies:
Markers, crayons and/or colored pencils
Scissors
Liquid glue
String, yarn or twine (or colorful ribbon)
Paper Plates (9 inch, inexpensive type with fluted edge)
Introductory activity
Students will begin by discussing the upcoming holiday
and how it relates to other traditional days at this time of
year. They will then learn a brief history of the art of the
calavera and its meaning. They will also discuss how
cutting and folding can change a shape to a form, for
example a circle into a hemisphere.
Core activity
Students will focus on creating a mask form by cutting
and folding to change the shape. They will also interpret
the traditional ideas of the calavera into their own
colorful representations of the folk art.
Closure activity
Students will have learned about the methods used to
create a 3-D sculpture from a 2-D medium, beginning
with base folds and cuts in flat geometric shapes. They
will have created their own personal calavera.
Assessment
Students will have learned about the origin of the
calavera: the folk art represented on the Día de los
Muertos. They will also have learned how folding
techniques work to create volumetric and dimensional
form.
Teacher follow-up idea
The classroom teacher can use the books and websites
below to present more of the information surrounding
the artistic world of the native North and Latin
Americans.
Student follow-up idea
Students can continue to create progressively
sophisticated mask sculpture based on animals, nature
elements or other objects, using other forms of media,
such as papier maché.
Book/Web references
Magic Windows/Ventanas Magicas by Carmen Garza
Math Art by Carolyn Ford Brunetto
www.mexicansugarskull.com
www.historyforkids.org
Art and Culture Center of Hollywood
www.artandculturecenter.org
Lesson plan prepared by Traci Petersen, MFA
CALAVERAS
Day of the Dead, or Día de los
Muertos,
is
an
interesting
holiday celebrated in central
and southern Mexico during the
chilly days of November 1 & 2.
Even though this coincides with
the Catholic holiday called All
Soul's & All Saint’s Day, the
indigenous
people
have
combined this with their own
ancient beliefs of honoring their
deceased loved ones.
The calavera is a representation
of human skull made from either
sugar or clay, which is used in
the Mexican celebration of the
Day of the Dead.
Calavera can also refer to any
artistic representations of skulls,
such as the lithographs of José
Guadalupe Posada
An illustrator and political
satirist, Posada’s prints of skulls
and skeletons left their mark on
Mexican popular culture and
have become a fixture of Day of
the Dead imagery.
The Día de los Muertos occurs
every year just after Halloween!
EXAMPLES and TEMPLATES ON THIS and NEXT PAGES:
Inexpensive Paper Plate ↓ with fluted edge
Calavera Mask Design Ideas (8 ideas below):
Mask Template, next page:
Mask should measure across the widest part of the face as close to 8 ½ inches
as possible.
ENJOY!