fourth GRADE

COSTUME & CHARACTER

Essential Questions

• What kind of characters would look funny with a shriveled face?

• How can costume show character?

• What accessories can tell us about a character’s specific story?  

OVERVIEW

After learning about the North American tradition, students will make shriveled-head dolls by peeling an apple and carving facial features into it. They will soak the apples in natural preservatives (lemon juice and salt) so that the “heads” will dehydrate and have a wrinkled texture. While the apples dry, students will make a wire armature for their dolls using newspaper to give form to their bodies. Once the “heads” are ready, they will discuss their visual qualities (e.g. wrinkled skin, gaping mouth) and give examples of characters that match or contrast its appearance in interesting ways. In guided dialogue, they will be prompted to find character inspiration from the various materials available for their doll’s costume. Students will select, measure, cut, and attach materials to create costumes, while thinking about how real clothes are made (e.g. overlapping and gluing edges at “seams”). After selecting a character and beginning their costume, students will respond to a presentation about character and costume design in Tim Burton movies. Finally, they will add details/accessories that can elaborate their character’s specific “story.”

The following is a summary of this project design.  Please view the full project design for complete lesson plans, including my consideration of student development and state learning standards.

LESSON 1: APPLE HEAD DOLLMAKING

Students will look at a brief presentation on the apple head dollmaking tradition and technique. They will peel an apple and use a subtractive process to carve facial features. They will insert a wire at the stem of the apple, soak it in lemon juice and salt (natural preservatives), and hang it to dry.  

LESSON 2: ARMATURES

Students will look at their apple heads and compare how differently they look from last session.  Why are they drying this way?  In a brief guided dialogue, they will review the preservation technique, describe how the appearance of the apples changed, and what characters the faces might end up looking like. While apples continue to hang and dry, students will make a wire armature for their dolls. They will wrap newspaper strips round the wire and use tape for attachment.   

LESSON 3: WHAT CHARACTERS DOES THIS MATERIAL MAKE YOU THINK OF?

To brainstorm ideas for a character, they will look at materials (e.g. with different patterns, textures) and discuss the kinds of clothing and characters they suggest.  Next, they will review the appearance of their apple heads (e.g. wrinkled skin, gaping mouth) and give examples of bodies that can match or contrast them in interesting or humorous ways.  With a character in mind, they will use tacky glue to add black-eyed peas (eyes), barley (teeth), and yarn (or other material, as hair) to their apple heads.

LESSON 4: COSTUME CONSTRUCTION

Students will watch a demonstration for making doll costumes (e.g. overlapping and gluing edges at “seams”). They will select, measure, cut, and attach materials to their dolls. 

LESSON 5: COLLEEN ATWOOD & DETAIL

What details do you notice in the costume? How do they show a character? How do you think the designer came up with ideas?  Students will look at a presentation about character and costume design in Tim Burton films (by designer Colleen Atwood). They will continue to work on their costumes, and be prompted to use books and other references to help add details to their apple head doll characters.

LESSON 6: ACCESSORIES THAT TELL A STORY

What accessories could my character wear? What props could s/he hold? Students will respond to a real-life costume building demonstration. They will look at accessories (beach bag, hat) to guess the teacher’s new “character.” What other accessories might she have in the bag? In guided dialogue, they will brainstorm ideas for accessories and props they can add to their own character. 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will learn that: 

ARTISTIC SKILLS

• In 3D art, the subtractive technique involves taking or carving away from something 

• The properties of metal wire (strong, flexible) make it a supportive, moveable armature

• The qualities of collage (edge and overlap) can be used to construct a costume onto an armature

VISUAL LITERACY

• Artists can use humor by making analogies, and to approach a task from an original or interesting perspective

• Materials have attributes (e.g. pattern, color, texture) that can inspire ideas about costume and character

• Details can make a costume more specific, tell stories about the wearer, and fascinate an audience 

INTERDISCIPLINARY

• Apple head dollmaking is a tradition found in early American culture, practiced by different ethnic groups (e.g. the Seneca, early European settlers), and similar practices are found in the tribal traditions of Africa and Asia (using other raw materials instead of apples)

• To chemically preserve apples, traditional dollmakers employed natural resources from their surroundings. The acidity in lemon juice slows down the process of oxidation.  Salt and dry air can dehydrate fruits, causing them to shrivel.