Mardi Gras Self Portraits

3^rd graders learned about the history of Mardi Gras through a short video and Power Point Presentation. Mardi Gras, refers to events of Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after King's Day (January 6) and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday". It is a celebration reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, from the Catholic religion.  Popular practices on Mardi Gras include wearing masks and costumes, dancing, sports competitions, music, and parades.

3^rd graders reviewed how to draw a self- portrait. They also drew a Mardi Gras mask over their eyes. Once done drawing, they traced in Sharpie and then colored in with crayon. Students then cut out portraits and glued them onto purple background paper. They then added unique details to portraits including feathers, sequences, and Mardi Gras beads.