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Social Studies: Using a personal
symbol as a signature
Preparation
Teachers:
- Collect everyday or cultural items that
are related to China, Korea, or Japan, e.g.,
foodstuffs such as rice, items that may have
Chinese, Korean, or Japanese writing on
them, utensils such as chopsticks, clothing
items, etc. Local Asian markets or stores
are good sources for this material.
- Collect or prepare a large, modern
corporate symbol or any other symbol with a
recognized and specific meaning, e.g., the
Michael Jordan symbol that Nike uses.
Students: Homework
Define symbols as something that stands for
something else. Ask students to look for symbols
(or logos) that are found in their home, on
their clothing, food products, computers, etc.
They can draw the symbols or paste cut-outs of
found symbols on a piece of paper to bring to
the next class.
Materials
butcher paper
student photographs and cultural items
examples of Asian poetry, painting, and
calligraphy
Personal Symbol Worksheet
map of Asia
Activity
- Post the large, well-known logo on a board
or wall in the classroom. Ask students what
it is and what it means. This is a warm-up
activity that will get the students involved
and interested.
- Have students make a list of things they
do, say (language, both oral and written),
or think, that they believe represent their
family or culture. Make a master list on
butcher paper that shows similarities and
differences.
- After allowing the students the
opportunity to discuss and share their
cultures and traditions, direct the focus
onto China, Korea, and Japan, and discuss
why there are so many similarities. Create a
"sharing table" to display items
related to the three countries brought in by
teachers to share with students.
- After discussing the items with students,
use the following to explain some of the
similarities.
- Geography — use a map of Asia to show the
proximity of the three countries.
- Written language — briefly relate how Korea
and Japan used the Chinese writing system
before they developed their own.
- Foods — point out items eaten by people from
all three countries: rice, noodles, and soy
products such as tofu.
By focusing on these similarities, students
will be able to draw their own conclusions
in comparing and contrasting the East Asian
countries. See Preparation and
Resources.
- Discuss traditions that students have
practiced that originate in other cultures
or countries, i.e. Chinese New Year, zodiac,
etc. Introduce the East Asian traditions of
the Lunar New Year, the Japanese Bon
Festival, and the Chinese Moon Festival.
Encourage students to bring in photographs
and cultural items to share with the class,
and compare across cultures (add to
"sharing table"). Discuss reasons
that these events occur: proximity of
cultures, diverse communities coming in
contact with one another, similarities in
tradition, language, communication systems,
etc.
- Have students define the word virtue in
small groups. Discuss how this word has a
traditional meaning that applies to men in
East Asia and discuss how it can apply to
women or children. Other important
vocabulary: morals, values, and cultural
values.
- Tie in the three perfections of East Asian
cultures — poetry, painting, and calligraphy.
The three perfections were the most
important accomplishments for an East Asian,
as mastering them allows one to attain
knowledge, build character, gain respect,
and reach a high social status in
traditional East Asian communities.
- Have students create a special symbol that
they feel has value and represents them.
They make a drawing of that symbol and
present it to the class. The students should
be able to describe the symbol and explain
why it represents them.
Art: Creating a Seal or Chop
Background
A chop is an artist's seal and sometimes acts as
a signature. Often a scroll will have numerous
seals, stamped in red, which may be an artist's,
a poet's, a collector's, and even an emperor's
seal. Although a seal is not one of the three
perfections, it is an important element on a
scroll and one of the things students noticed
when they looked in detail at the DIA paintings.
See Preparation and
Resources. Every scholar
realized the importance of his seal in making a
personal statement about himself and things
important to him.
Traditionally, a chop is usually carved in
soft stone, bone, or wood. The students carved
their chops in soft art gum erasers using razor
knives. Ideas for their chops included their
initials, a Chinese character, or a design they
created. These should be carved in reverse so
that when printed, using a red ink pad, they
appear correct or legible.
Materials
art gum erasers
razor knives
tracing paper
red stamp pad
white paper
Activity
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Students with seals |
- Have students sketch ideas for their chop.
They can use the sketch or symbol they
created in the social studies class. Explain
that their design will represent their
signature on their scroll. Sketches should
be kept simple as they will be carving in a
very small space.
- The design the student decides to use
needs to be drawn, in reverse, on the
surface of the eraser. First draw the design
on tracing paper then turn the paper over to
see its reversed image.
- The design is carefully cut out of the
eraser with a razor knife. Cut along each
side of the line to be removed at a slight
angle, creating a v-shaped cut.
- Use a red stamp pad to try the chop. If a
clear impression does not result more of the
eraser may need to be cut away.
Teacher Comments
We experimented with other methods of creating
chops.
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Student carving clay seal |
- Using pottery clay, the students carved
their design in a flattened surface of the
clay. Then the dried clay was fired in a
kiln.
- Using styrene squares cut from the
school's lunch trays, the design was
impressed into the styrene using a sharp
pencil. A handle was created using a piece
of masking tape.
- For younger students I have used a cut
potato and plastic knives for carving a
chop.
The students had no difficulty in carving the
erasers. They used and reused their chops, both
on the Asian art lessons and on their homework
that they felt worthy of their seal. Later, they
also stamped each other's scrolls, in the true
East Asian tradition.
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