The Arts · Grade 6 · Theatrical Expression and Character · Term 2

Costume and Makeup Design

Students investigate how costume and makeup choices contribute to character development, historical accuracy, and thematic elements of a production.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• TH:Cr2.1.6a
• TH:Cn11.1.6a

About This Topic

Costume and makeup design teaches Grade 6 students how visual choices shape characters and productions. They analyze how clothing signals social status, such as silk robes for royalty or patched garments for laborers, and how makeup alters age, mood, or otherworldliness. Students research historical periods for accuracy, like Elizabethan ruffs or Indigenous regalia, and explore symbolic colors, where blue evokes calm or gold represents power, to reinforce play themes.

This topic supports Ontario Arts curriculum standards TH:Cr2.1.6a and TH:Cn11.1.6a by building skills in creation, analysis, and cultural connections. Students critique professional designs, propose their own concepts, and reflect on how visuals guide audience interpretation, fostering empathy and research abilities essential for theatre.

Active learning excels here because students handle fabrics, sketch prototypes, and apply safe makeup during peer reviews. These steps make theoretical ideas concrete, encourage iterative improvements, and simulate real design workflows, boosting confidence and collaboration.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how a character's costume communicates their social status or personality.
2. Design a costume and makeup concept for a character from a specific historical period.
3. Explain how symbolic colors in costumes can enhance a play's themes.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how specific costume elements, such as fabric choice or silhouette, communicate a character's social standing or personality traits.
• Design a detailed costume and makeup concept for a character from a chosen historical period, justifying choices based on historical accuracy and thematic relevance.
• Explain how the strategic use of color in costume design can reinforce or contrast with a play's central themes and emotional tone.
• Critique the effectiveness of costume and makeup designs in professional theatrical productions, referencing their contribution to characterization and storytelling.

Before You Start

Elements and Principles of Design

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of concepts like line, shape, color, and balance to effectively analyze and create costume designs.

Introduction to Theatre Arts

Why: Familiarity with basic theatrical terms and the collaborative nature of production is helpful before focusing on a specific design element like costumes.

Key Vocabulary

Silhouette	The overall outline or shape of a costume, which can instantly suggest a historical period or a character's physical presence.
Historical Accuracy	The degree to which costumes and makeup reflect the clothing, styles, and appearance of a specific time period in history.
Thematic Symbolism	The use of colors, patterns, or specific costume items to represent abstract ideas, emotions, or concepts central to the play's message.
Character Arc	The transformation a character undergoes throughout a story, which can sometimes be visually represented through changes in costume or makeup.
Makeup Design	The application of cosmetics and prosthetics to alter an actor's appearance to create a specific character, age, or effect.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Costumes serve only to look attractive.

What to Teach Instead

Costumes convey essential character information like status and era at a glance. Hands-on station activities with fabrics help students test and discuss functional choices, shifting focus from aesthetics to storytelling purpose.

Common Misconception

Makeup is unnecessary for realistic characters.

What to Teach Instead

Makeup enhances subtle traits like fatigue or fantasy elements for all genders. Safe application trials in pairs reveal its transformative power, building understanding through direct experimentation and peer observation.

Common Misconception

Historical details can be ignored for modern appeal.

What to Teach Instead

Accuracy grounds the story in believable worlds. Research and sketching tasks correct this by comparing authentic versus invented designs, with group critiques highlighting immersion benefits.

Active Learning Ideas

Stations Rotation: Design Principle Stations

Prepare four stations: social status with fabric samples, historical research with period images, makeup trials using face paint and mirrors, symbolic colors with swatches and mood cards. Small groups spend 10 minutes per station sketching one element for a shared character, then combine ideas. Conclude with group shares.

50 min·Small Groups

Pairs: Historical Character Concept

Pairs select a character from a play set in a specific era, research authentic attire online or in books, then draw costume and makeup plans. They label choices for status, personality, and theme. Pairs present to class for feedback.

35 min·Pairs

Whole Class: Symbolism Gallery Walk

Each student creates a color board with fabric scraps and drawings showing theme symbols. Display boards around the room. Students walk the gallery, noting effective examples and suggesting alternatives in a shared chart.

40 min·Whole Class

Individual: Makeup Mood Sketch

Students choose three emotions, sketch neutral faces, then add makeup details to convey each. Use printed face templates. Share sketches in a quick class discussion on effectiveness.

25 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Costume designers working for major theatre companies like the Stratford Festival or Mirvish Productions research historical archives and consult with historians to create authentic and visually compelling attire for productions spanning different eras.
• Film and television costume departments employ specialists who focus on period accuracy, ensuring that the clothing worn by actors in historical dramas, such as 'The Crown' or 'Outlander', aligns with the fashion and social norms of the time.

Assessment Ideas

Peer Assessment

Students present their costume sketches and makeup designs for a historical character. Peers use a checklist to evaluate: Is the historical period evident? Does the design suggest personality? Are colors used purposefully? Peers provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

Quick Check

Provide students with images of three different costumes from various historical periods. Ask them to write down the period each costume likely represents and one reason why, focusing on silhouette and details.

Discussion Prompt

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How might a character's costume change if they were suddenly impoverished or gained immense wealth during the play? What specific elements of the costume would you alter and why?'

Frequently Asked Questions

How can active learning help students understand costume and makeup design?

Active approaches like fabric stations, makeup trials, and peer critiques engage senses and iteration, making abstract concepts tangible. Students prototype ideas with safe materials, receive feedback, and refine designs, mirroring professional processes. This builds ownership, critical thinking, and links personal creativity to curriculum standards in 40-50 minute sessions.

What safe materials work for Grade 6 makeup design activities?

Use washable face paints, cream eyeliners, and powder blushes from theatre supply kits or dollar stores. Avoid liquids near eyes; test for allergies first. Pair with mirrors and wipes for quick cleanups. These let students experiment with contouring or aging while prioritizing safety and easy classroom management.

How do costumes communicate character social status in theatre?

Fabrics, colors, and accessories signal hierarchy instantly: velvet and jewels for elites, coarse wool for commoners. Students analyze examples from plays like Romeo and Juliet. Design tasks reinforce this by having them justify choices, connecting visuals to script clues and audience inference.

Ideas for symbolic color use in Grade 6 costume projects Ontario?

Assign colors to themes, like green for envy in Othello or white for purity. Students create swatch boards with fabric and drawings, explaining links to character arcs. Gallery walks promote critique. Aligns with TH:Cn11.1.6a by tying personal designs to production analysis.