We have a Chinese program (yes. . . we are the bilingual school of our district, mostly Spanish, and we are also teaching Chinese). We have a young woman from China who teaches Chinese to some of our classes. I usually try to fit in a few art projects to celebrate China around this time of year.
This project introduces students to Chinese characters and opens the discussion of Chinese New Year. *Students choose a message for the new year and then write it in Chinese characters.
*Give students handouts with messages like peace, prosperity written in Chinese characters. Students write message in on their paper (horizontally).
*Make paper lanterns by folding these papers in 1/2 and cutting on the fold.
* Finally, with a glue stick, add top and bottom and a handle.
You will need:
Chinese Character Handout
Paper
Black Markers
Pencils
Scissors
Long Cut Paper *see handles and top and bottom of lanterns
Stapler and/or glue sticks
Here are some step by step pictures you can share with a substitute.
MORE TO COME:
I will post more about our China unit. I'm really interested in Deep Space Sparkles' idea for creating blue and white style Chinese Vases. I already purchased a bowl from ebay that depicts the Blue Willow Pattern. I am really interested in the story behind the pattern and excited to talk about it with my students.
8 comments:
I recently bought the book "The Willow Pattern Story" to do a project based on the blue willow pattern that my mother craved so much. I bought heavy duty white paper plates on sale, that we will paint to hopefully illustrate a story with monochromatic blue - but I probably won't get to the project till spring, so I'll be interested to see what you do.
Meanwhile, as of the day before Christmas vacation, I have a new 4th grade student, adopted from China. She speaks only a few words of English that she's learned in her couple of weeks here. Her new sister was also adopted from China, but she was just 5 years old when she came to the US. The new girl is sweet, but nobody here speaks Chinese, so it will be a challenge...
I'll have to check out that book! I can't wait to see what I end up doing too. . . I have no idea. I did see someone paint the pattern on white plates with kids, they were gorgeous, but it would be a little too difficult for my kiddos. I'll have to find a way to interpret it.
They learn so fast. We had a student from China who didn't speak a word in first grade and learned in 1/2 a year! We were all amazed and many teachers questioned why Spanish students didn't do the same. All I can say is this student's parents are very involved and come to every event and art show. I'm sure it carries over to all of his studies. He's now in fifth grade and I was reading his writing yesterday and he used the word "plethora" to describe how many field trips he gets to go on! Love it!
we get a LOT of students new to this country from China and Vietnam. (About 3 or 4 a month!)They seem to pick up English like sponges, even the 5th, 6th and 7th graders. Just keep a kid's Chinese picture dictionary and a pack of sticky notes nearby and label and practice naming everything you can think of. I point to the object, say the word, have the student write the word in their native language on the sticky note, then I say it again in English, write it in English and have the student practice saying it. You can do more words than just marker and scissors... right now with our weaving unit we are working on prepositions like, over, under, above and below. Chances to learn vocabulary are everywhere!
I loved doing my Blue Willow plates with my students a couple of years ago. I found a lot of info on the internet about the story. There was a shorter version I read to the kids. I also demonstrated a bunch of different patterns, fancy trees and designs so the kids could try them first. Then we used any kind of blue crayon, marker, colored pencils on paper plates and we had a blast!
It is one of those projects I want to do every year!
Have fun and show us the results when they are done!
I like the idea of focusing on the willow tree or one element of the pattern. Great idea! I also am ready to use markers for a change! We have so much pottery and painting going on lately it would be a welcome change:)
Thanks for the step by step! Very cool. It's going into my 'live binder':)
Thought these lessons I did a couple of years ago may help...
http://useyourcolouredpencils.blogspot.com/2010/04/chinese-willow-pattern-plates.html
http://useyourcolouredpencils.blogspot.com/2010/07/chinese-style-lanterns.html
Do you have a "hand out" of Chinese characters at-the-ready, by any chance that you could post?
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