• Students will be able to explain how civilizations use symbolism in art to teach the people and spread values.
• Students will identify different types of Buddhist art and explain the relevance of each form to the religion and culture of the Buddhist people.

Per class

• Buddhist Art Sample Slide  (View)
• Major Teachings of Buddhism: This is an answer key to the Graphic Organizer of the Main Teachings of Buddhism.  This may be used if teacher does not have time to assign reading on Buddhism, but still wants to go over main ideas of the religi  (View)

• Do You See What I See? Worksheet Answers

    (View)

Per student team/group of 4

• Poster Paper and Markers (if Microsoft PowerPoint is not available)

• Do You See What I See Worksheet E : Buddhist Temples

    (View)

• Do You See What I See Worksheet A: Buddhist Sculpture

    (View)

• Do You See What I See Worksheet C: Buddhist Thangkas                        

    (View)
• Do You See What I See Worksheet B: Buddhist Mandalas  (View)
• Do You See What I See? Worksheet D: Buddhist Stupas  (View)

Per Student

• Do You See What I See Power Point Rubric  (View)

• Do You See What I See Worksheet F

  This worksheet provides students with a chart for taking notes as they listen to the presentations.

    (View)
• Graphic Organizer Main Teachings of Buddhism: This is a blank graphic organizer that may be assigned prior to lesson for students to review main teachings of Buddhism.   (View)

• Mudra - A symbolic hand gesture used in Buddhist art.
• Buddhism - An eastern religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism emphasizes the realize from suffering through the use of meditation and self-purification.
• Mandala - A symbolic representation of the universe featuring a circle encasing a square.
• Stupa - A dome shaped mound that serves as a shrine for Buddhists.
• Dharma - From Hindu and Buddhist tradition, one's dharma is their duty and nature as ordained by divine law.
• karma - One's fate. According to Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, karma refers to the ethical consequences of one's actions. Karma is believed to carry over from one life to another.
• Siddhartha Gautama - The Indian prince whose search for answers about human suffering led to his enlightenment and the creation of the Buddhist faith. He is refered to as Buddha.
• Thangka - A form of Buddhist scroll painting.
• Four Noble Truths - Buddha's teachings on suffering and how humans can free themselves of earthly longings and attain enlightenment.
• Eightfold Path - The actions and thoughts that Buddhist teachings require humans to follow in order to achieve enlightenment. It includes the right thoughts, the right words and the right occupation.

Set-up Directions:

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: SETTING THE STAGE

In preparation for today's lesson, the teacher should review all resources (websites, activity sheets, answer keys and rubrics) included with this lesson. 

The teacher will need to reserve the computer lab for class and bookmark the hotlist pages that will contain the URLs of all Internet resources needed for research. The teacher will also need an LCD projector that can be hooked up to a computer with Internet access within the classroom. The teacher will also need to create small groups of 3-5 students for the project.  Groups should be selected to maximize the strengths of the students.  Students with limited technology proficiency should be paired with students who are more familiar with the computer applications.

The teacher will need to make copies of the assignments (Do You See What I See? Worksheets A-E) available for the students.  Students in each group will receive a set of these assignments specifically for their assigned group. Teacher should also make copies of the Do You See What I See? PowerPoint Rubric for each student.

Prior to class, post the following instant messaging symbols on the board or on a Microsoft PowerPoint slide.

1. (u_u)

2. lol

3. PAW

4. m(_)m

5. (@_@)

Students will need to save their work at the end of the class period.  This can be done using floppy disks or thumb drives.  If your students have access to storage on the student server, they can  save their work to the server.  If students do not know how to save their work, the teacher may wish to provide written instruction on saving work or pair students with limited computer skills with more proficient computer users.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

Display the instant messaging symbols: [1. (u_u) 2. lol 3. PAW 4. m(_)m 5. (@_@)]  Have students take a look at the symbols posted for the class. Ask students if they recognize any of the symbols used. If not, point out that they are symbols used in Instant Messaging. (1. sleeping 2. laugh out loud 3. parents are watching  4. humble apology 5. stunned.) Ask students if these symbols are obvious to interpret, or if they take time.  Why are symbols used in instant messaging?  (possible answers: to write in a code that might not be understood by others or to convey information quickly.)  Point out that people who don't recognize the symbols may misinterpret the messages, but those who know it can gain a significant amount of information (including the emotions of the writer) in a short period of time.  Instant messaging is a modern example of how we use symbols to convey ideas.  Humans have always relied on some type of symbolism.  Today, some symbols are universal. Ask students to think of possible examples.  (No smoking, poison, female/male.) Other symbols are more specific to certain cultures.  A hand gesture that means a positive thing in our culture, may actually be an insult in another culture.  For example, patting a child on the head is a sign of affection in our culture, but it some cultures that is a taboo. Therefore, to understand specific cultures, one must understand their unique gestures and symbols.

