Diwali Masks Creation

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is designed for Year 4 pupils as part of a 5-lesson unit on Hinduism: Light and Celebration. The focus is on consolidating their understanding of the Diwali story by creating masks that depict key characters from the festival’s narrative. This hands-on artistic activity supports pupils in exploring religious stories, beliefs, and cultural expression, aligning with the National Curriculum for Religious Education (England) objectives and incorporating art skills.

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National Curriculum Links

Religious Education (South East London SACRE R.E. Syllabus & similar English frameworks)

• Understanding Religion:
  Pupils should be taught to

  • Describe and make connections between different parts of religious stories and beliefs (KS2: understanding stories from sacred texts/religious narratives).
  • Recognise the impact of religious stories on beliefs and behaviour.

• Expressing Meaning:
  Pupils should be enabled to

  • Express ideas and insights about the meaning of religious stories and symbols through creative arts.

National Curriculum for Art and Design (DfE, England)

• Use drawing, painting, and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences, and imagination.
• Develop artistic skills such as cutting, shaping, and assembling materials.
• Learn about cultural diversity through artistic expression.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

1. Explain the significance of key characters in the Diwali story.
2. Create masks representing these characters, demonstrating understanding of their role in the narrative.
3. Use a variety of art techniques (cutting, colouring, layering) to express cultural symbolism associated with Diwali.
4. Reflect on what the characters represent in the celebration of light overcoming darkness.

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Resources Needed

• Templates for masks (faces of Rama, Sita, Ravana, Hanuman, Lakshmi etc.)
• Cardboard or thick paper sheets
• Coloured paper, tissue paper, glitter, sequins, beads
• Glue sticks, scissors, elastic bands
• Paint, coloured markers/pencils
• Images or posters illustrating Diwali characters
• Story recap handout (brief summary of Diwali story)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes)

• Begin with a quick recapitulation of the Diwali story, focusing on the key characters and their roles.
• Use questioning to review what pupils know, e.g.:
  • Who is Rama? Why is he important?
  • What does Ravana represent in the story?
  • How does this relate to the theme of light and darkness?

2. Introduction to Mask Making (5 minutes)

• Show examples of traditional masks and explain how masks can be used to express characters and stories.
• Explain today’s task: to create a mask of a Diwali character that they identify with or find interesting, emphasising cultural symbols (colours like gold for Lakshmi, or bright red for Ravana).

3. Main Activity: Creating Masks (25 minutes)

• Children select a character template or create their own design inspired by the story.
• Guide them to use layering techniques with coloured paper to depict symbolic elements (e.g., crowns, facial features, weapons).
• Encourage detail and cultural symbolism: explain significance of colours like red, gold, orange, and the use of sparkles to represent light.
• Circulate to support cutting skills, offer suggestions, and ask questions about their design choices, linking back to the story.

4. Sharing and Reflection (7 minutes)

• Pupils present their masks to the class, explaining which character they chose and how their mask represents key aspects of that character.
• Facilitate a brief discussion on what these characters teach us about Diwali and the values of good overcoming evil, light over darkness.

5. Plenary (3 minutes)

• Recap main learning: What did today’s activity teach us about Diwali and its story?
• Link back to the unit’s ongoing theme of celebration and light.
• Give a ‘thought for the day’ prompt: “How can light be a symbol in our own lives?”

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Assessment

• Formative through observation: Are pupils able to articulate character traits and their symbolic meaning during mask-making and presentation?
• Creative output: Assess masks for thoughtfulness in representing characters and use of cultural symbolism, craftsmanship (cutting, layering).
• Reflection: Evaluate contributions to group reflection for understanding of the story and values embedded in Diwali.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide pre-cut shapes for younger or less confident pupils. Pair pupils to support each other with scissor skills.
• Extension: Challenge more able pupils to include symbolic motifs such as lotus flowers, diyas, or to write a short descriptive phrase about their character on the mask’s reverse.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Art & Design: Sculpture and mask-making techniques.
• Literacy: Storytelling and character description skills.
• PSHE: Exploring values such as bravery, kindness, and triumph of good.

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Teacher’s Notes

• Prepare all materials in advance for smooth flow.
• Use this creative lesson to deepen pupils’ empathetic understanding of a major world religion’s festival.
• Consider displaying the masks collectively as a “Diwali Gallery” to celebrate the unit’s learning journey.

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This hands-on, culturally rich lesson directly supports the National Curriculum’s aim to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious stories and their ability to express learning creatively, all within a respectful exploration of Hindu tradition through the important festival of Diwali.