Day of the Dead Skull Project

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Here's a link to a great October project, and a powerpoint presentation is here.

Day of the Dead Historical Background: Celebrated Nov. 1 & 2 in the hispanic culture, the Day of the Dead is a gathering holiday about celebrating loved ones who have passed away. Traditions include making private family altars and decorating with orange marigolds. A common symbol of the day is the skeleton – often decorated with elaborate patterns, or dressed up in a humorous way.

This art lesson focuses on the idea of decorating a skull. In addition to making a symmetrical pattern, students will practice facial proportion.

Materials: black construction paper, pencil, white or silver sharpie, cardboard skull template

1. Pass out skull template. Using the last slide in the powerpoint presentation, discuss how eyes are in the middle of the head (not up on the forehead, where people tend to want to draw them), and how the nose is halfway down from there, and the mouth halfway down from the nose. Have kids pencil in the facial features.

2. Once these are in place, pass out the sharpies and have them outline those, and begin their patterns. Encourage them to make them symmetrical: if a flower is on one side of the face, see if you can mirror it on the opposite side. Other ideas are dots and swirls.

3. Then let the kids go for it! The contrast of the white or silver sharpie against the black construction paper makes these look so great.

VARIATION: Collage Skulls

materials: construction paper, cardboard skull template, scrapbook/collage papers with patterns/colors, glue, (optional - tissue paper flowers)

1. Pass out skull template. Point out how eyes are in the middle of the head not on forehead. Have kids trace template onto patterned paper, cut, and glue to their large piece of construction paper.

2. Have them cut and glue onto their skull eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Then let them go to town adding whatever else they want to bling up their skull.