Explain to students that in ancient civilizations like China and India, most people were not literate. Since people could not read books to learn more about Buddhism, they often relied on the artwork to understand the main values of the religion.  One frequently used form of symbolism was the mudra, or hand gesture.  Model one of the mudras. To model the "fear not geture" extend arm slightly bent at elbow.  Palms should be facing outward and fingers extended. Ask students to predict what it meant.  Then show the students an example of the mudra in the artwork. You can find an example of such an image at the Art and Archaeology website at http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/japan/asukadera3.html. If students need additional examples, show students other mudras using the following interactive link from Nova Online at  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tibet/buddha.html.  This website can be projected with an LCD projector.  This site will allow students to select a mudra and the cartoon Buddha will demonstrate it. It also features explanations of the symbolisms used in Buddhist sculptures. Point out that colors, shapes and materials also had symbolic value in Buddhist art.

Activity 1 - Symbols in Art

Students will work in groups to learn more about symbolism in Buddhist art. Divide class into groups of four to five students. Assign each group one of the following topics: (Sculpture, thangkas, mandalas, stupas and temples) 

 

Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.

Students will research different aspects of symbolism in Budhist art using the selected Internet sites and  the Do You See What I See? Worksheet.

Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?

Distribute the Do You See What I See? Worksheet to all students.  Review the directions and assign students into pre-selected groups.  Point out that each group focuses on only one form of Buddhist art. State that the student goal is to find out more about symbolism used in their assigned art form.  Tell students that once they understand the symbols, they will use the pre-selected sites to find examples of the symbols used in their assigned art form.  Students will incorporate images into a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and will demonstrate the symbols to the class.

As the students complete their Internet research, the teacher will need to circulate around the room and help students navigate through the websites to find information as needed.    After about 15 minutes of research, direct students to stop working on the computer and take a 5 minute research break to share information with their group members. After groups have assessed their progress, they should continue to work for another 15-20 minutes to gather and organize the remaining information. 

(If they have completed the information in Part 1, they can begin looking for images based on the directions in Part 2.  Students should paste images and documentation into a Microsoft PowerPoint slide. If website policy prohibits the copying of images, students can create a link directly to the website by copying and posting the website's URL into the Microsoft PowerPoint slide and hitting the space bar.)

It is important to remind the students to keep their presentations simple.  They do not need to know every detail about  the artwork and its history, rather they should be able to identify a few examples of symbolism (hand gestures, color, pattern, etc.) that they can explain to the class.

Direct students to save work (on student server, floppy disks or thumb drive depending on what is available) and log off the computer.

 

Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?

After students have had time to view websites and prepare slides, direct students to review their progress within their small groups. Students can preview their Microsoft PowerPoint presentations by hitting the F5 button on their keyboards. This will allow them to check that all features of the slides are operating properly.

Activity 2 - CULMINATING ACTIVITY

5 minutes

Ask students to share one point about Buddhism or Buddhist art that they learned from their class research.  At least one member from each group should speak. 

Possible answers include, but are not limited to:

Different Asian cultures represented the Buddha with unique images.

Perfect proportions were considered important for creating the art.

Creating the art could be seen as a ritual or form of meditation.

Buddhist art features complex images.

Buddhists may worship several deities.

Buddhist beliefs vary according to region.

Wrap Up:

Bring class to closure by focusing on the daily challenge question: How do societies use symbols to represent ideas?

Possible answers include but are not limited to: Artists may use colors that have symbolic value.  Hand gestures or postures also may have symbolic values. Certain images like the lotus flower also have symbolic value.  These symbols help people of different languages and cultures understand the meaning of the religion.

Tell students that tomorrow, we will look at more examples of the artwork and try to find the symbols used. 

Set-up Directions:

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: SETTING THE STAGE:

As preparation for today's lesson, the teacher will need to reserve an LCD projector as well as the computer lab with Internet access and  Microsoft PowerPoint program.  Teacher should bookmark relevant sites (as listed in Resources section)  or upload the activity sheets on to the school network. Photocopy the Microsoft PowerPoint Rubric sheets for each student. Students will continue to work in their assigned teams. 

Remember that the goal of the presentation is for each student to present at least one slide showing an example of the assigned art form and brief descriptions of the symbolism used within the art.  Students should be reminded to keep the presentation simple. Any pictures that are taken from the Internet should include the URL underneath of it or students can just include the link on the slide and go directly to the website during the presentation. 

