We offer two versions of this activity. The activity for younger students — making a skull model that can be used as a mask — involves less construction and requires less precision. The activity for older students — making a skull model/mask with a moveable jaw — requires cutting skills that might be difficult for a younger student.

Background Information for Older Students

At the end of the activity for older students, we ask: “Do you think the paper skull’s jaw works the way your jaw works? What’s the same about it? What’s different?”

The paper skull’s jaw works like a sliding door. Your own jaw has a hinge — like the hinge on a laptop computer or the hinge on a door. If you put your hands on the sides of your head just below your ears, you can feel this hinge moving as you open your mouth.