"We Wear the Mask"

I have read "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar with my students just about every year. The poem has many levels, but we discuss the idea of wearing a fake smile while feeling very sad on the inside. After analyzing the poem with my students, I ask them to create their own mask of symbols that represents their true selves. I have had some amazing masks, and I wish I took photos of them all! I just did the lesson again today. Usually, I give specific symbols that I want to be represented on the mask, like an animal that represents you, a food that represents you, etc. This year, I left it open. I would recommend giving specifics because most of the masks today were pretty similar to my example. I also add an explanation writing assignment where the students have to explain how each symbol represents them. Here are the lesson materials that I use. I make a model for the students to get to know me too. Check out the student masks of symbols below.