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

Microsoft PowerPoint Pointers: 5 minutes

Ask students to discuss what makes one Microsoft PowerPoint presentation more effective than another.  (Possible answers include: clear large fonts that are easy to read, backgrounds that enhance without distracting, limited use of animation and sound since those features will distract viewers from the content.)  Distribute the Do You See What I See? PowerPoint Rubric Sheet and go over the standards with the students. State that today, groups will prepare short presentations reflecting what they learned about Buddhist art. 

Activity 1 - PowerPoint Preparation
Students will work in their assigned group to create a short Microsoft PowerPoint presentation highlighting the use of symbolism in their assigned art form. Each student can work on one slide and save the slide on the school network, floppy disk or thumb drive. If it is more convenient for groups, one group member can design the presentation using information gathered and saved by other group members.  Since most of  the research was completed yesterday, students will have a time limit for completing the slides. Each group member should contribute at least one slide to the presentation.

Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.

The focus for the activity is to have students apply their research to a multimedia presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. 

Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?

Prior to having students log on to the computers, state the following:

"Today you will apply information you have learned about Buddhist art to a short Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation. It is important to coordinate this project closely with your group members. Each group member should contribute information to at least one slide. Keep your slides as simple as possible. Slides need to have a brief description of the symbolisms used in the art form. A bulleted list of features will be fine. In slide shows, it is unnecessary and distracting to have information in paragraph form. Any pictures you use that are taken from the Internet should include the URL underneath it or you can just copy and paste the URL onto your slide to go directly to the picture from your presentation."

Remind students to, "Keep slides AS simple as possible and use this rubric to help you create the slide."  Pass out the Do You See What I See? PowerPoint Rubric.

To give students an idea of what the finished product might look like, show them the sample slide from materials section of this lesson  projected with an LCD projector.

Tell students, "This is an example of what your slide might look like." Ask students to review the Do You See What I See? PowerPoint Rubric Sheet to see if it meets the criteria.

As groups work on their presentations, emphasize that the goal is to present at least one slide per person showing an example of the artform and brief descriptions of the symbolism within the art. Keep reminding the students to keep the presentation simple. Also remind them that any pictures that are taken from the Internet should include the URL underneath of it or students can just include the link on the slide and go directly to the website during the presentation. Visit each group individually to monitor progress and keep on task.  Remind them of the time limit and keep circulating to help troubleshoot any problems. 

Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?

Check to make sure each group has saved their Microsoft PowerPoint slides and can access it quickly for class presentations. Slides can be saved onto a floppy disk, thumb drive or student server. Advise students to give their Microsoft PowerPoint file names that will be easy to recall and find.

In preparation for their presentations, ask each group to provide a quick oral summary of their findings to the teacher.  Students may want to preview their presentation (they can do this by hitting the F5 key) to make sure that links are working properly and that the images are clear. While the teacher is meeting with individual groups, other groups can run through their slides and practice their presentations.

Activity 2 - Presentations
In this activity, students will view other presentations and look for common elements in the different art forms. Depending on time limitations and teacher goals, the teacher could arrange for each group to present to entire class or facilitate a gallery walk in the lab. In a gallery walk, students would rotate around lab, viewing each slide show to learn more about the different artforms and symbolisms in Buddhist art. A gallery walk would be most effective if at least one group member remained at the computer to present slides and answer questions about the group presentation.  If students are presenting slides to the entire class at once, each student should take 1-2 minutes to show their slide and point out examples of symbolism within the artwork. If a laser pointer or metal pointer is available it may be utilized to help students locate specific points on the slide.  As students view the presentations, they need to complete the Do You See What I See? Worksheet F.   Encourage students to ask questions to the presenters or to point out any other symbolism that they may see.

Activity 3 - CULMINATING ACTIVITY

10 minutes

Divide students into original groups  to respond to the following prompt:

What common elements do you see in the different forms of Buddhist art?

Call groups together to share their responses with the class.

Possible answers include: symbols are frequently used to represent complex ideas, the lotus flower appears in many forms of the art, the style of art varies from region to region, the art tells a story about the life of Buddha or means of achieving enlightenment. 

Wrap Up:

As closure to the lesson, lead a general class discussion on the following questions: 

How has the use of symbolism helped to preserve the teachings of the Buddhist religion? Why is artistic expression an important component of the religion?

Possible answers:  It spread knowledge of the religious beliefs to a large audience of followers.  The symbols helped to share the message regardless of language or cultural barriers. 

Artistic expression can serve a meditative function as in the creation of mandalas.  The creation and viewing of Buddhist art is meant to inspire spirituality. Some art forms follow rituals that connect the artists to centuries of tradition.