Magical Dragon Mask

1. Share fiction books about dragons with students in a read aloud setting. While reading, ask students to think about the way the dragon in the story may look. After the read is finished, invite students to sketch the dragon from the story using Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils.
2. In the song "Puff the Magic Dragon," Peter, Paul, and Mary (the recording artists) describe Puff as a friendly dragon (see Learning Activities for a link to the lyrics). Have students listen to the song and share the lyrics. What terms are used to describe Puff as a friendly dragon? How might someone describe an unfriendly, or frightening dragon? Write student contributions on a classroom white board using Crayola Dry Erase Markers. Ask students if the dragon in their pictures is friendly or frightening. How can they tell?
3. Return students to their work areas and ask them to cover this area with recycled newspaper. Provide each student with white Crayola Model Magic. Invite students to shape a dragon's head mask, large enough for them to wear, with the Crayola Model Magic. Students look closely at their sketches to shape the dragon's ears, teeth, and other details.
4. Students carefully use Crayola Scissors to cut away eye openings. An adult should be available to assist students as needed.
5. Students place dragon masks on large, crumpled balls of recycled newspaper so they will hold shape while drying. Allow Model Magic to dry overnight.
6. Cover a table with recycled newspaper. Students use Crayola Tempera Paints and Paint Brushes to paint masks. Add details with color. Dry.
7. Invite students to use Crayola Glitter Glue to lend sparkle to their masks. Dry.
8. With Crayola School Glue, students attach elastic bands to the back of their masks. When not wearing the masks, students hang them from hooks on the classroom wall.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

LA: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships.

LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Possible classroom resources include: Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin; A Dragon's Quest by Michael Yu; The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie DiPaolo; My Little Pet Dragon by Scott Gordon

Encourage students to work in teams of two when investigating dragons and creating masks. One student will focus on the nice, mild-mannered dragons. The second member of the team can look for attributes of a mean, frightening dragon. Each makes a mask reflecting research; one kind dragon and one mean, frightening dragon. Student teams write a scene where the two dragons are interacting. The kind dragon is attempting to convince the mean dragon to behave as a kinder, gentler creature. How does it turn out?

Students design a family of dragons using Crayola Model Magic. Sculpt the whole bodies of each member of the family. Name each member and design personalities for them.